A resident (junior) doctor's payslip is one of the most confusing in the NHS: a nodal-point base, additional rostered hours, a 37% night/weekend enhancement, a weekend-frequency allowance and 8% on-call — and only part of it is pensionable. This calculator builds it up on the 2026/27 nodal points and charges the NHS pension tier on the pensionable pay only, so the take-home is right where generic tools are wrong.
8 min read·Updated Thu Aug 20 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)·🇬🇧 UK
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Rota (non-pensionable)
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Scottish taxpayer
Your take-home pay
Where your money goes
Your result
Set your nodal point and rota, then press Calculate.
Key takeaways
Key takeaways · 2026/27
Only basic pay (to 40h) and London weighting are pensionable. Additional rostered hours, the 37% enhancement, the weekend allowance and on-call are non-pensionable — so the NHS pension tier is charged on less than your total gross.
The 2026/27 nodal points (June 2026 BMA offer, backdated to 1 April 2026) run from FY1 £41,226 to ST8 £77,348 on a restructured 10-step spine.
Enhanced hours (night 9pm–7am or weekend) attract a +37% uplift; the weekend allowance is a % of basic set by how often you work weekends; on-call availability adds 8% of basic.
PAYE, National Insurance and student loan apply to your full gross — the pensionability split only changes the pension line.
How it works
Why a resident doctor needs a specialist calculator
No generic take-home tool can model a resident-doctor payslip, because it doesn't know the difference between the parts of your pay that are pensionable and the parts that aren't — and it doesn't know how the rota enhancements are built. This calculator does both: it assembles your gross from the nodal-point basic and the 2016-contract enhancements, then charges the NHS pension on the pensionable portion only.
The build-up, piece by piece
Nodal-point basic — your training-stage base pay, funding a 40-hour week. Pensionable.
London weighting (£2,162) — fixed cash for London posts. Pensionable.
Additional rostered hours (ARH) — hours over 40, paid at plain time. Non-pensionable.
37% enhancement — on hours worked at night (9pm–7am) or at weekends. Non-pensionable.
Weekend allowance — a percentage of basic (0%–15%) set by how often you work weekends. Non-pensionable.
On-call availability (8%) — of basic, if you're on an on-call rota. Non-pensionable.
The pensionability split is the whole point: your NHS pension tier is charged on basic + London weighting only. On a busy rota, that can be several thousand pounds less than your total gross — so a generic calculator that pensions your whole pay overstates the deduction and understates your take-home.
Worked example — NP3 (ST1) on a 1-in-4 weekend rota
Take an ST1 on nodal point 3 (£55,355 basic), averaging 48 hours a week with 20% of hours enhanced and a 1-in-4 weekend rota. The 8 hours a week over 40 are paid as ARH at plain time; the enhanced hours attract the 37% uplift; the 1-in-4 rota adds a 7.5% weekend allowance (£4,152). Basic (£55,355) is the only pensionable element, so the NHS pension sits at the 10.7% tier on £55,355 — about £5,923 — even though total gross is well over £60,000. Income Tax, NI and any student loan then apply to the full gross.
The ongoing reform
Resident-doctor pay has been through a multi-year restructure. The basic salaries used here are from the Government's June 2026 offer to the BMA, accepted and backdated to 1 April 2026, which moved pay onto a 10-step spine. The enhancement framework is the stable 2016 contract. Because pay is mid-reform, always cross-check your own Pay & Conditions Circular. Rates last verified: 20 August 2026.
Sources: Government offer to resident doctors, June 2026 (nodal-point basics, Table 1); 2016 TCS (England) for enhancements; NHS Pension Scheme 2026/27 tiers. Estimates only — verify with your pay circular and rota.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a nodal point?
A nodal point is the basic-pay step on the resident-doctor pay scale in England. Rather than annual increments tied to years served, pay moves in bands linked to training stage. Under the June 2026 BMA offer (accepted and backdated to 1 April 2026) the old five points were restructured onto a 10-step spine, from FY1 (£41,226) up to ST8 (£77,348). Your nodal point sets your basic pay; rota enhancements are added on top.
Is the weekend allowance pensionable?
No. This is the single biggest thing generic calculators get wrong. Under the NHS Pension Scheme, only your basic pay (up to 40 hours) and any London weighting are pensionable. Your additional rostered hours, the 37% night/weekend enhancement, the weekend-frequency allowance and the on-call availability allowance are all non-pensionable. So the NHS pension tier is charged on your pensionable pay only — often several thousand pounds less than your total gross — while Income Tax and National Insurance still apply to the whole lot.
How is resident doctor pay calculated for 2026/27?
Start with the nodal-point basic for your grade. Add: additional rostered hours (ARH) for the hours you work over 40, paid at plain time; a 37% enhancement on the share of hours worked at night (9pm–7am) or at weekends; a weekend allowance set as a percentage of basic by how frequently you work weekends (from 0% for less than 1 in 8, up to 15% for 1 in 2); and 8% of basic if you're on an on-call rota. That total is your gross. The NHS pension comes off the pensionable part, then PAYE, NI and any student loan come off the whole gross.
Why does my payslip look different each month?
Resident-doctor pay is annualised for most elements, but rota pay can vary if your rota changes between placements, and the 37% enhancement depends on the actual unsocial hours in that rotation. This calculator gives an annualised estimate for a steady rota; a placement with more nights or a heavier weekend frequency will pay more, and a lighter one less. Adjust the average hours, enhanced-hours percentage and weekend frequency to match your rota.
Are the 2026/27 figures final?
The 2026/27 resident-doctor pay round has been through reform. The basic salaries here come from the Government's June 2026 offer to the BMA (accepted, backdated to 1 April 2026), which restructured the pay spine. The enhancement rules (ARH, 37%, weekend allowance, 8% on-call) are stable 2016-contract terms. Rates were last verified on 20 August 2026 — always check your own pay circular and rota for the definitive figures.
Does this cover doctors in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?
The pay scale and enhancements here are for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own contracts and pay scales that differ. You can toggle the Scottish taxpayer option to apply Scottish Income Tax bands to the take-home, but the underlying nodal-point basics and enhancement rules shown are the England figures.
Disclaimer: Figures are estimates based on 2026/27 rates and rules and may change. Verify with HMRC or a qualified adviser before making financial decisions.