How much does a ward sister or charge nurse earn?

In England, entry Band 7 basic is about £2,934 a month take-home on £49,387 a year (full-time, before unsocial hours). Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use different pay points.

Ward sisters and charge nurses are commonly Band 7. Figures below are full-time basic take-home by nation.

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 £49,387 £2,934 £56,515 £3,309
Scotland2026/27 £52,769 £3,047 £61,377 £3,381
Wales2026/27 £50,129 £2,974 £57,365 £3,346
Northern Ireland2025/26 £47,810 £2,850 £54,710 £3,208

About this role

Band 7 covers ward sisters, charge nurses, many advanced clinical roles and some specialist leads. It sits above Band 6 specialist posts and below most Band 8a matron or ACP 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

Many ward leaders still work clinical shifts, including some unsocial hours. Others are closer to supervisory patterns. Enhancements apply when you work qualifying shifts — model them on the calculator.

Read NHS unsocial hours (Section 2), then add your nights and weekend shifts on a nation calculator.

Progression

Common next steps are Band 8a matron or advanced clinical practitioner roles. See the matron hub for Band 8a basic take-home.

Open a calculatorAdd your hours and shifts

England Band 7 From £2,934 / mo at entry Scotland Band 7 From £3,047 / mo at entry Wales Band 7 From £2,974 / mo at entry Northern Ireland Band 7 From £2,850 / mo at entry

Common questions

What band is a ward sister?

Ward sister and charge nurse posts are commonly Band 7, though exact titles and banding vary by trust.

Is charge nurse the same pay as ward sister?

Where both are Band 7, basic AfC pay points match. Local job descriptions and shift expectations can still differ.

Do sisters get unsocial hours pay?

When they work qualifying nights or weekends under Section 2. The table on this page is basic pay only.