Band 8a NHS pay 2026/27
Band 8a Agenda for Change pay in England is £57,528 to £64,750 a year from 1 April 2026.
- Updated for 2026/27
- Official NHS and HMRC figures
- Checked 20 October 2026
| Pay point | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / month | Pension rate | Locum break-even | Inc. pension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry (2 years) | £57,528 | £29.42 | £3,353 | 10.7% | £30.32 | £47.51 |
| Intermediate (3 years) | £60,417 | £30.90 | £3,477 | 10.7% | £31.84 | £49.89 |
| Top | £64,750 | £33.11 | £3,663 | 10.7% | £34.13 | £53.47 |
Full-time (37.5 hours a week), England income tax, NHS Pension Scheme member, no student loan. Locum break-even rates are PAYE hourly rates that match yearly take-home over the same hours actually worked (35 days' paid leave). "Inc. pension" also makes up for the value of NHS pension contributions.
Typical Band 8a roles
Roles are banded locally using the NHS Job Evaluation Handbook, so the same job title can sit in different bands at different employers. Typical Band 8a roles include:
- Advanced clinical practitioner
- Consultant pharmacist (entry)
- Modern matron
- Principal psychologist
Band 8a vs locum and bank work
A Band 8a salary of £57,528 works out at £29.42 an hour. But that salary also pays you for 35 days of leave and comes with an employer pension contribution of 23.7%. A locum or agency shift needs to pay about £30.32 an hour (PAYE) to give the same take-home pay over a year, and about £47.51 to make up for the pension too.
Compare a Band 8a salary with your own locum rate or work out your exact take-home pay.
Unsocial hours
Band 8a staff working unsocial hours get +30% for Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm to 6am) and +60% for Sundays and public holidays. At the entry point that's £38.25 and £47.07 an hour.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is Band 8a NHS pay in 2026/27?
- Band 8a pay in England is £57,528 to £64,750 a year from 1 April 2026, which is £29.42 to £33.11 an hour for a 37.5-hour week.
- What is Band 8a take-home pay a month?
- A full-time Band 8a employee in England in the NHS Pension Scheme takes home about £3,353 a month at the entry point and £3,663 at the top, with no student loan.
- What locum or agency rate matches a Band 8a salary?
- To take home the same as a Band 8a entry-point salary over the same hours actually worked, a PAYE locum needs about £30.32 an hour, or £47.51 an hour to also make up for the NHS pension.
- How long does it take to reach the top of Band 8a?
- Band 8a has 3 pay points. You move from entry to the next point after 2 years and to the top after a further 3 years, so about 5 years in total.
Other bands
Band 1 · Band 2 · Band 3 · Band 4 · Band 5 · Band 6 · Band 7 · Band 8b · Band 8c · Band 8d · Band 9
Sources
- Pay scales for 2026/27 (Agenda for Change), NHS Employers. Checked 20 October 2026.
- NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook (version 63), NHS Employers. Checked 20 October 2026.
- Pay and contributions, NHS Business Services Authority. Checked 20 October 2026.
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances, GOV.UK. Checked 20 October 2026.
Last updated .