The following is a guide only to NHS Terms and Conditions of Service (Agenda for Change) pay rates from April 2026. The 2026/22 pay rates are not yet available as the pay award has not been confirmed. This page will be updated when the pay award is known.
This pay system covers all staff except doctors, dentists and very senior managers. Each of the nine pay bands has a number of pay points. Staff will normally progress to the next pay point annually until they reach the top of the pay band. In addition to basic pay, there is also extra pay for staff who work in high cost areas such as around London.
Band 1 (Please note that following the 2018 pay deal, band 1 closed to new entrants from 1 December 2018).
< 1 year experience £18.005
1+ years £18,005
Examples of roles at band 1 – domestic support worker, housekeeping assistant, driver and nursery assistant.
Band 2
< 1 year experience £18,005
1-2 years £18,005
2-3 years £19,337
3-4 years £19,337
4-5 years £19,337
5-6 years £19,337
6+ years £19,337
Examples of roles at band 2 – domestic support worker, housekeeping assistant, driver, nursery assistant, domestic team leader, security officer, secretary/typist and healthcare assistant.
Band 3
<1 year experience £19,737
1-2 years £19,737
2-3 years £21,142
3-4 years £21,142
4-5 years £21,142
5-6 years £21,142
6+ years £21,142
Examples of roles at band 3- emergency care assistant, clinical coding officer, estates officer andoccupational therapy worker.
Band 4
“My nursing qualifications and experience mean I’m already in a good place on the pay scale (band 7), and the London weighting is a bonus.”
< 1 year experience £21,892
1-2 years £21,892
2-3 years £21,892
3-4 years £24,157
4-5 years £24,157
5-6 years £24,157
6+ years £24,157
Examples of roles at band 4 – assistant practitioner, audio visual technician, pharmacy technician, dental nurse and theatre support worker.
Band 5
<1 year experience £24,907
1-2 years £24,907
2-3 years £26,970
3-4 years £26,970
4-5 years £27,416
5-6 years £27,416
6-7 years £30,615
7+ years £30,615
Examples of roles at band 5 (includes many newly qualified clinical professionals) – operating department practitioner (ODP), podiatrist, learning disability nurse, therapeutic radiographer, practice manager and ICT test analyst
Band 6
<1 year experience £31,365
1-2 years £31,365
2-3 years £33,176
3-4 years £33,176
4-5 years £33,176
5-6 years £33,779
6-7 years £33,779
7-8 years £37,890
8+ years £37,890
Examples of roles at band 6 – school nurse, experienced paramedic, health records manager, clinical psychology trainee and biomedical scientist.
Band 7
<1 year experience £38,890
1-2 years £38,890
2-3 years £40,894
3-4 years £40,894
4-5 years £40,894
5-6 years £41,723
6-7 years £41,723
7-8 years £44,503
8+ years £44,503
Examples of roles at band 7 – communications manager, estates manager, high intensity therapist and advanced speech and language therapist.
Band 8a
< 1 year experience £45,753
1-2 years £45,753
2-3 years £45,753
3-4 years £45,753*
4-5 years £45,753*
5+ years £51,668
Examples of roles at band 8a – consultant prosthetist/orthotist, dental laboratory manager, project and programme management, modern matron (nursing) and nurse consultant (mental health nursing).
Band 8b
< 1 year experience £53,168
1-2 years £53,168
2-3 years £53,168
3-4 years £53,168*
4-5 years £53,168*
5+ years £62,001
Examples of roles at band 8b – strategic management, head of education and training, clinical physiology service manager andhead orthoptist.
Band 8c
<1 year experience £63,751
1-2 years £63,751
2-3 years £63,751
3-4 years £63,751*
4-5 years £63,751*
5+ years £73,664
Examples of roles at band 8c – head of human resources, consultant clinical scientist (molecular genetics/cytogenetics) and consultant paramedic.
Band 8d
<1 year experience £75,914
1-2 years £75,914
2-3 years £75,914
3-4 years £75,914*
4-5 years £75,914*
5+ years £87,754
Examples of roles at band 8d include consultant psychologist (8c-8d), estates manager, chief nurse and chief finance manager.
Band 9
<1 year experience £91,004
1-2 years £91,004
2-3 years £91,004
3-4 years £91,004*
4-5 years £91,004*
5+ years £104,927
Examples of roles at band 9 include podiatric consultant (surgery), chief finance manager and director of estates and facilities.
*includes additional one off consolidated payments
High cost area supplements
| Area | Level (1 April 2026) |
| Inner London | 20% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £4,473 and a maximum payment of £6,890 |
| Outer London | 15% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £3,784 and a maximum payment of £4,822 |
| Fringe | 5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1,034 and a maximum payment of £1,791 |