NHS Band 7 Salary 2026/27: Pay Scale, Hourly Rate & Take-Home
Agenda for Change Band 7 in England pays £49,387 rising to £56,515 in 2026/27, after a 3.3% rise — £25.26 an hour at entry. After income tax, National Insurance and NHS Pension that is about £2,933.86 a month take-home (£3,308.99 at the top of the band).
Updated 2026-10-03 · NHS Employers 2026/27 pay scales · HMRC 2026/27 tax
Band 7 pay points 2026/27
| Pay point | Annual | 2025/26 | Monthly gross | Hourly | Pension rate | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £49,387 | £47,810 | £4,115.58 | £25.26 | 9.8% | £2,933.86 |
| After 2 years | £51,932 | £50,273 | £4,327.67 | £26.56 | 9.8% | £3,078.24 |
| Top (after 5 years) | £56,515 | £54,710 | £4,709.58 | £28.90 | 10.7% | £3,308.99 |
- Gross / month
- Take-home / month
Progression is automatic once you meet the pay-step requirements (an appraisal and completed mandatory training). The step from entry to the top of Band 7 is worth £7,128 a year before tax, or £375.13 a month after tax and pension.
What comes out of a Band 7 payslip
| Monthly | Entry (£49,387) | Top (£56,515) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £4,115.58 | £4,709.58 |
| NHS Pension | -£403.33 | -£503.93 |
| Income tax | -£532.95 | -£634.93 |
| National Insurance | -£245.45 | -£261.74 |
| Take-home | £2,933.86 | £3,308.99 |
NHS Pension contributions are deducted before tax (net pay arrangement), so a 9.8% contribution costs you less than it looks. With a Plan 2 student loan, entry-level take-home falls to £2,783.86 a month (£150.00 repaid).
Band 7 in London (HCAS)
High cost area supplements are a percentage of basic pay, subject to a minimum and maximum.
| Area | Supplement | Entry with HCAS | Top with HCAS | Take-home / month (entry) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 20% (min £5,794, max £8,746) | £58,133 | £65,261 | £3,378.53 |
| Outer London | 15% (min £4,870, max £6,137) | £55,524 | £62,652 | £3,254.94 |
| Fringe | 5% (min £1,346, max £2,270) | £51,657 | £58,785 | £3,062.16 |
Unsocial hours and overtime for Band 7
- Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm–6am): +30% — £32.83 an hour at entry.
- Sundays and bank holidays: +60% — £40.41 an hour at entry.
- Overtime: time and a half (£37.89 an hour), or double time on bank holidays (£50.51).
Example: one 12.5-hour Sunday shift a month adds £189 of enhancement on top of basic pay at entry level — about £128 a month after tax, NI and pension.
Band 7 in Scotland, 2026/27
NHS Scotland has its own pay scales and a 3.75% rise for 2026/27. Band 7 pays £52,845 to £61,466 — £3,458 more than in England at entry — but Scottish income tax rates apply.
| Pay point | Scotland | Take-home / month (Scotland) | England take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £52,845 | £3,031.86 | £2,933.86 |
| After 2 years | £54,863 | £3,097.23 | £3,078.24 |
| Top (after 5 years) | £61,466 | £3,357.74 | £3,308.99 |
Typical Band 7 jobs
- Ward manager / sister
- Advanced clinical practitioner (often 7–8a)
- Clinical nurse specialist
- Team leader
- Senior pharmacist
Banding is set by job evaluation against national profiles, so the same job title can sit in a different band at another trust. Moving up to Band 8a starts at £57,528 (£1,013 above the top of Band 7). Band 6 tops out at £48,117.
Calculate your own Band 7 pay
| Basic pay | £56,515 |
| High cost area supplement | £0 |
| NHS Pension (10.7% tier) | £6,047 |
| Income tax | £7,619 |
| National Insurance | £3,141 |
| Student loan | £0 |
| Take-home pay | £39,708 |
- Take-home £39,708 70.3%
- Income tax £7,619 13.5%
- NI £3,141 5.6%
- NHS Pension £6,047 10.7%
Your result is ready
All bands: Band 1 · Band 2 · Band 3 · Band 4 · Band 5 · Band 6 · Band 8a · Band 8b · Band 8c · Band 8d · Band 9
Band 7 and the higher-rate threshold
Band 7 is the band where pay crosses the £50,270 higher-rate threshold, but pension relief changes where that happens. NHS Pension contributions are taken before tax, so what matters is pay after the contribution:
| Pay point | Salary | Pension tier | Taxable pay after pension | Top income tax rate | Tax + NI on the next £100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £49,387 | 9.8% | £44,547 | 20% | £28 |
| After 2 years | £51,932 | 9.8% | £46,843 | 20% | £22 |
| Top (after 5 years) | £56,515 | 10.7% | £50,468 | 40% | £42 |
The Band 7 sweet spot
The middle Band 7 point of £51,932 is unusual. It is above the £50,270 NI upper earnings limit, so NI on extra pay drops to 2%, but pension relief keeps taxable pay at £46,843, inside the basic-rate band. Extra pay at this point costs just 22% in tax and NI, before the pension contribution, the lowest rate on any point from Band 5 upwards.
At the top point of £56,515 the tier rises to 10.7% and about £198 of pay is taxed at 40%. In Scotland every Band 7 point (£52,845 to £61,466) is already in the 42% band.
Promotion from Band 6: protecting pay when you leave nights
Band 7 includes Nursing 7i and 7ii (ward sister or charge nurse and specialist roles), Midwifery 7i to 7iii, Clinical Psychologist (493 to 531 points), Physician Associate (476 to 506), Paramedic Specialist, Advanced physiotherapists and radiographers, and team managers across therapy, pharmacy and HR. With 86 national profiles, it has more than any other band in the NHS Employers index.
A top-of-Band-6 nurse earning £48,117 plus £7,218 of unsocial hours payments (15% of basic) has £55,335 of earnings, more than the £49,387 Band 7 entry point. Section 1 of the handbook says promotion must produce an increase in earnings, so the previous total is maintained until Band 7 pay catches up. That protection only applies if your unsocial hours pattern stays substantially the same. A Monday-to-Friday ward manager post does not qualify, so a promotion to a daytime Band 7 role can mean a pay cut of about £310.12 a month in take-home until you reach the higher Band 7 points.
Frequently asked questions
How much is NHS Band 7 per hour?
£25.26 an hour at entry and £28.90 at the top in 2026/27, based on a 37.5-hour week (annual ÷ 52.143 ÷ 37.5).
What is Band 7 take-home pay per month?
About £2,933.86 at entry in England with no student loan, after income tax, NI and a 9.8% NHS Pension contribution. At the top of the band it is about £3,308.99.
How much did Band 7 go up in 2026/27?
Entry pay rose from £47,810 to £49,387 (+£1,577), the 3.3% pay award from 1 April.
How long does it take to reach the top of Band 7?
after 5 years, subject to meeting pay-step requirements.
Do NHS Band 7 staff pay 40% tax?
Only at the top point in England. At £56,515 with a 10.7% pension contribution, about £198 of pay is above the £50,270 higher-rate threshold. The lower two points are basic-rate after pension relief.
Can a Band 7 be paid overtime?
Yes. Bands 1 to 7 are eligible for overtime at time and a half, or double time on general public holidays. Bands 8 and 9 are not.
Is a promotion to Band 7 always a pay rise?
On basic pay, yes. But if you lose unsocial hours payments because the new role is daytime-only, total earnings can fall: pay protection on promotion only applies if your unsocial hours pattern stays substantially the same.
Sources
Figures are taken from official government publications and were last reviewed on 2026-10-03.
- NHS Employers – Pay scales for 2026/27
- NHS Pay Review Body Thirty-Ninth Report 2026
- NHSBSA – Cost of being in the Scheme (contribution tiers)
- Scottish Government circular PCS(AFC)2026/1 – AfC pay 2025-26 and 2026-27
- SPPA – NHS Scotland member contributions
- NHS Employers – NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (Agenda for Change) Handbook
- NHS Employers – National job profiles and profile index (January 2026)
- NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook – Section 1: Pay structure (job weight by band, pay on promotion)
- NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook – Section 3: Overtime payments
- GOV.UK – Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances
- GOV.UK – Income Tax in Scotland