NHS Band 8b pay 2026/27
Band 8b pays £66,582 to £77,368 a year in England from 1 April 2026 — about £3,742 a month take-home at entry, or £34.05 an hour.
- Entry
- £66,582
- a year, full time
- Top of band
- £77,368
- after progression
- Take-home
- £3,742
- a month at entry
- Hourly
- £34.05
- at entry, 37.5 hours
Pay points
| Pay point | Annual | Monthly (gross) | Take-home a month | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £66,582 | £5,549 | £3,742 | £34.05 |
| After 2 years | £70,896 | £5,908 | £3,863 | £36.26 |
| After 5 years | £77,368 | £6,447 | £4,136 | £39.57 |
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
- £68,852 (+£2,270)
- Outer London
- £72,719 (+£6,137)
- Inner London
- £75,328 (+£8,746)
At the entry point, with the 2026/27 High Cost Area Supplement.
Part time
- 30 hours a week
- £53,266 · £3,124/month take-home
- 22.5 hours a week
- £39,949 · £2,429/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 | — | £34.05 |
| Saturdays, and weekdays 8pm–6am | +30% | £44.27 |
| Sundays and public holidays | +60% | £54.48 |
| 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 8b against the bands either side
- Band 8a starts at £57,528 — Band 8b pays £9,054 a year more at entry (about £389 a month after deductions).
- Band 8c starts at £79,504 — £12,922 a year more than Band 8b 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 8b roles
- Senior matron or head of nursing
- Consultant practitioner
- Senior service manager
Common questions
- How much is NHS Band 8b pay in 2026/27?
- Band 8b runs from £66,582 at entry to £77,368 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 8b take home a month?
- About £3,742 a month at entry after income tax, National Insurance and NHS pension, outside London, rising to about £4,136 at the top of the band.
- What is the Band 8b hourly rate?
- £34.05 an hour at entry and £39.57 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 8b?
- 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 8b get for nights and weekends?
- Band 8b 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 £44.27 and £54.48 an hour.
- Does Band 8b 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 8b?
- Typical Band 8b roles include senior matron or head of nursing, consultant practitioner, senior service manager. Every NHS role is banded by job evaluation, so the same title can sit in different bands at different trusts.