2025/26 Tax Year

NHS Take Home Pay Calculator

Calculate your net salary after tax, National Insurance, NHS pension and student loan deductions

Your Details
Select your Agenda for Change band
Your position on the pay scale
Note: This calculator uses 2025/26 tax year rates (April 2025 - April 2026). Results are estimates and may differ from your actual pay due to overtime, enhancements, HCAS or salary sacrifice schemes.
Your Annual Take Home Pay
Pay Breakdown
Gross Salary
Income Tax
National Insurance
NHS Pension
Take Home Pay
Visual Breakdown
take home

Your Results Will Appear Here

Select your pay band and click "Calculate Take Home Pay" to see your detailed salary breakdown.

NHS Agenda for Change Pay Bands 2025/26

The NHS uses the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system for most staff. Each band has entry and top-of-band pay points, with annual increments based on years of service.

Band 2
£23,615 - £24,336
Band 3
£24,625 - £25,674
Band 4
£26,530 - £29,114
Band 5
£29,970 - £36,483
Band 6
£37,338 - £44,962
Band 7
£46,148 - £52,809
Band 8a
£53,755 - £60,504
Band 8b
£62,215 - £72,293
Band 8c
£73,664 - £86,074
Band 8d
£87,410 - £101,064
Band 9
£105,385 - £121,271

How Your NHS Pay Is Calculated

Income Tax: For England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you receive a £12,570 personal allowance (tax-free), then pay 20% basic rate up to £50,270, 40% higher rate up to £125,140, and 45% additional rate above that. Scotland has different bands with rates from 19% to 48%.

National Insurance: You pay 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 per year, then 2% on earnings above £50,270.

NHS Pension: Contribution rates range from 5.2% to 12.5% depending on your pensionable pay tier. The NHS pension is a defined benefit scheme and considered one of the best pension schemes available.

Student Loans: If you have a student loan, repayments are deducted at 9% (or 6% for Postgraduate Loans) of income above your plan threshold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this calculator accurate? This calculator uses the official 2025/26 tax rates, NI thresholds, NHS pension tiers and student loan thresholds. However, your actual take-home pay may vary due to overtime, unsocial hours enhancements, High Cost Area Supplements (HCAS), salary sacrifice schemes, or other local arrangements.

Does this include HCAS? No. If you work in a high-cost area (e.g. inner/outer London or fringe areas), you may receive additional HCAS payments. You can use the "Custom Salary" option to add this to your gross salary.

Which pension scheme does this use? This calculator uses the 2015 reformed NHS Pension Scheme contribution tiers, which apply to all active members from April 2024.