NHS employees on Agenda for Change (AfC) contracts have their pay, pension contributions, Income Tax and National Insurance all deducted before they receive their monthly pay. This guide explains every deduction, shows take-home estimates for every band, and covers the NHS Pension Scheme in detail.
Take-home estimates assume England tax rates, Personal Allowance £12,570, no student loan, married but no Marriage Allowance, Band-appropriate pension tier. For your exact figure use the take-home pay calculator.
| Band | Typical roles | Min gross | Max gross | Est. take-home (min) | Est. take-home (max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | Healthcare support worker, admin | £23,615 | £24,336 | £1,543/mo | £1,581/mo |
| Band 3 | Senior healthcare support worker | £24,625 | £25,674 | £1,596/mo | £1,652/mo |
| Band 4 | Assistant practitioner, senior admin | £26,530 | £29,114 | £1,697/mo | £1,834/mo |
| Band 5 | Staff nurse, AHP, junior manager | £29,970 | £36,483 | £1,879/mo | £2,224/mo |
| Band 6 | Senior nurse, specialist AHP | £37,338 | £44,962 | £2,269/mo | £2,673/mo |
| Band 7 | Advanced practitioner, ward manager | £46,148 | £52,809 | £2,735/mo | £3,058/mo |
| Band 8a | Consultant AHP, senior manager | £53,755 | £60,504 | £3,097/mo | £3,376/mo |
| Band 8b | Head of service | £62,215 | £72,293 | £3,446/mo | £3,862/mo |
| Band 8c | Deputy director | £74,290 | £85,601 | £3,944/mo | £4,411/mo |
| Band 8d | Director level | £88,168 | £102,585 | £4,517/mo | £5,111/mo |
| Band 9 | Very senior manager | £105,385 | £121,271 | £5,227/mo | £5,882/mo |
Pay points shown are England rates. Wales and Scotland follow similar AfC scales with small differences. NI rates differ slightly in Scotland. London supplements (5–20%) not included above.
The NHS Pension Scheme is one of the best employer pension schemes in the UK. The employer contributes 23.7% of your pensionable pay on top of your own contributions. All contributions attract full tax relief, so the effective employee cost is lower than the headline rate.
| Pensionable pay | Employee contribution | Effective cost (20% taxpayer) | Effective cost (40% taxpayer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £13,259 | 5.2% | 4.2% | 3.1% |
| £13,260 – £26,831 | 6.5% | 5.2% | 3.9% |
| £26,832 – £32,691 | 8.3% | 6.6% | 5.0% |
| £32,692 – £49,078 | 9.8% | 7.8% | 5.9% |
| £49,079 – £62,924 | 10.7% | 8.6% | 6.4% |
| £62,925+ | 12.5% | 10.0% | 7.5% |
The 2015 NHS Pension Scheme is a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme: each year you accrue 1/54th of your pensionable pay as pension. This is revalued annually by CPI + 1.5%. Normal pension age is State Pension age (currently 67). The employer contributes a further 23.7%.
NHS staff working in London and surrounding areas receive additional supplements. These are pensionable and fully taxable.
| Zone | Rate | Minimum | Maximum | Example (Band 5 entry) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 20% | £4,551 | £6,469 | £29,970 × 20% = £5,994 |
| Outer London | 15% | £3,913 | £4,913 | £29,970 × 15% = £4,496 |
| Fringe (HCAS) | 5% | £1,258 | £2,122 | £29,970 × 5% = £1,499 |
NHS AfC unsocial hours enhancements apply to contracted hours worked at specific times. All enhancements are taxable and pensionable:
Overtime (beyond contracted hours) is paid at plain time for the first 4 hours per week, then time + 47%. Bank staff and agency workers are not typically entitled to AfC enhancements.