NHS Band 8b salary 2026/27
NHS Band 8b pays £66,582 to £77,368 a year in England from 1 April 2026, about £3,742 a month after tax, National Insurance and pension at entry and £4,136 at the top. That is £34.05 an hour rising to £39.57. Scotland pays £76,888 at entry on a 36-hour week.
Band 8b pay points and take-home
| England 2026/27 | Salary | Take-home a month | Take-home a week | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £66,582 | £3,742 | £863 | £34.05 |
| After 2 years | £70,896 | £3,863 | £892 | £36.26 |
| After 5 years | £77,368 | £4,136 | £954 | £39.57 |
Full time on 37.5 hours, NHS Pension member, tax code 1257L, no student loan, before shift pay. You move up a step after 2 and 5 years in the band, as long as you meet the usual appraisal standards.
Where a Band 8b salary goes
| Band 8b entry, each year | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | £66,582 |
| NHS Pension (10.7%) | £7,124 |
| Income Tax | £11,215 |
| National Insurance | £3,342 |
| Take-home | £44,900 |
Jobs on Band 8b
Agenda for Change bands the job, not the profession, so very different roles share the same pay. Typical Band 8b roles include:
- Head of a clinical service or department
- Head of education and training
- Consultant clinical psychologist (often 8c to 8d)
- Lead or consultant pharmacist
- Senior operational or general manager
- Head orthoptist or head of a therapy profession
The pension jump inside Band 8b
Band 8b entry pays £66,582, just under the £67,668 line where NHS Pension contributions go up. At the intermediate step you pay 12.5% instead of 10.7%, on the whole salary, not just the extra. Add 40% tax and the £4,314 step adds only about £122 a month, roughly 34p of each extra pound. The move to the top point is better: £6,472 more gross, about £272 a month.
The higher contribution buys the same pension as everyone else in the 2015 scheme (1/54th of pay each year), so the extra is a cost, not a better pension. It is still one of the best-value pensions available, because the employer pays in more than you do.
No overtime, and 40% tax on part of your pay
Band 8 and 9 staff are not paid overtime under the national terms. About £9,188 of an entry salary is taxed at 40%, rising to £17,427 at the top. Salary sacrifice schemes save tax at 40% and NI at 2%: see the NHS salary sacrifice calculator.
Band 8b pay in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
| Nation | Full-time week | Salary range | Take-home a month at entry | Per hour at entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 37.5 hours | £66,582 to £77,368 | £3,742 | £34.05 |
| Scotland | 36 hours | £76,888 to £82,251 | £3,991 | £40.96 |
| Wales | 37.5 hours | £67,583 to £78,530 | £3,785 | £34.56 |
| Northern Ireland | 37.5 hours | £64,455 to £74,896 | £3,644 | £32.96 |
Scotland has its own pay scales and a 36-hour week from April 2026, so its hourly rate is the highest. Northern Ireland figures are 2025/26 rates while its 2026/27 award waits for approval. Scottish take-home uses Scottish Income Tax.
Shifts, London weighting and overtime on Band 8b
In England, Band 8b gets time plus 30% for nights (8pm to 6am) and Saturdays, and time plus 60% for Sundays and bank holidays. On a typical ward-style rota of about 8 night or Saturday hours and 4 Sunday hours a week, Band 8b entry grosses £75,104 and takes home about £4,040 a month. Band 8b does not get paid overtime under the national terms: extra hours are usually taken back as time off.
| High Cost Area Supplement | Gross a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| Inner London (20%) | £75,328 | £4,050 |
| Outer London (15%) | £72,719 | £3,940 |
| Fringe (5%) | £68,852 | £3,777 |
Part-time Band 8b pay
Pay is pro rata to your contracted hours. On 22.5 hours, Band 8b entry pays £39,949 a year, about £2,429 a month after deductions. On 30 hours, Band 8b entry pays £53,266 a year, about £3,124 a month after deductions. The NHS part-time calculator works it out for any hours.
Band 8b or Band 8c: what the next band is worth
Band 8c starts at £79,504, £2,136 above the top of Band 8b. Moving from Band 8b entry to Band 8c entry adds about £484 a month after tax and pension, but from the top of Band 8b it adds only £90 a month at first. The bigger gain is the Band 8c ceiling of £91,609. See NHS Band 8c salary.
Other bands: Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 6, Band 7, Band 8a, Band 8c, Band 8d, Band 9. For every band in one calculator, use the NHS pay calculator.
Common questions
What is the Band 8b NHS salary in 2026/27?
In England, Band 8b pays £66,582 to £77,368 a year full time from 1 April 2026. Scotland pays £76,888 to £82,251.
How much does Band 8b take home a month?
About £3,742 a month at entry in England after Income Tax, National Insurance and the NHS Pension, rising to £4,136 at the top of the band. Shift pay and London weighting are extra.
What is the Band 8b hourly rate?
£34.05 an hour at entry in England, based on a 37.5-hour week, and £39.57 at the top.
How long does it take to reach the top of Band 8b?
5 years in England, with a step after 2 years on the way. Moving up depends on meeting the normal appraisal standards.
Do Band 8b staff get overtime?
No. Under the national terms, Bands 8 and 9 do not get paid overtime and usually take time off in lieu instead.
Why does moving up a step in Band 8b add so little?
The intermediate point takes you over £67,668, where the NHS Pension contribution rises from 10.7% to 12.5% of your whole salary. Combined with 40% tax, a £4,314 rise adds only about £122 a month to take-home.