How much does a newly qualified NHS nurse earn?

A newly qualified nurse in England is paid on Agenda for Change Band 5, which runs £32,073 – £39,043 a year in basic pay as of April 2026. Nurses typically start at the bottom of the band and progress up the pay points with experience. This is basic pay only and excludes High Cost Area Supplements (London zones) and unsocial-hours enhancements.

What are the NHS Agenda for Change pay bands for 2026/27?

Agenda for Change has nine bands. In 2026/27 (from 1 April 2026) they run from Band 2 at £25,272 to Band 9 at £112,782 – £129,783. Band 5 (nurses, midwives, paramedics, many allied health professionals) is £32,073 – £39,043, Band 6 is £39,959 – £48,117, and Band 7 is £49,387 – £56,515. Agenda for Change covers all NHS staff except doctors, dentists and very senior managers.

How much does an NHS doctor earn?

NHS doctors in England are paid on separate medical and dental scales, not Agenda for Change. As of April 2026, a foundation doctor earns £40,190 – £45,994, a resident doctor in training £54,499 – £76,582, and a consultant £113,565 – £150,569 in basic pay. Actual take-home is higher once additional NHS activity, on-call and enhancements are added.

What is the Gera Healthcare Pay Index?

The Gera Healthcare Pay Index is a free, dated reference that compiles the real published NHS basic pay scales for England — Agenda for Change (Bands 2–9) and the medical and dental grades (foundation doctor to consultant) — into one place, with year-on-year change and a single headline figure: the NHS basic-pay ladder spans 6.0× from entry to the top consultant point. Every figure traces to NHS Employers and NHS Health Careers; the index is the compilation, not an invented number.

Did NHS pay go up in 2026/27, and by how much?

Yes. For 2026/27 (from 1 April 2026) Agenda for Change band minimums rose about 3.3% year on year, and the medical and dental award was 3.5% for doctors and dentists. The pay award is set each year following the independent pay review body recommendations, so these figures are updated annually, on the 1 April pay award.

Do these NHS pay scales apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

No. These figures are for NHS England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own Agenda for Change and medical pay scales, negotiated separately, so the exact numbers differ. Use the England figures here only as a guide for the other UK nations.

Is this the same as take-home pay?

No. These are annual basic (gross) pay figures. Take-home pay is lower after income tax, National Insurance and NHS pension contributions, and can be higher for staff who receive High Cost Area Supplements, unsocial-hours enhancements, on-call pay or overtime. Basic pay is the fairest like-for-like comparison across roles.

How does London affect NHS pay?

Staff working in and around London receive a High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) on top of basic pay: 20% in Inner London, 15% in Outer London and 5% in the London Fringe, each subject to published minimum and maximum cash values set in the NHS Terms and Conditions. The percentage add-on is shown in the pay estimator on this page.

Where do these NHS pay figures come from?

From the official published scales: NHS Employers for Agenda for Change and NHS Health Careers for the medical and dental grades, both reflecting the Department of Health and Social Care pay award effective 1 April 2026. Full provenance, licences and limitations are on the methodology page.

GeraClinic / Gera Healthcare Pay Index

NHS Pay Scales 2026/27 — the Gera Healthcare Pay Index

Every NHS basic pay scale for England in one dated reference: Agenda for Change Bands 2–9 (nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals, healthcare assistants and support staff) and the separate medical & dental grades (foundation doctor to consultant). In April 2026 the ladder runs from £25,272 to £150,569. Real published figures, with year-on-year change.

Reference period: 1 April 2026 (2026/27 pay year)· England · basic pay only · updated annually, on the 1 April pay award · sources: NHS Employers & NHS Health Careers

What are the NHS pay scales in England for 2026/27?

As of April 2026, NHS basic pay in England ranges from £25,272 (Agenda for Change Band 2) to £150,569 (top of the consultant scale) — a 6.0× ladder. A newly qualified nurse (Band 5) earns £32,073 – £39,043; a consultant £113,565 – £150,569. Basic pay only; source: NHS Employers and NHS Health Careers.

Source:NHS Employers — Agenda for Change pay scales (2026/27)·as of April 2026updated annually (last: 3 July 2026)

Gera Healthcare Pay Index6.0×NHS basic-pay ladder, April 2026 — spans 6.0× from Band 2 entry (£25,272) to top consultant (£150,569)How this index is calculated

The index is a compilation, not an invented number: it gathers the official published NHS scales, dates them, and derives two headline figures — the pay ladder multiple (6.0×) and the year-on-year uplift (3.3% on Agenda for Change, 3.5% for doctors in 2026/27). Every value is reproducible from the methodology.

NHS basic pay in England at a glance — five reference points (April 2026)
Role	Annual basic pay
Agenda for Change Band 2 (entry)	£25,272
Agenda for Change Band 5 — nurse, paramedic, AHP	£32,073 – £39,043
Agenda for Change Band 7 — advanced practitioner	£49,387 – £56,515
Foundation doctor (FY1–FY2)	£40,190 – £45,994
Consultant	£113,565 – £150,569

This is a five-row snapshot. The full reference publishes 17 pay lines — all nine Agenda for Change bands with year-on-year change → and every doctor grade from FY1 to consultant →.

Estimate your NHS pay

Pick a band or doctor grade and your location to see the basic pay range, including the London High Cost Area Supplement

Role / bandLocation (HCAS)

Estimated annual basic pay

£32,073 – £39,043

Band 5 — Newly qualified nurse · published basic pay £32,073 – £39,043

Estimate only. HCAS is applied here as a flat percentage of basic pay; in practice each London zone has a published minimum and maximum cash value in the NHS Terms and Conditions, so your actual supplement may be capped or floored. Figures are annual gross basic pay before tax, National Insurance and pension, and exclude unsocial-hours enhancements, on-call and overtime. Not financial or employment advice, and not an offer of employment.

The full pay reference

NHS pay: frequently asked questions

How much does a newly qualified NHS nurse earn?: A newly qualified nurse in England is paid on Agenda for Change Band 5, which runs £32,073 – £39,043 a year in basic pay as of April 2026. Nurses typically start at the bottom of the band and progress up the pay points with experience. This is basic pay only and excludes High Cost Area Supplements (London zones) and unsocial-hours enhancements.
What are the NHS Agenda for Change pay bands for 2026/27?: Agenda for Change has nine bands. In 2026/27 (from 1 April 2026) they run from Band 2 at £25,272 to Band 9 at £112,782 – £129,783. Band 5 (nurses, midwives, paramedics, many allied health professionals) is £32,073 – £39,043, Band 6 is £39,959 – £48,117, and Band 7 is £49,387 – £56,515. Agenda for Change covers all NHS staff except doctors, dentists and very senior managers.
How much does an NHS doctor earn?: NHS doctors in England are paid on separate medical and dental scales, not Agenda for Change. As of April 2026, a foundation doctor earns £40,190 – £45,994, a resident doctor in training £54,499 – £76,582, and a consultant £113,565 – £150,569 in basic pay. Actual take-home is higher once additional NHS activity, on-call and enhancements are added.
What is the Gera Healthcare Pay Index?: The Gera Healthcare Pay Index is a free, dated reference that compiles the real published NHS basic pay scales for England — Agenda for Change (Bands 2–9) and the medical and dental grades (foundation doctor to consultant) — into one place, with year-on-year change and a single headline figure: the NHS basic-pay ladder spans 6.0× from entry to the top consultant point. Every figure traces to NHS Employers and NHS Health Careers; the index is the compilation, not an invented number.
Did NHS pay go up in 2026/27, and by how much?: Yes. For 2026/27 (from 1 April 2026) Agenda for Change band minimums rose about 3.3% year on year, and the medical and dental award was 3.5% for doctors and dentists. The pay award is set each year following the independent pay review body recommendations, so these figures are updated annually, on the 1 April pay award.
Do these NHS pay scales apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?: No. These figures are for NHS England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own Agenda for Change and medical pay scales, negotiated separately, so the exact numbers differ. Use the England figures here only as a guide for the other UK nations.
Is this the same as take-home pay?: No. These are annual basic (gross) pay figures. Take-home pay is lower after income tax, National Insurance and NHS pension contributions, and can be higher for staff who receive High Cost Area Supplements, unsocial-hours enhancements, on-call pay or overtime. Basic pay is the fairest like-for-like comparison across roles.
How does London affect NHS pay?: Staff working in and around London receive a High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) on top of basic pay: 20% in Inner London, 15% in Outer London and 5% in the London Fringe, each subject to published minimum and maximum cash values set in the NHS Terms and Conditions. The percentage add-on is shown in the pay estimator on this page.
Where do these NHS pay figures come from?: From the official published scales: NHS Employers for Agenda for Change and NHS Health Careers for the medical and dental grades, both reflecting the Department of Health and Social Care pay award effective 1 April 2026. Full provenance, licences and limitations are on the methodology page.

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Sources

Every figure on this page is the real, published NHS basic pay scale — nothing is invented. The Gera contribution is the compilation, the dating and the two derived headline figures.

Source: NHS Employers — Agenda for Change pay scales (2026/27) (April 2026).
Source: NHS Employers — Agenda for Change pay scales (2025/26) (April 2025).
Source: NHS Health Careers — Pay for doctors (2026/27) (April 2026).
Contains public sector information published by Department of Health and Social Care and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS pay award 2026 to 2027 (3.5% for doctors and dentists) — DHSC (April 2026).

Informational reference only. Not financial or employment advice, and not an offer of employment. Gera is not a recruitment agency for the NHS; NHS vacancies are advertised and recruited to by NHS organisations directly.