Band 5 NHS take-home pay 2026/27
Quick answer
Band 5 on the NHS Agenda for Change scale pays £32,073 to £39,043 a year (2026/27). After Income Tax, National Insurance and NHS pension contributions, that's a take-home pay of £24,483 to £28,570 a year. Typical roles: Newly qualified nurse, midwife, paramedic, physiotherapist.
Band 5 take-home (entry point)
£2,040
per month · £24,483/yr on the £32,073 entry point
Adjust for part-time or HCAS- Gross (entry point)
- £32,073
- NHS pension (8.3%)
- − £2,662
- Income Tax
- − £3,368
- National Insurance
- − £1,560
- Take-home pay
- £24,483
How much is Band 5 after tax?
Band 5 ranges from £32,073 at the entry point to £39,043 at the top of the band. On the entry point you take home £24,483 a year — about £2,040 a month — after £2,662 NHS pension (8.3%), £3,368 Income Tax and £1,560 National Insurance.
These figures are for England and exclude any High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) for London and the South East, overtime and unsocial-hours enhancements. For part-time hours or a different pension position, use the salary calculator.
Band 5 take-home at every pay point
| Gross salary | NHS pension | Tax + NI | Take-home/yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £32,073 | 8.3% (£2,662) | £4,928 | £24,483 | £2,040 |
| £34,128 | 8.3% (£2,833) | £5,470 | £25,826 | £2,152 |
| £39,043 | 9.8% (£3,826) | £6,647 | £28,570 | £2,381 |
2026/27 Agenda for Change scale. NHS pension is a net-pay arrangement, so it reduces your taxable pay before Income Tax is worked out.
How NHS pay and pension fit together
Your NHS pension contribution is set by which tier your salary falls in and is taken before tax, so it lowers your Income Tax bill — it is not lost money, it buys a guaranteed (defined-benefit) pension. The contribution rates for 2026/27 run from 5.2% on the lowest pay up to 12.5% on the highest. National Insurance, by contrast, is charged on your full salary. Add HCAS, bank shifts or overtime on top and your gross — and tax — rise accordingly.
