Band 8c NHS take-home pay 2026/27
Quick answer
Band 8c on the NHS Agenda for Change scale pays £79,504 to £91,609 a year (2026/27). After Income Tax, National Insurance and NHS pension contributions, that's a take-home pay of £50,707 to £56,820 a year. Typical roles: Head of nursing, senior service manager.
Band 8c take-home (entry point)
£4,226
per month · £50,707/yr on the £79,504 entry point
Adjust for part-time or HCAS- Gross (entry point)
- £79,504
- NHS pension (12.5%)
- − £9,938
- Income Tax
- − £15,258
- National Insurance
- − £3,601
- Take-home pay
- £50,707
How much is Band 8c after tax?
Band 8c ranges from £79,504 at the entry point to £91,609 at the top of the band. On the entry point you take home £50,707 a year — about £4,226 a month — after £9,938 NHS pension (12.5%), £15,258 Income Tax and £3,601 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 8c take-home at every pay point
| Gross salary | NHS pension | Tax + NI | Take-home/yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £79,504 | 12.5% (£9,938) | £18,859 | £50,707 | £4,226 |
| £85,037 | 12.5% (£10,630) | £20,906 | £53,501 | £4,458 |
| £91,609 | 12.5% (£11,451) | £23,338 | £56,820 | £4,735 |
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.
