Base salary: AfC bands and pay-step points
AfC divides almost every NHS job (except doctors, dentists and senior execs) into nine bands. Each band has up to three “pay-step points” that staff move through once they meet local appraisal and competence criteria.
| Band | Entry | Intermediate | Top | Years between steps* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 † | £24,465 | – | £24,465 | – |
| 2 | £24,465 | – | £24,465 | 2 |
| 3 | £24,937 | – | £26,598 | 2 |
| 4 | £27,485 | – | £30,162 | 3 |
| 5 | £31,049 | £33,487 | £37,796 | 2 ➔ 2 |
| 6 | £38,682 | £40,823 | £46,580 | 2 ➔ 3 |
| 7 | £47,810 | £50,273 | £54,710 | 2 ➔ 3 |
| 8a | £55,690 | £58,487 | £62,682 | 2 ➔ 3 |
| 8b | £64,455 | £68,631 | £74,896 | 2 ➔ 3 |
| 8c | £76,965 | £81,652 | £88,682 | 2 ➔ 3 |
| 8d | £91,342 | £96,941 | £105,337 | 2 ➔ 3 |
| 9 | £109,179 | £115,763 | £125,637 | 2 ➔ 3 |
*Years shown as “entry ➔ intermediate” then “intermediate ➔ top” where applicable.
†Band 1 is closed to new starters, but legacy staff remain on this rate. NHS Employers
Why it matters: Your starting point depends on qualifications, job description and existing NHS experience. Once in post, meeting performance standards triggers progression to the next step — it is not automatic after a fixed period.
High-Cost Area Supplements (HCAS)
Staff working in London and surrounding commuter zones receive an allowance on top of basic pay to offset living-cost differences:
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Inner London: 20 % of basic salary (minimum £4,888 / maximum £7,377)
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Outer London: 15 % (min £4,488 / max £6,972)
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Fringe zone: 5 % (min £1,290 / max £2,085)
HCAS is pensionable and counts when calculating overtime rates.
NHS Pension Scheme – member contributions 2025/26
| Pensionable pay band (whole-time equivalent) | Member rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £13,259 | 5.2 % |
| £13,260 – £27,288 | 6.5 % |
| £27,289 – £33,247 | 8.3 % |
| £33,248 – £49,913 | 9.8 % |
| £49,914 – £63,994 | 10.7 % |
| £63,995 + | 12.5 % |
Contributions come before Income Tax, so your real-world cost is lower than the headline rate (a 12.5 % deduction feels like ~7.5 % for a higher-rate taxpayer) NHSBSABMA
Employers pay 23.7 % of your pensionable pay into the scheme on top of your salary — an often overlooked part of the reward package. NHSBSA
Unsocial-hours (USH) enhancements
Staff who routinely work evenings, nights, weekends or bank holidays receive a percentage uplift on top of basic hourly pay:
| Band | Sat (20:00–06:00 & all Saturday) | Sunday & Public Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Time + 47 % | Time + 94 % |
| 2 | Time + 41 % | Time + 83 % |
| 3 | Time + 35 % | Time + 69 % |
| 4-9 | Time + 30 % | Time + 60 % |
Enhancements are pensionable and count towards overtime calculations. NHS Employers
Key statutory deductions (England, Wales, N. Ireland 2025/26)
| Slice of taxable income | Income-tax rate |
|---|---|
| £0 – £12,570 | 0 % (Personal Allowance) |
| £12,571 – £50,270 | 20 % (Basic) |
| £50,271 – £125,140 | 40 % (Higher) |
| £125,141+ | 45 % (Additional) |
The Personal Allowance tapers away above £100 k (£1 lost for every £2 over the threshold). GOV.UK+1
National Insurance (Class 1) is 8 % on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2 % above that. These rates apply after deducting your pension contributions.
Pulling it all together – a Band 5 example
| Component | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | Band 5 entry | £31,049 |
| Pension (9.8 %) | £31,049 × 9.8 % | £3,042 |
| Taxable pay | £31,049 − £3,042 | £28,007 |
| Income Tax | (£28,007 − £12,570) × 20 % | £3,087 |
| NIC | (£28,007 − £12,570) × 8 % | £1,235 |
| Net annual pay | Gross − pension − tax − NIC | ≈ £23,685 |
| Net monthly | / 12 | ≈ £1,974 |
Add unsocial-hours premia, overtime or HCAS where they apply, and your actual take-home could be noticeably higher.
(Figures rounded to the nearest pound; student-loan or child-benefit charges not included.)
How pay progresses over a career
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Automatic annual uplift: Each April’s national pay award (3.6 % for 2025/26) changes every point in the table. GOV.UK
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Pay-step progression: You step up after meeting appraisal goals and any statutory training, provided performance is satisfactory.
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Promotion: Moving to a higher band means a new pay-step clock; staff usually start at the entry point unless already earning more.
Take-home pay tools
Free calculators (for example, the NursingNotes or MyPayCalculator tools) pre-load 2025/26 tax, NIC and pension rules, letting you model different scenarios such as part-time hours, HCAS or overtime.
Bottom line
AfC remains a structured, transparent framework:
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Base pay rises annually and through pay-steps.
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Pension value is substantial once employer contributions are counted.
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Enhancements (USH, overtime, HCAS) can add thousands.
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Net pay is shaped by tax bands and decreasing pension tiers, so two staff on the same gross salary can receive different take-home amounts depending on their HCAS zone, shift pattern and pension tier.
Understanding each layer – and how the pieces interact – lets NHS staff make informed decisions about overtime, pension opt-in and career moves, and assess whether their payslip matches what the rules say it should be.
