Band 8b NHS take-home pay 2026/27
Quick answer
Band 8b on the NHS Agenda for Change scale pays £66,582 to £77,368 a year (2026/27). After Income Tax, National Insurance and NHS pension contributions, that's a take-home pay of £44,900 to £49,628 a year. Typical roles: Head of service, consultant practitioner.
Band 8b take-home (entry point)
£3,742
per month · £44,900/yr on the £66,582 entry point
Adjust for part-time or HCAS- Gross (entry point)
- £66,582
- NHS pension (10.7%)
- − £7,124
- Income Tax
- − £11,215
- National Insurance
- − £3,342
- Take-home pay
- £44,900
How much is Band 8b after tax?
Band 8b ranges from £66,582 at the entry point to £77,368 at the top of the band. On the entry point you take home £44,900 a year — about £3,742 a month — after £7,124 NHS pension (10.7%), £11,215 Income Tax and £3,342 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 8b take-home at every pay point
| Gross salary | NHS pension | Tax + NI | Take-home/yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £66,582 | 10.7% (£7,124) | £14,557 | £44,900 | £3,742 |
| £71,339 | 12.5% (£8,917) | £15,838 | £46,584 | £3,882 |
| £77,368 | 12.5% (£9,671) | £18,069 | £49,628 | £4,136 |
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.
