The only figure that matters is what lands in your account. This calculator applies Agenda for Change pay, the non-marginal NHS pension tiers, High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) for London and your student loan — the three NHS-specific rules generic salary calculators get wrong. Pick your band, step and zone to see gross-to-net for 2026/27.
7 min read·Updated Wed Aug 19 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)·🇬🇧 UK
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Adjust the inputs above and press Calculate to see your personalised result.
Key takeaways
Key takeaways · 2026/27
NHS pay has three things generic calculators miss: tiered pension, HCAS, and a net-pay pension (cuts tax, not NI).
Pension tiers are non-marginal — your whole pensionable pay is charged at one rate, so crossing a boundary can cut net pay.
HCAS is pensionable and taxable, set by your trust's location, and clamped between a floor and a ceiling.
Band 5 entry for 2026/27 is £32,073; the pay award was 3.3%.
How it works
How NHS pay differs from a normal salary
An NHS salary under Agenda for Change (AfC) is not just a number you can drop into a generic take-home calculator. Three things change the answer:
The tiered NHS pension. Contributions are charged in non-marginal tiers on your actual pensionable pay — the whole amount at one rate.
High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS). London staff get a pensionable, taxable supplement, clamped between a floor and a ceiling per zone.
Net-pay pension relief. The pension cuts your Income Tax but not your National Insurance, unlike salary sacrifice.
NHS pension contribution tiers, 2026/27
These apply to your actual pensionable pay (basic + HCAS), and they are non-marginal:
Pensionable pay
Contribution rate
Up to £13,259
5.2%
£13,260 – £28,854
6.5%
£28,855 – £35,155
8.3%
£35,156 – £52,778
9.8%
£52,779 – £67,668
10.7%
£67,669 and above
12.5%
The cliff-edge generic calculators ignore: because the tiers are non-marginal, a pay rise or London weighting that nudges your pensionable pay across a boundary raises the rate on all of it. A £200 rise at the wrong point can cost you more in extra pension than it adds in gross. The calculator flags when you are within £300 of a boundary.
HCAS (London weighting), 2026/27
Zone
Rate
Minimum
Maximum
Inner London
20%
£5,794
£8,746
Outer London
15%
£4,870
£6,137
London Fringe
5%
£1,346
£2,270
The supplement is clamp(basic × rate, minimum, maximum) — so lower bands hit the floor and higher bands hit the ceiling. It is pensionable and by trust location. Part-timers pro-rate both the supplement and the caps. See the full logic on the NHS London weighting calculator.
NHS take-home pay by band
Each band page carries a real worked example on that band's 2026/27 pay, plus band-specific FAQs:
Start with your Agenda for Change basic pay, add any HCAS London weighting, and that total is your pensionable pay. The NHS pension contribution (a non-marginal tier rate on the whole pensionable pay) is deducted before Income Tax, but National Insurance is charged on your full pay because the NHS pension is a net-pay arrangement, not salary sacrifice. Income Tax, NI and any student loan then come off to leave your take-home.
Why is the NHS pension a net-pay arrangement, and why does it matter?
In a net-pay arrangement your pension contribution is taken from pay before Income Tax, giving full tax relief automatically — but National Insurance is still charged on the pre-pension amount. That is different from salary sacrifice, which also saves NI. It means your NI is higher than it would be under a sacrifice scheme, which this calculator reflects.
What are the NHS pension contribution tiers for 2026/27?
For 2026/27 (England & Wales) the tiers on actual pensionable pay are 5.2% up to £13,259, 6.5% to £28,854, 8.3% to £35,155, 9.8% to £52,778, 10.7% to £67,668, and 12.5% above. They are non-marginal: the whole pensionable pay is charged at the single rate its total falls into.
Is HCAS (London weighting) pensionable?
Yes. HCAS is added to basic pay before the NHS pension, so it is pensionable and can push you into a higher pension tier. It is also taxable and subject to National Insurance. It is set by the location of your trust, not your home address, and is clamped between a minimum and maximum for each zone.
Does a pay rise ever reduce my NHS take-home pay?
It can, because the pension tiers are non-marginal. If a rise pushes your pensionable pay just over a tier boundary, the higher contribution rate applies to all of it, and the extra pension can briefly exceed the extra gross. The calculator warns when you are within £300 of a boundary. It usually resolves with the next pay step, and the extra pension is not lost — it buys more defined-benefit pension.
Which band should I choose?
Pick your Agenda for Change band and pay step from your payslip or contract. As a guide, newly qualified nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals are typically Band 5; experienced and specialist staff Band 6; ward managers and advanced practitioners Band 7; and matrons and consultant practitioners Band 8a and above. See the band-specific pages below for worked examples.
Disclaimer: Figures are estimates based on 2026/27 rates and rules and may change. Verify with HMRC, the NHS Employers pay circular or a qualified adviser before making financial decisions.