NHS Band 8a pay 2026/27
Band 8a pays £57,528 to £64,750 a year in England from 1 April 2026 — about £3,353 a month take-home at entry, or £29.42 an hour.
- Entry
- £57,528
- a year, full time
- Top of band
- £64,750
- after progression
- Take-home
- £3,353
- a month at entry
- Hourly
- £29.42
- at entry, 37.5 hours
Pay points
| Pay point | Annual | Monthly (gross) | Take-home a month | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £57,528 | £4,794 | £3,353 | £29.42 |
| After 2 years | £60,417 | £5,035 | £3,477 | £30.90 |
| After 5 years | £64,750 | £5,396 | £3,663 | £33.11 |
Full time, 37.5 hours, England. Take-home after 2026/27 income tax, National Insurance and NHS pension, outside London. Source: NHS Employers pay scales 2026/27.
With London weighting
- Fringe
- £59,798 (+£2,270)
- Outer London
- £63,665 (+£6,137)
- Inner London
- £66,274 (+£8,746)
At the entry point, with the 2026/27 High Cost Area Supplement.
Part time
- 30 hours a week
- £46,022 · £2,754/month take-home
- 22.5 hours a week
- £34,517 · £2,173/month take-home
At the entry point, pro rata on 37.5 hours.
On top of basic pay
| Hours worked | Enhancement | Hourly at entry |
|---|---|---|
| Standard hours | — | £29.42 |
| Saturdays, and weekdays 8pm–6am | +30% | £38.25 |
| Sundays and public holidays | +60% | £47.07 |
| Overtime | Not paid at Bands 8–9 | — |
Annual leave is 27 days on appointment, 29 days after five years, 33 days after ten years, plus 8 public holidays. The NHS Pension Scheme adds an employer contribution of 23.7% of pay on top of salary. Source: NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook.
Band 8a against the bands either side
- Band 7 starts at £49,387 — Band 8a pays £8,141 a year more at entry (about £419 a month after deductions).
- Band 8b starts at £66,582 — £9,054 a year more than Band 8a at entry.
You move up a band by applying for a role that has been evaluated at the higher band — not by time served. Time served moves you up the pay points within your band. Training such as a degree apprenticeship, a registered qualification or advanced practice training is usually what opens the next band.
Typical Band 8a roles
- Matron
- Principal practitioner
- Service manager
Common questions
- How much is NHS Band 8a pay in 2026/27?
- Band 8a runs from £57,528 at entry to £64,750 at the top of the band, for a full-time 37.5-hour week in England, from 1 April 2026.
- How much does a Band 8a take home a month?
- About £3,353 a month at entry after income tax, National Insurance and NHS pension, outside London, rising to about £3,663 at the top of the band.
- What is the Band 8a hourly rate?
- £29.42 an hour at entry and £33.11 at the top, based on 37.5 hours a week. Unsocial hours, overtime and London weighting are paid on top.
- How long does it take to reach the top of Band 8a?
- 5 years. Pay moves up a step after 2 years and 5 years in the band, subject to meeting the normal expectations of the role.
- How much extra does a Band 8a get for nights and weekends?
- Band 8a unsocial hours are paid at time plus 30% on Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm to 6am), and time plus 60% on Sundays and public holidays. At the entry point that is about £38.25 and £47.07 an hour.
- Does Band 8a get paid overtime?
- No. Staff in Bands 8 and 9 are not entitled to overtime payments under Agenda for Change; extra hours are usually managed as time off in lieu.
- What jobs are Band 8a?
- Typical Band 8a roles include matron, principal practitioner, service manager. Every NHS role is banded by job evaluation, so the same title can sit in different bands at different trusts.