How much does an NHS physiotherapist earn?

In England, entry Band 5 basic is about £2,040 a month take-home on £32,073 a year (full-time, before unsocial hours). Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use different pay points.

Newly qualified physiotherapists usually start on Band 5. Many posts are mostly daytime, so the basic take-home table is often a fairer baseline than for ward or ambulance roles.

Take-home by nationFull-time basic, entry and top pay points — no unsocial hours

Estimates assume 37.5 hours a week, tax code 1257L, NHS pension on, no student loan, no London weighting and no unsocial hours. Northern Ireland may show the latest published year labelled in the table.
Nation Entry basic Entry take-home / mo Top basic Top take-home / mo
England2026/27 £32,073 £2,040 £39,043 £2,381
Scotland2026/27 £34,494 £2,174 £42,977 £2,587
Wales2026/27 £32,557 £2,067 £39,631 £2,412
Northern Ireland2025/26 £31,049 £1,984 £37,796 £2,314

About this role

Physiotherapists are HCPC-registered AHPs. Band 5 is the usual entry point; Band 6 and 7 cover specialist and team-lead posts. Basic Band 5 pay matches other AfC Band 5 roles.

What comes off

  • Income tax and National Insurance — Scotland uses different tax bands.
  • NHS pension — tiered contribution; see the pension guide.
  • Student loan — common for newly qualified staff; see the student loan guide.
  • London weighting (England) — if you work in a designated zone; see HCAS.

Out-of-hours pay

Most physiotherapy posts are weekday-focused. Some services include weekend lists or on-call — if that is you, add those shifts in the calculator; otherwise the table below is a sensible starting point.

Progression

Progression is typically Band 6 specialist then Band 7 team lead or advanced practice. Use the Band 6 and Band 7 calculators when comparing promotions.

Open a calculator

England Band 5 From £2,040 / mo at entry Scotland Band 5 From £2,174 / mo at entry Wales Band 5 From £2,067 / mo at entry Northern Ireland Band 5 From £1,984 / mo at entry

Common questions

What band is an NHS physiotherapist?

Newly qualified physiotherapists are usually Band 5. Specialist and leadership roles are commonly Band 6 or 7.

Do physiotherapists get unsocial hours pay?

Only when the rota includes qualifying evenings, nights or weekends under Section 2. Many outpatient posts do not.

Is physio pay the same in Scotland?

Scotland publishes different AfC points and uses Scottish income tax, so take-home differs from England even at the same band.