NHS pay progression: how long to reach the top of your band
The short answer: on Agenda for Change you move up a step after a fixed number of years, as long as you meet your employer’s pay step requirements. Band 3 reaches the top after 2 years, Band 4 after 3, Band 5 after 4, and Bands 6 to 9 after 5. Band 2 is now a single rate. For a newly qualified Band 5, reaching the top is worth about £341 a month more in take-home pay.
Years to the top of each band
| Band | Entry | Years | Intermediate | Years | Top | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £25,272 | – | – | – | – | Single rate |
| Band 3 | £25,760 | 2 | – | – | £27,476 | 2 years |
| Band 4 | £28,392 | 3 | – | – | £31,157 | 3 years |
| Band 5 | £32,073 | 2 | £34,592 | 2 | £39,043 | 4 years |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | 2 | £42,170 | 3 | £48,117 | 5 years |
| Band 7 | £49,387 | 2 | £51,932 | 3 | £56,515 | 5 years |
| Band 8a | £57,528 | 2 | £60,417 | 3 | £64,750 | 5 years |
| Band 8b | £66,582 | 2 | £70,896 | 3 | £77,368 | 5 years |
| Band 8c | £79,504 | 2 | £84,346 | 3 | £91,609 | 5 years |
| Band 8d | £94,356 | 2 | £100,140 | 3 | £108,814 | 5 years |
| Band 9 | £112,782 | 2 | £119,583 | 3 | £129,783 | 5 years |
England, full time, from 1 April 2026. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use the same structure with their own pay figures.
Your first five years
Here’s how salary moves in the first five years for someone starting on the entry step of Bands 4 to 7:
Annual pay awards are separate. Each April (or later, if the award is late), every step usually goes up by the same percentage. So in practice your pay rises twice in a step year: once for the award and once for the step.
What each step adds to your take-home pay
| Step up | Salary rise | Take-home rise a month |
|---|---|---|
| Band 3: entry to top | £1,716 | £96 |
| Band 4: entry to top | £2,765 | £117 |
| Band 5: entry to intermediate | £2,519 | £137 |
| Band 5: intermediate to top | £4,451 | £203 |
| Band 6: entry to intermediate | £2,211 | £118 |
| Band 6: intermediate to top | £5,947 | £318 |
| Band 7: entry to intermediate | £2,545 | £144 |
| Band 7: intermediate to top | £4,583 | £231 |
| Band 8a: entry to intermediate | £2,889 | £124 |
| Band 8a: intermediate to top | £4,333 | £186 |
| Band 8b: entry to intermediate | £4,314 | £122 |
| Band 8b: intermediate to top | £6,472 | £272 |
| Band 8c: entry to intermediate | £4,842 | £204 |
| Band 8c: intermediate to top | £7,263 | £306 |
| Band 8d: entry to intermediate | £5,784 | £243 |
| Band 8d: intermediate to top | £8,674 | £365 |
| Band 9: entry to intermediate | £6,801 | £209 |
| Band 9: intermediate to top | £10,200 | £280 |
The take-home rise is smaller than the salary rise because tax, National Insurance and your pension contribution come off. A step can also move you into a higher NHS Pension tier: going from the intermediate to the top of Band 5 moves you from 8.3% to 9.8% on all your pay, which is why that step adds less than you might expect.
The pay step requirements
Since the 2018 pay deal, moving up isn’t completely automatic. Your employer can hold back a step if you haven’t met the national pay step requirements, which usually mean:
- An appraisal completed in the last 12 months.
- Mandatory and statutory training up to date.
- No formal capability process or live disciplinary sanction.
- For managers, appraisals done for your own team.
If you’re held back because your employer didn’t arrange your appraisal or training, that shouldn’t count against you, and your step should be paid from your pay step date. If the delay is down to you, the step is usually paid from when you meet the requirements, not backdated. Ask HR for your pay step date so you know when to chase it.
Promotion, part time and career breaks
- Promotion: you usually start on the entry step of the new band, and your progression clock restarts. From the top of Band 5 (£39,043) to Band 6 entry (£39,959) is a £916 rise. Your employer should make sure promotion always means a pay increase.
- Part time: you progress at the same speed as full-time staff.
- Maternity leave and sickness: pay step dates shouldn’t be delayed by these absences.
- Moving trusts: NHS service counts, so you normally keep your band and step when you move to another NHS employer on the same band.
For the hourly figure on your step, see NHS hourly rates. To compare two steps or bands, use the NHS pay calculator.
Based on NHS Employers’ pay scales for England from 1 April 2026 and the pay progression rules in Section 1 and Annex 23 of the NHS terms and conditions handbook. Your employer’s local policy sets the detail.
Common questions
How long does it take to get to the top of NHS Band 5?
Four years: two years on the entry step, then two years on the intermediate step. In England from April 2026 that takes you from £32,073 to £39,043, as long as you meet your employer’s pay step requirements.
How long does it take to reach the top of Band 6 or Band 7?
Five years: two years on the entry step, then three on the intermediate step. Bands 8a to 9 work the same way.
Is NHS pay progression automatic?
Not quite. Since 2019, moving up a step depends on meeting your employer’s pay step requirements, usually an up-to-date appraisal, completed mandatory training and no formal capability or disciplinary action. Most staff who meet them move up on their pay step date.
Do part-time NHS staff progress at the same rate?
Yes. Pay step dates depend on time in the band, not hours worked, so part-time staff move up at the same speed as full-time staff.
What happens to my pay if I get promoted to a higher band?
You normally start on the entry step of the new band and your pay step date resets from the date of promotion. If the entry step of the new band is lower than your current pay, which can happen from the top of one band to the bottom of the next, your employer should make sure you get a pay increase.