Every pay point on NHS Band 2
| Pay point | Basic pay | Pension rate | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single point | £25,272 | 6.5% | £20,401 | £1,700 |
Band 2 has one pay point, so basic pay does not rise with time in the role. Any increase comes from a pay award, a move to another band, or payments for unsocial hours and overtime, which are not included above.
Pension contributions on NHS Band 2
The NHS Pension Scheme charges a tiered member contribution on actual annual pensionable pay. At £25,272 the rate is 6.5%. Contributions are taken before income tax, so the cost to take-home pay is less than the headline percentage.
| Pensionable pay | Member contribution |
|---|---|
| Up to £13,259 | 5.2% |
| £13,259 to £28,854 | 6.5% |
| £28,854 to £35,155 | 8.3% |
| £35,155 to £52,778 | 9.8% |
| £52,778 to £67,668 | 10.7% |
| Above £67,668 | 12.5% |
Source: NHS Employers, NHS Pension Scheme member contributions. The NHS pension calculator shows what the contribution builds up.
NHS Band 2 with a London supplement
A high cost area supplement is a percentage of basic pay between a cash floor and a cash ceiling. It is pensionable and it counts towards the pension tier.
| Pay point | Rest of England | Fringe | Outer London | Inner London |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single point | £25,272 | £26,618 | £30,142 | £31,066 |
What is different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Agenda for Change is a United Kingdom framework, but pay is negotiated separately in each country, so the cash values above are the England scale only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own scales, and the band values and the number of points in a band can differ in the same year. Income tax also differs in Scotland: at £25,272 Scottish rates would leave about £20,441 against £20,401 in England. The Scottish income tax calculator shows the working.
Bands either side of Band 2
| Band | Bottom of band | Top of band |
|---|---|---|
| NHS Band 2 | £25,272 | £25,272 |
| NHS Band 3 | £25,760 | £27,476 |
Work out your own figure
The tables assume full-time hours, the standard tax code and no student loan, and they exclude unsocial hours payments and overtime. Open the NHS pay calculator to set your own band, point, hours, London area and loan plan, or read the guide to the 2026/27 NHS pay bands.