NHS Band 8b Salary 2026/27: Pay Scale, Hourly Rate & Take-Home
Agenda for Change Band 8b in England pays £66,582 rising to £77,368 in 2026/27, after a 3.3% rise — £34.05 an hour at entry. After income tax, National Insurance and NHS Pension that is about £3,741.70 a month take-home (£4,135.69 at the top of the band).
Updated 2026-10-03 · NHS Employers 2026/27 pay scales · HMRC 2026/27 tax
Band 8b pay points 2026/27
| Pay point | Annual | 2025/26 | Monthly gross | Hourly | Pension rate | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £66,582 | £64,455 | £5,548.50 | £34.05 | 10.7% | £3,741.70 |
| After 2 years | £70,896 | £68,631 | £5,908.00 | £36.26 | 12.5% | £3,863.32 |
| Top (after 5 years) | £77,368 | £74,896 | £6,447.33 | £39.57 | 12.5% | £4,135.69 |
- 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 8b is worth £10,786 a year before tax, or £393.99 a month after tax and pension.
What comes out of a Band 8b payslip
| Monthly | Entry (£66,582) | Top (£77,368) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £5,548.50 | £6,447.33 |
| NHS Pension | -£593.69 | -£805.92 |
| Income tax | -£934.59 | -£1,209.23 |
| National Insurance | -£278.52 | -£296.50 |
| Take-home | £3,741.70 | £4,135.69 |
NHS Pension contributions are deducted before tax (net pay arrangement), so a 10.7% contribution costs you less than it looks. With a Plan 2 student loan, entry-level take-home falls to £3,462.78 a month (£278.92 repaid).
Band 8b 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) | £75,328 | £86,114 | £4,049.84 |
| Outer London | 15% (min £4,870, max £6,137) | £72,719 | £83,505 | £3,940.04 |
| Fringe | 5% (min £1,346, max £2,270) | £68,852 | £79,638 | £3,777.31 |
Unsocial hours and overtime for Band 8b
- Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm–6am): +30% — £44.27 an hour at entry.
- Sundays and bank holidays: +60% — £54.48 an hour at entry.
- Overtime: Band 8b staff are not normally paid overtime under Agenda for Change; extra hours are usually given back as time off in lieu.
Example: one 12.5-hour Sunday shift a month adds £255 of enhancement on top of basic pay at entry level — about £69 a month after tax, NI and pension.
Band 8b in Scotland, 2026/27
NHS Scotland has its own pay scales and a 3.75% rise for 2026/27. Band 8b pays £76,888 to £82,251 — £10,306 more than in England at entry — but Scottish income tax rates apply.
| Pay point | Scotland | Take-home / month (Scotland) | England take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £76,888 | £3,990.97 | £3,741.70 |
| Top (after 5 years) | £82,251 | £4,211.17 | £3,863.32 |
Typical Band 8b jobs
- Senior matron
- Consultant nurse or midwife
- Head of a clinical service
- Lead pharmacist
- Senior operational manager
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 8c starts at £79,504 (£2,136 above the top of Band 8b). Band 8a tops out at £64,750.
Calculate your own Band 8b pay
| Basic pay | £77,368 |
| High cost area supplement | £0 |
| NHS Pension (12.5% tier) | £9,671 |
| Income tax | £14,511 |
| National Insurance | £3,558 |
| Student loan | £0 |
| Take-home pay | £49,628 |
- Take-home £49,628 64.1%
- Income tax £14,511 18.8%
- NI £3,558 4.6%
- NHS Pension £9,671 12.5%
Your result is ready
All bands: Band 1 · Band 2 · Band 3 · Band 4 · Band 5 · Band 6 · Band 7 · Band 8a · Band 8c · Band 8d · Band 9
Band 8b: where the pension tier and Child Benefit both bite
Band 8b is the band where two thresholds catch up with pay. At the £66,582 entry point, the contribution is 10.7% and adjusted net income after the contribution is about £59,458, just under the £60,000 High Income Child Benefit Charge threshold. At the two-year point of £70,896, pay passes the £67,668 boundary into the top 12.5% tier, and adjusted net income rises to about £62,034.
For a parent claiming Child Benefit for 2 children (£2,337 a year), that two-year step triggers a charge of about £237. At the top point of £77,368 the charge is about £899. So of the £4,314 pay step, monthly take-home rises by £121.62 before the charge and about £101.87 after it.
Band 8b jobs
Band 8b covers 585 to 629 job-evaluation points. Many senior profiles span 8b to 8d, so the band you are appointed to depends on the size and scope of the service. Profiles that start at 8b include Radiographer Consultant (Diagnostic), Chief Finance Manager (8b to 8d), Pharmacy Consultant (8b to 8d), Pharmacist Team Manager, Solicitor Consultant, Healthcare Science Service Manager and Professional Manager (performance or operations). Principal clinical psychologists, consultant physiotherapists and consultant occupational therapists can also be 8b where their role evaluates above 584 points. NHS Health Careers gives strategic management roles, head of education and training, clinical physiology service manager and head orthoptist as typical Band 8b jobs.
Band 8b in Scotland
NHS Scotland's Band 8b has two points, £76,888 and £82,251 after five years, £10,306 more than England at entry. Much of that premium goes in tax and pension: the higher part of Band 8b income is taxed at 42% in Scotland against 40% in England, and the Scottish scheme's 11.6% contribution tier applies. Monthly take-home at entry is about £3,990.97 in Scotland and £3,741.70 in England.
Frequently asked questions
How much is NHS Band 8b per hour?
£34.05 an hour at entry and £39.57 at the top in 2026/27, based on a 37.5-hour week (annual ÷ 52.143 ÷ 37.5).
What is Band 8b take-home pay per month?
About £3,741.70 at entry in England with no student loan, after income tax, NI and a 10.7% NHS Pension contribution. At the top of the band it is about £4,135.69.
How much did Band 8b go up in 2026/27?
Entry pay rose from £64,455 to £66,582 (+£2,127), the 3.3% pay award from 1 April.
How long does it take to reach the top of Band 8b?
after 5 years, subject to meeting pay-step requirements.
Does NHS Band 8b pay trigger the Child Benefit charge?
At entry, usually not: after the pension contribution adjusted net income is about £59,458. From the two-year point (£70,896) it is about £62,034, so a partial High Income Child Benefit Charge applies.
What job evaluation score is Band 8b?
585 to 629 points under the NHS Job Evaluation Scheme. Band 8a ends at 584 and Band 8c starts at 630.
Is Band 8b paid overtime?
No. Staff on Bands 8 and 9 are not entitled to overtime payments under Section 3 of the Agenda for Change handbook; extra hours are normally given back as time off in lieu.
What pension contribution does a Band 8b pay?
10.7% at entry and 12.5% from the two-year point, because £70,896 is above the £67,668 tier boundary.
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
- GOV.UK – High Income Child Benefit Charge
- NHS Employers – National job profiles and profile index (January 2026)
- NHS Health Careers – Agenda for Change pay rates and example jobs
- 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 in Scotland