Band 7 nurse pay after tax 2026/27

Take-home pay a month

£2,934.01

£35,208.10 a year from a salary of £49,387.00

Your details

Pay point Point 1Point 2Point 3

Hours a week

Full time is 37.5 hours a week

I pay into this pension scheme

Student loan NonePlan 1Plan 2Plan 4 (Scotland)Plan 5 Postgraduate loan as well

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Where your salary goes

	A year
Salary	£49,387.00
NHS Pension (9.8%)	£4,839.93
Income tax	£6,393.61
National Insurance	£2,945.36
Take-home pay	£35,208.10

How this was worked out

1. Pension rate: pay of £49,387.00 is in the tier from £35,156 to £52,778, so 9.8%
2. Salary: £49,387
3. Pension (net pay): £49,387 × 9.8% = £4,839.93, taken off before tax
4. Personal allowance: £12,570. Payroll applies it as tax code 1257L, which gives £12,579 of tax-free pay.
5. Taxable income: £44,547.07 − £12,579 = £31,968.07
6. Basic rate: £31,968.07 × 20% = £6,393.61
7. Income tax: £6,393.61
8. National Insurance: (£49,387 − £12,570) × 8% = £2,945.36
9. Take-home pay: £49,387 − £6,393.61 − £2,945.36 − £4,839.93 = £35,208.10

• Tax year: 2026/27. Tax code: 1257L. Income tax nation: England.
• Pension: NHS Pension Scheme contribution at the tier for the selected pay. Student loan: none unless selected in the calculator.
• Full-time basic pay, for a full tax year. Money is rounded to the nearest penny.

Band 7 nurses in England are paid £49,387 to £56,515 in 2026/27, which leaves about £2,934.01 to £3,309.29 a month after the NHS Pension, tax and National Insurance.

NHS Band 7 pay after tax

Band 7 nursing work

The national job profiles set out two kinds of Band 7 nursing post. The first is a specialist who looks after a defined caseload or area of nursing, gives highly specialist advice to other nurses and the wider team, teaches, and leads clinical audits in that specialty. The second leads and manages registered and unregistered staff and students while still assessing and caring for patients.

Tax at the top of the band

Band 7 is where an England nurse's basic pay first reaches higher rate income tax, at the top point only. The entry and middle points stay in the basic rate band once the pension is taken off. The top point also moves into a higher pension tier.

The table on the NHS Band 7 page shows how much of the step to the top point is left after both changes. It also covers Scotland, where the tax position is different at every point.

Wales and experience

In Wales each Band 7 point pays a little more than in England, and the pension tiers match. NHS careers guidance ties the points to experience in the band: under two years, two to five years, and five years or more. The band has 3 points in all.

Questions

Does a Band 7 nurse pay higher rate tax?

In England, only at the top point and only on a small slice of pay. The lower two points stay in the basic rate band.

What kinds of nurse are on Band 7?

The national profiles describe specialist nurses with their own caseload and nurses who lead and manage a team. The exact grading of a post is set by the employer.

What is Band 7 take-home a month?

About £2,934.01 at entry and £3,309.29 at the top in England in 2026/27.