NICS pay scales 2026: Northern Ireland Civil Service
You work for the Northern Ireland Civil Service, or you are applying, and want the pay for your grade. The scales in payment run from £25,796 for an Administrative Assistant to £64,469 at the top of Grade 7, or £1,761 to £3,814 a month after tax, National Insurance and the pension. The 2026/27 rise due in April has not been paid yet.
NICS pay scales in payment
| Grade | Point 1 | Point 2 | Max | Take-home a month at max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA (Administrative Assistant) | £25,796 | £1,761 | ||
| AO (Administrative Officer) | £26,449 | £27,271 | £28,094 | £1,892 |
| EOII (Executive Officer II) | £30,458 | £30,777 | £31,097 | £2,042 |
| EOI (Executive Officer I) | £33,542 | £33,886 | £34,231 | £2,218 |
| SO (Staff Officer) | £37,694 | £38,341 | £38,990 | £2,486 |
| DP (Deputy Principal) | £47,304 | £48,408 | £49,515 | £3,078 |
| Grade 7 (Grade 7) | £61,673 | £63,072 | £64,469 | £3,814 |
| Grade 6 (Grade 6) | £73,577 | £75,739 | £77,904 | £4,351 |
These are the non-industrial scales from 1 August 2025, after a 6% rise. Take-home is full time, tax code 1257L, NICS pension, no student loan. Northern Ireland uses the same Income Tax bands as England. AA is a single rate. On the other grades you normally move up one point a year until you reach the maximum, and most staff at AA, EOII, EOI, SO and Grade 6 are already on the maximum.
Where the 2026/27 pay rise stands
The last deal moved NICS pay to a financial year, so the next rise was due from 1 April 2026. It has not been paid, because the Northern Ireland Executive has not agreed a budget for 2026/27. NIPSA has a claim in for inflation plus 3% a year for three years, and the Finance Minister has said civil service pay will be a priority once a budget is settled. When it is paid, expect it to be backdated to 1 April 2026, so the gap will come as a lump of back pay.
Back pay is added to the month it is paid in. Income Tax on it evens out over the year with a normal tax code, but the pension rate is set on your annual salary without the arrears, so the back pay itself will not push you into a higher pension band.
NICS grades compared with the GB civil service
| NICS grade | Nearest GB grade | NICS max |
|---|---|---|
| AA | AA | £25,796 |
| AO | AO | £28,094 |
| EOII | EO | £31,097 |
| EOI | HEO | £34,231 |
| SO | SEO | £38,990 |
| DP | Grade 7 (lower) | £49,515 |
| Grade 7 | Grade 7 | £64,469 |
| Grade 6 | Grade 6 | £77,904 |
The names do not line up exactly, which catches people out when they move between the two. NICS EOII does roughly the job of a GB Executive Officer, EOI a Higher Executive Officer, Staff Officer a Senior Executive Officer, and Deputy Principal sits at the lower end of GB Grade 7. The other big difference is that NICS publishes one scale for every department, while in GB each department sets its own pay. For GB pay by department, see civil service pay by department.
Your pension contribution
| Annual pensionable pay | Rate on your whole salary |
|---|---|
| Up to £28,716.99 | 4.65% |
| £28,717 to £65,343.99 | 5.65% |
| £65,344 to £175,740.99 | 7.55% |
| £175,741 and above | 8.25% |
These NICS rates apply from 1 September 2025 and differ from the GB alpha rates. The whole salary is charged at one rate, so crossing a line costs money. On £28,716 you take home £1,927 a month; on £28,717 you take home £1,908, because the rate on everything jumps from 4.65% to 5.65%. The top of AO (£28,094) stays under the line, while every EOII point is above it. So the promotion from the top of AO to the bottom of EOII adds £2,364 a year but about £114 a month to take-home.
Before you count on a pay rise
Budget on the figures above until the 2026/27 award is confirmed, and keep any back pay separate when it arrives rather than treating it as a raise to your monthly pay. Your monthly figure only goes up once the new scales are in your payslip.
Common questions
What are the NICS pay scales for 2026?
The scales in payment are those from 1 August 2025: AA £25,796, AO up to £28,094, EOII up to £31,097, EOI up to £34,231, SO up to £38,990, DP up to £49,515, Grade 7 up to £64,469 and Grade 6 up to £77,904.
Has the NICS 2026/27 pay award been paid?
Not as of November 2026. It was due from 1 April 2026 but cannot be paid until the Northern Ireland Executive agrees a budget. It is expected to be backdated when it is paid.
What is an EOII in the Northern Ireland Civil Service?
Executive Officer II, the main first-line grade above AO. It is roughly equal to an Executive Officer in the GB civil service, and pays £30,458 to £31,097.
How much pension do NICS staff pay?
From 1 September 2025: 4.65% on salaries up to £28,716.99, 5.65% up to £65,343.99, 7.55% up to £175,740.99 and 8.25% above, charged on the whole salary.