NHS Band 8d salary 2026/27
NHS Band 8d pays £94,356 to £108,814 a year in England from 1 April 2026, about £4,851 a month after tax, National Insurance and pension at entry and £5,459 at the top. That is £48.25 an hour rising to £55.65. Scotland pays £107,810 at entry on a 36-hour week.
Band 8d pay points and take-home
| England 2026/27 | Salary | Take-home a month | Take-home a week | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £94,356 | £4,851 | £1,119 | £48.25 |
| After 2 years | £100,140 | £5,094 | £1,176 | £51.21 |
| After 5 years | £108,814 | £5,459 | £1,260 | £55.65 |
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 8d salary goes
| Band 8d entry, each year | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | £94,356 |
| NHS Pension (12.5%) | £11,795 |
| Income Tax | £20,457 |
| National Insurance | £3,898 |
| Take-home | £58,207 |
Jobs on Band 8d
Agenda for Change bands the job, not the profession, so very different roles share the same pay. Typical Band 8d roles include:
- Deputy director or associate director
- Consultant psychologist (8c to 8d)
- Head of estates or facilities
- Senior finance or workforce lead
- Chief pharmacist
- Senior nurse leader below board level
Over £100,000, but not in the 60% trap
The intermediate point (£100,140) and the top point (£108,814) are both over £100,000, which is where most people start losing their tax-free Personal Allowance and paying an effective 60%. On Band 8d you don’t, because HMRC tests your income after NHS Pension contributions. At 12.5%, the top of Band 8d counts as £95,212.
For an NHS Pension member on basic pay alone, the trap only starts at a gross salary of about £114,286. Anything else you earn counts towards it: on-call or other allowances, private practice, rental income or savings interest. If those take you over, extra pension contributions or salary sacrifice can bring you back under. See the 60% tax trap.
What each step adds
Every extra pound on Band 8d is taxed at 40% with 2% NI and 12.5% pension, so you keep about 50p. The £5,784 step to the intermediate point adds about £243 a month; the £8,674 step to the top about £365. As with 8c and 9, part of the top point can be re-earnable each year under the 2018 framework, so check your contract.
Band 8d 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 | £94,356 to £108,814 | £4,851 | £48.25 |
| Scotland | 36 hours | £107,810 to £112,426 | £5,156 | £57.43 |
| Wales | 37.5 hours | £95,773 to £110,448 | £4,910 | £48.98 |
| Northern Ireland | 37.5 hours | £91,342 to £105,337 | £4,715 | £46.71 |
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 8d
In England, Band 8d 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 8d entry grosses £106,434 and takes home about £5,359 a month. Band 8d 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%) | £103,102 | £5,219 |
| Outer London (15%) | £100,493 | £5,109 |
| Fringe (5%) | £96,626 | £4,946 |
Part-time Band 8d pay
Pay is pro rata to your contracted hours. On 22.5 hours, Band 8d entry pays £56,614 a year, about £3,313 a month after deductions. On 30 hours, Band 8d entry pays £75,485 a year, about £4,056 a month after deductions. The NHS part-time calculator works it out for any hours.
Band 8d or Band 9: what the next band is worth
Band 9 starts at £112,782, £3,968 above the top of Band 8d. Moving from Band 8d entry to Band 9 entry adds about £775 a month after tax and pension, but from the top of Band 8d it adds only £167 a month at first. The bigger gain is the Band 9 ceiling of £129,783. See NHS Band 9 salary.
Other bands: Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 6, Band 7, Band 8a, Band 8b, Band 8c, Band 9. For every band in one calculator, use the NHS pay calculator.
Common questions
What is the Band 8d NHS salary in 2026/27?
In England, Band 8d pays £94,356 to £108,814 a year full time from 1 April 2026. Scotland pays £107,810 to £112,426.
How much does Band 8d take home a month?
About £4,851 a month at entry in England after Income Tax, National Insurance and the NHS Pension, rising to £5,459 at the top of the band. Shift pay and London weighting are extra.
What is the Band 8d hourly rate?
£48.25 an hour at entry in England, based on a 37.5-hour week, and £55.65 at the top.
How long does it take to reach the top of Band 8d?
5 years in England, with a step after 2 years on the way. Moving up depends on meeting the normal appraisal standards.
Does Band 8d fall into the 60% tax trap?
Not on basic pay. The 60% trap starts when your income after pension contributions passes £100,000. Because the NHS Pension (12.5%) comes off before tax, even the top of Band 8d (£108,814) is about £95,212 for this test. Extra income, such as private work or a big allowance, can still push you in.
Do Band 8d 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.