NHS Band 5 Pay 2026/27 — Complete Guide

NHS Band 5 Salary 2026/27 — All Spine Points

Band 5 has 7 spine points. You start at Point 1 as a newly qualified professional and progress one point each year on your anniversary.

Spine Point	Annual Salary	Monthly Gross	Years in Band
Point 1	£30,049	£2,504	Starting
Point 2	£31,049	£2,587	Year 2
Point 3	£32,073	£2,673	Year 3
Point 4	£33,122	£2,760	Year 4
Point 5	£34,196	£2,850	Year 5
Point 6	£35,307	£2,942	Year 6
Point 7 (Top)	£36,483	£3,040	Year 7+

Total 7-year progression: £30,049 → £36,483 (+£6,434 or +21.4%)

NHS Band 5 Take Home Pay 2026/27

Here's what you'll actually receive in your bank account each month after all deductions:

Spine Point	Annual Salary	Monthly Take Home (No Student Loan)	Monthly Take Home (Plan 2 Loan)
Point 1	£30,049	£1,932	£1,911
Point 2	£31,049	£1,989	£1,961
Point 3	£32,073	£2,046	£2,010
Point 4	£33,122	£2,104	£2,061
Point 5	£34,196	£2,163	£2,113
Point 6	£35,307	£2,223	£2,166
Point 7	£36,483	£2,285	£2,221

Calculations based on England tax rates, 8.3% pension tier (Point 1) and 9.8% tier (Points 2-7), no other deductions.

Deductions Breakdown (Point 1 — £30,049)

Gross annual salary:          £30,049
Gross monthly:                £2,504

Deductions:
  Income tax (20%):           -£291
  National Insurance (8%):    -£121
  NHS Pension (8.3%):         -£208
  ─────────────────────────────────
  Total deductions:           -£620

NET MONTHLY TAKE HOME:        £1,884

(Add ~£48 if in Scotland due to different tax bands)
            

NHS Band 5 Hourly Rate 2026/27

Your hourly rate is calculated by dividing annual salary by total working hours (37.5 hours/week × 52 weeks):

Spine Point	Annual Salary	Basic Hourly Rate	Night Rate (30%)	Sunday Rate (60%)
Point 1	£30,049	£15.41	£20.03	£24.66
Point 3	£32,073	£16.45	£21.39	£26.32
Point 5	£34,196	£17.54	£22.80	£28.06
Point 7	£36,483	£18.71	£24.32	£29.94

Part-Time Hourly Rates

Part-time staff are paid pro-rata based on their hours. Your hourly rate is the same, but annual salary is reduced proportionally:

Hours/Week	% of Full Time	Annual Salary (Point 1)	Monthly Gross
37.5 (Full time)	100%	£30,049	£2,504
30	80%	£24,039	£2,003
22.5	60%	£18,029	£1,502
18.75	50%	£15,025	£1,252

NHS Band 5 Pension Contribution 2026/27

Band 5 salaries fall into two pension tiers:

Spine Points	Pensionable Pay	Tier Rate	Monthly Contribution
Point 1 only	£30,049	8.3%	£208
Points 2-7	£31,049 - £36,483	9.8%	£253 - £298

⚠️ Warning: When you progress from Point 1 to Point 2, your pension contribution increases from 8.3% to 9.8% (+1.5%). This costs an extra £45/month, reducing your pay rise gain.

What Your Employer Pays

Your NHS employer contributes 20.68% of your salary into the pension scheme on top of your contribution:

• Point 1: You pay £208/month, employer pays £518/month = £726/month total
• Point 7: You pay £298/month, employer pays £628/month = £926/month total

Over a 40-year career, employer contributions alone are worth approximately £250,000+ in pension value.

Band 5 London Weighting — How Much Extra?

If you work in London, you receive High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) on top of base salary:

London Zone	HCAS % (Point 1)	HCAS Amount	Total Annual	Monthly Take Home
Inner London	20%	+£6,009	£36,058	£2,257
Outer London	15%	+£4,507	£34,556	£2,161
Fringe	5%	+£1,502	£31,551	£2,023
Outside London	0%	£0	£30,049	£1,932

Inner London gain: +£325/month take-home compared to outside London

Band 5 vs Band 6 — Is Promotion Worth It?

Comparing Band 5 top point vs Band 6 starting point:

	Band 5 (Point 7)	Band 6 (Point 1)	Difference
Annual Salary	£36,483	£36,483	£0 (same)
Monthly Take Home	£2,285	£2,285	£0
Career Ceiling	Point 7 (stuck)	Point 1 of 7	6 more increments
Future Potential	£36,483 (max)	£44,608 (Point 7)	+£8,125

Verdict: Band 6 promotion gives no immediate pay rise (you restart at the same salary as Band 5 top), but unlocks 6 more annual increments worth up to £8,125 extra over 6 years.

Typical Band 5 Job Roles

Band 5 covers newly qualified and experienced registered professionals:

Nursing

• Newly Qualified Registered Nurse (Adult, Child, Mental Health, Learning Disability)
• Staff Nurse (all specialties)
• Registered Midwife
• Practice Nurse (entry level)
• Community Nurse
• Theatre Nurse
• School Nurse

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs)

• Physiotherapist (newly qualified)
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech and Language Therapist
• Dietitian
• Radiographer (diagnostic/therapeutic)
• Paramedic
• Podiatrist
• Orthoptist

Other Roles

• Biomedical Scientist
• Pharmacist (entry level)
• Clinical Psychologist (entry level)
• Social Worker
• Health Visitor (entry level)

NHS Band 5 Pay Rise 2026/27

How the 3.3% pay award affected Band 5 salaries:

Spine Point	2025/26	2026/27	Annual Gain	Monthly Gain (Take Home)
Point 1	£29,066	£30,049	+£983	+£59
Point 3	£31,024	£32,073	+£1,049	+£62
Point 7	£35,278	£36,483	+£1,205	+£72

The 3.3% pay rise gives Band 5 nurses approximately £59-72/month extra take-home pay depending on spine point.

Frequently Asked Questions