Band 8a nurse pay after tax 2026/27

Take-home pay a month

£3,352.83

£40,233.94 a year from a salary of £57,528.00

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	£57,528.00
NHS Pension (10.7%)	£6,155.50
Income tax	£7,977.40
National Insurance	£3,161.16
Take-home pay	£40,233.94

How this was worked out

1. Pension rate: pay of £57,528.00 is in the tier from £52,779 to £67,668, so 10.7%
2. Salary: £57,528
3. Pension (net pay): £57,528 × 10.7% = £6,155.50, 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: £51,372.50 − £12,579 = £38,793.50
6. Basic rate: £37,700 × 20% = £7,540
7. Higher rate: £1,093.50 × 40% = £437.40
8. Income tax: £7,977.40
9. National Insurance: (£50,270 − £12,570) × 8% = £3,016, plus (£57,528 − £50,270) × 2% = £145.16, total £3,161.16
10. Take-home pay: £57,528 − £7,977.40 − £3,161.16 − £6,155.50 = £40,233.94

• 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.

A Band 8a nurse in England earns £57,528 to £64,750 in 2026/27. Monthly take-home after the NHS Pension, income tax and National Insurance is about £3,352.83 to £3,663.25.

NHS Band 8a pay after tax

Senior nursing roles at Band 8a

NHS careers guidance gives modern matron and nurse consultant in mental health nursing as Band 8a examples. The national job profile for Band 8a nursing describes clinical and operational leadership for a service or department, making sure nursing care is safe and based on evidence, and taking a lead in reviewing services and writing policies.

Higher rate at every point

Every Band 8a point in England has part of its pay taxed at the higher rate, even after the pension comes off. Each pay rise within the band is therefore taxed at the higher rate and the lower rate of National Insurance, and the pension contribution of 10.7% is taken from it as well.

The pension relief is worth more to a higher rate taxpayer, so the pension costs a Band 8a nurse less in take-home than the headline rate suggests. The NHS pension calculator shows the cost after tax relief.

Wales and the full table

The NHS Wales Band 8a scale is slightly higher than England's at all 3 points in 2026/27, with the same pension tier throughout. The NHS Band 8a page has the full take-home table for England and Scotland.

Questions

What nursing jobs are Band 8a?

NHS careers guidance lists modern matron and nurse consultant in mental health nursing as examples. Grading of any particular post is decided by the employer.

How much does a Band 8a nurse take home?

From about £3,352.83 to £3,663.25 a month in England in 2026/27, on basic pay.

Is Band 8a taxed at the higher rate?

Yes, on part of the pay at every point in England, after the NHS Pension has been deducted.