Calculate Your NHS Take-Home Pay
Agenda for Change pay scales and take-home pay for 2026/27
Pick your region to see AfC pay scales, then open your band to work out take-home pay after tax, NI, pension, and student loans. Built by HealthCore Training.
England
Pay scales and take-home calculator for NHS staff in England.
Scotland
Pay scales and take-home calculator for NHS staff in Scotland.
Wales
Pay scales and take-home calculator for NHS staff in Wales.
Northern Ireland
Pay scales and take-home calculator for NHS staff in Northern Ireland.
Other tools
NHS Job Comparison
Compare your current role with a new job to see the take-home pay difference.
NHS Annual Leave Calculator
Pro-rata holiday and bank holiday entitlement under Agenda for Change.
NHS Pay Guides
8 guides on AfC pay, pension, unsocial hours, and regional pay.
ReflectRN
Professional nursing revalidation and reflection platform by HealthCore.
SimCore
Clinical simulation and vital signs training tool.
Popular calculators
Open a band page directly. Each one has the 2026/27 scale and an estimated take-home figure before you change hours or shifts.
Pay guides
Short explainers on the bits that change a payslip.
- London HCAS Explained for NHS Staff
- NHS Unsocial Hours Pay (Section 2) Explained
- Scottish Income Tax and NHS Take-Home Pay
- NHS Student Loan Repayments and Take-Home Pay
- Band 5 NHS Take-Home Pay Guide (2026/27)
- Band 6 NHS Take-Home Pay Guide (2026/27)
- NHS Pension Contributions and Take-Home Pay
- Comparing NHS Pay Across the UK Nations
Common questions
How is my NHS take-home pay calculated?
We start with your gross annual salary, add any unsocial hours uplifts you enter, then subtract income tax, National Insurance, NHS pension contributions, and student loan repayments. The figures use 2026/27 tax rates from HMRC and NHS Employers.
What is the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system?
Agenda for Change is the NHS grading and pay system used for most staff except doctors, dentists, and some senior managers. Jobs sit in pay bands from Band 2 to Band 9, with pay points that increase with experience.
Are unsociable hours included in the base salary?
No. Nights, weekends, and bank holidays are paid as a percentage uplift on your hourly rate, on top of basic pay. Use the shift inputs on the calculator to estimate what that adds to your annual and monthly pay.
How does the NHS Pension scheme affect my monthly pay?
You pay a tiered contribution based on pensionable pay, from 5.2% up to 12.5%. Because pension comes out before tax, it lowers your income tax bill as well as your take-home pay.