What are the NHS pay scales for 2025/26?
The NHS pay scales for 2025/26 will see a 3.6% increase for staff on the Agenda for Change contract in England. This pay award takes effect from 1 April 2025, with the new salaries reflected in April's payslips. Below, you’ll find a complete breakdown of the annual salaries, pay points, and hourly rates for each band.
Understanding Agenda for Change
Agenda for Change (AfC) is the national pay and grading system for the vast majority of NHS staff. Introduced in 2004, it was designed to create a fair and transparent structure, ensuring equal pay for work of equal value. It covers over a million employees across the UK, including nurses, healthcare assistants, allied health professionals, administrative staff, and many more.
The only major groups not covered by AfC are doctors, dentists, and very senior managers, who have their own separate pay frameworks. Under AfC, every role is evaluated through a job evaluation scheme and assigned to one of nine pay bands. Each band has a set of pay points, and staff typically progress through these points as they gain experience in their role.
NHS Pay Bands 2025/26: The Full Figures
The table below shows the annual and approximate hourly salaries for each Agenda for Change band in England, effective from 1 April 2025. The hourly rates are calculated based on a standard full-time week of 37.5 hours.
Please note that while the pay review body makes recommendations for the whole UK, devolved governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland make their own final decisions. Always check the specific scales for the nation you work in.
| Band | Pay Points & Annual Salary (2025/26) | Approx. Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £24,465 | £12.51 |
| Band 3 | < 2 years experience: £24,937 2+ years experience: £26,598 | £12.75 £13.60 |
| Band 4 | < 3 years experience: £27,485 3+ years experience: £30,162 | £14.06 £15.43 |
| Band 5 | < 2 years experience: £29,970 2-4 years experience: £32,324 4+ years experience: £36,483 | £15.33 £16.53 £18.66 |
| Band 6 | < 2 years experience: £37,338 2-5 years experience: £39,405 5+ years experience: £44,962 | £19.09 £20.15 £22.99 |
| Band 7 | < 2 years experience: £46,148 2-5 years experience: £48,526 5+ years experience: £52,809 | £23.60 £24.82 £27.01 |
| Band 8a | < 5 years experience: £53,755 5+ years experience: £60,504 | £27.49 £30.94 |
| Band 8b | < 5 years experience: £62,215 5+ years experience: £72,293 | £31.82 £36.97 |
| Band 8c | < 5 years experience: £74,290 5+ years experience: £85,601 | £37.99 £43.78 |
| Band 8d | < 5 years experience: £88,168 5+ years experience: £101,677 | £45.09 £51.99 |
| Band 9 | < 5 years experience: £105,385 5+ years experience: £121,271 | £53.90 £62.02 |
How Pay Progression Works
Moving up through the pay points within your band is known as pay progression or incremental progression. For Bands 2 to 7, this is primarily based on the length of time you've been in the role, as you can see from the experience thresholds in the table above.
For example, a newly qualified nurse starting in a Band 5 role will begin on £29,970. After two years of experience, their salary automatically increases to the next pay point, £32,324. After a further two years (making four years in total), they will move to the top of Band 5, earning £36,483.
For Bands 8a and above, progression to the top of the band is not just based on time served. It is also linked to performance, which is assessed during your annual appraisal. You'll need to demonstrate that you are meeting your objectives and performing to the required standard to move to the higher pay point in these senior roles.
Beyond Basic Pay: What Else Affects Your Salary?
Your annual salary is only one part of your total earnings. Several other factors can significantly impact your monthly take-home pay, especially if you work shifts or live in an expensive part of the country.
- Unsociable Hours Payments: If you work nights, weekends, or bank holidays, you receive enhanced pay rates. These are set nationally as a percentage of your basic pay. For specific rates, it's best to consult the official NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, but they typically mean you earn time-and-a-half or double-time for certain shifts.
- High Cost Area Supplements (HCAS): Often called 'London weighting', this is an extra payment for staff working in areas with a high cost of living. It's paid as a percentage of basic salary, subject to minimum and maximum payments. Inner London currently attracts a 20% supplement, Outer London 15%, and the 'fringe' zone 5%.
- Overtime: If you work more than your contracted 37.5 hours per week, you are entitled to overtime pay, which is usually calculated at time-and-a-half.
- Deductions: Your gross pay isn't what lands in your bank account. Your employer will deduct Income Tax, National Insurance, and your NHS Pension contributions. The amount deducted depends on how much you earn.
To get a clearer picture of how these factors affect your final pay packet, you can use an NHS take-home pay calculator, which models these deductions for you.
A Worked Example: A Band 6 Paramedic
Let's consider a paramedic who has just been promoted to a Band 6 role after several years at Band 5. They are starting at the bottom of Band 6, on an annual salary of £37,338. They work full-time (37.5 hours a week) and don't live in a High Cost Area.
Their basic gross monthly pay is their annual salary divided by 12, which is £3,111.50.
However, as a paramedic, their rota includes regular night shifts and weekend work. These shifts attract unsociable hours payments. For instance, a Saturday shift might be paid at time-and-a-half. These enhancements are added to their basic pay, increasing their total gross earnings for the month.
From this total gross pay, their payroll team will subtract tax, National Insurance, and a pension contribution (the pension percentage for this salary is likely to be around 9.8%). The final amount is their net, or 'take-home', pay for the month.
How to Move to a Higher Pay Band
While pay progression within a band is largely automatic (at least up to Band 7), moving to a higher band requires a promotion. This means successfully applying for a different job that has been evaluated at a higher band. For example, a Band 5 Staff Nurse might apply for a Band 6 Deputy Ward Manager or Clinical Nurse Specialist role.
To put yourself in the best position for promotion, you should focus on your professional development. Consider these steps:
- Discuss your ambitions: Talk to your line manager during your appraisal about your career goals. They can help you identify skills gaps and find opportunities to develop.
- Seek experience: Volunteer for projects, ask to shadow senior colleagues, or look for secondment opportunities to gain experience relevant to a higher-banded role.
- Undertake training: Complete any mandatory training and look for further qualifications or courses that would support your application for a more senior position.
- Perfect your application: Moving up a band means competing with other candidates. You will need a strong CV and a compelling supporting statement that clearly demonstrates how you meet the person specification. Tools like an AI-powered supporting statement writer can help you structure your thoughts and highlight your key skills effectively.
- Prepare for the interview: Senior roles often use value-based or competency-based interview questions. Practice your answers and prepare examples that showcase your leadership, decision-making, and clinical skills. An interview preparation pack can give you a great advantage.
Key Takeaways
- The 2025/26 NHS pay award for staff on Agenda for Change in England is a 3.6% increase, effective from 1 April 2025.
- Agenda for Change is the national pay system that covers most NHS staff, assigning roles to one of nine pay bands.
- Your take-home pay is made up of your basic salary plus any enhancements (like for unsociable hours or London weighting), minus deductions for tax, National Insurance, and your pension.
- You progress through the pay points within your band based on your years of experience, and for senior bands, on meeting performance objectives.
- To move to a higher pay band, you must apply for and be appointed to a more senior role, which requires demonstrating you have the necessary skills and experience.
- For any specific questions about your salary, your payslip, HR department, or union representative are the best sources of information.