Band 9 NHS pay 2026/27
Band 9 Agenda for Change pay in England is £112,782 to £129,783 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) | £112,782 | £57.68 | £5,626 | 12.5% | £58.20 | £101.11 |
| Intermediate (3 years) | £119,583 | £61.16 | £5,835 | 12.5% | £61.54 | £106.26 |
| Top | £129,783 | £66.37 | £6,115 | 12.5% | £66.79 | £113.53 |
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 9 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 9 roles include:
- Director of nursing (some trusts)
- Chief allied health professional
Band 9 vs locum and bank work
A Band 9 salary of £112,782 works out at £57.68 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 £58.20 an hour (PAYE) to give the same take-home pay over a year, and about £101.11 to make up for the pension too.
Compare a Band 9 salary with your own locum rate or work out your exact take-home pay.
Unsocial hours
Band 9 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 £74.98 and £92.29 an hour.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is Band 9 NHS pay in 2026/27?
- Band 9 pay in England is £112,782 to £129,783 a year from 1 April 2026, which is £57.68 to £66.37 an hour for a 37.5-hour week.
- What is Band 9 take-home pay a month?
- A full-time Band 9 employee in England in the NHS Pension Scheme takes home about £5,626 a month at the entry point and £6,115 at the top, with no student loan.
- What locum or agency rate matches a Band 9 salary?
- To take home the same as a Band 9 entry-point salary over the same hours actually worked, a PAYE locum needs about £58.20 an hour, or £101.11 an hour to also make up for the NHS pension.
- How long does it take to reach the top of Band 9?
- Band 9 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 8a · Band 8b · Band 8c · Band 8d ·
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 .