Every pay point on NHS Band 6
| Pay point | Basic pay | Pension rate | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry point | £39,959 | 9.8% | £29,157 | £2,430 |
| Intermediate point | £42,170 | 9.8% | £30,576 | £2,548 |
| Top point | £48,117 | 9.8% | £34,391 | £2,866 |
The band spans £8,158 from bottom to top. Each point has its own page with the full working, the London supplement, part-time figures and the student loan position at that salary.
Pension contributions on NHS Band 6
The NHS Pension Scheme charges a tiered member contribution on actual annual pensionable pay. Every point on this band falls in the same tier, so the rate is 9.8% throughout. 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 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry point | £39,959 | £41,957 | £45,953 | £47,951 |
| Intermediate point | £42,170 | £44,279 | £48,307 | £50,604 |
| Top point | £48,117 | £50,387 | £54,254 | £56,863 |
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 £39,959 Scottish rates would leave about £29,132 against £29,157 in England. The Scottish income tax calculator shows the working.
Bands either side of Band 6
| Band | Bottom of band | Top of band |
|---|---|---|
| NHS Band 5 | £32,073 | £39,043 |
| NHS Band 6 | £39,959 | £48,117 |
| NHS Band 7 | £49,387 | £56,515 |
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.