Agenda for Change NHS Pay Bands 2024/25

Agenda for Change is the current NHS grading and pay system for NHS staff across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the exception of doctors, dentists, apprentices and some very senior managers.


Take-Home Pay Calculator

Our NHS pay calculator uses Agenda for Change pay rates for England alongside tax, pension and national insurance information for the April 2023/24 financial year to estimate take-home pay.


This is years of experience in the selected pay band.

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Figures are rounded to provide you with an approximation of take-home pay - you should not base financial decision on this calculator and should seek professional advice. The calculator tool provides an estimate based on a set of assumed values - it will be inaccurate for anyone with specific tax, pension or national insurance arrangements.

NHS Pay Bands

The table below displays the NHS Pay Bands and Agenda for Change (AfC) Pay Scale for England broken down by each individual band, answers to some frequently asked questions and provides links to useful resources.

Each of the nine NHS pay bands has a number of pay points. Staff will progress to the next pay point after the required number of years until they reach the top of the pay band.

NHS Agenda for Change Pay Scale

Band 1 - No longer used.

£22,383

Examples of roles at band 1 – domestic support worker, housekeeping assistant, driver and nursery assistant.

Band 2 - Nursing assistants, domestic support staff etc.

< 2 years’ experience – £22,383

2+ years – £22,383

Examples of roles at band 2 – domestic support worker, housekeeping assistant, driver, nursery assistant, domestic team leader, security officer, secretary/typist and healthcare assistant.

Band 3 - Trainee nurse associates, clinical support workers etc.

<2 years’ experience – £22,816

2+ years – £24,336

Examples of roles at band 3 – emergency care assistant, clinical coding officer, estates officer and occupational therapy worker.

Band 4 - Registered nursing associates, dental nurses etc

< 3 years’ experience £25,147

3+ years £27,596

Examples of roles at band 4 – assistant practitioner, audio visual technician, pharmacy technician, dental nurse and theatre support worker.

Band 5 - Staff nurse, newly qualified AHPs etc.

2 years experience £28,407

2-4 years £30,639

4+ years £34,581

Examples of roles at band 5 (includes many newly qualified clinical professionals) – operating department practitioner (ODP), podiatrist, learning disability nurse, therapeutic radiographer, practice manager and ICT test analyst

Band 6 - Senior staff nurses, specialist nurse etc.

<2 years’ experience – £35,392

2-5 years – £37,350

5+ years – £42,618

Examples of roles at band 6 – school nurse, experienced paramedic, health records manager, clinical psychology trainee and biomedical scientist.

Band 7 - Ward sister, junior matron, specialist AHP etc.

<2 years’ experience – £43,742

2-5 years – £45,996

5+ years – £50,056

Examples of roles at band 7 – communications manager, estates manager, high intensity therapist and advanced speech and language therapist.

Band 8a - Speciality matron, general manager etc

< 5 years’ experience – £50,952

5+ years – £57,349

Examples of roles at band 8a – consultant prosthetist/orthotist, dental laboratory manager, project and programme management, modern matron (nursing) and nurse consultant (mental health nursing).

Band 8b - Senior matron, service manager, lead nurse etc.

< 5 years’ experience – £58,972

5+ years £68,525

Examples of roles at band 8b – strategic management, head of education and training, clinical physiology service manager and head orthoptist.

Band 8c - Head of departments, consultant paramedic etc

<5 years’ experience – £70,417

5+ years – £81,138

Examples of roles at band 8c – head of human resources, consultant clinical scientist (molecular genetics/cytogenetics) and consultant paramedic.

Band 9 - Chief nurse, deputy chief nurse etc.

<5 years’ experience £99,891

5+ years £114,949

Examples of roles at band 9 include podiatric consultant (surgery), chief finance manager and director of estates and facilities.

Band 8d - Nurse consultant, consultant psychologist etc

<5 years’ experience £83,571

5+ years £96,376

Examples of roles at band 8d include consultant psychologist (8c-8d), estates manager, chief nurse and chief finance manager.

Agenda for Change High-cost area supplement

In addition to basic pay, there is also a high-cost pay supplement for staff who work in London.

Area Level (1 April 2023)
Inner London 20% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £5,132 and a maximum payment of £7,746
Outer London 15% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £4,314 and a maximum payment of £5,436
Fringe 5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1,192 and a maximum payment of £2,011

NHS Pension Scheme Contributions

All members of the NHS Pension Scheme pay a percentage of their pensionable pay to the scheme each month, known as a contribution rate.

The amount you pay is now based on your actual annual rate of pay, instead of your whole-time equivalent. This means if you’re part-time, you may pay less as your contribution rate will be based on how much you’re paid each year – previously it was based on how much you would earn if you worked full-time.

Pensionable salary Current contribution rates Future planned contribution rates
Up to £13,246 5.1% 5.2%
£13,247 to £17,673 5.7% 6.5%
£17,674 to £24,022 6.1% 6.5%
£24,023 to £25,146 6.8% 6.5%
£25,147 to £29,635 7.7% 8.3%
£29,636 to £30,638 8.8% 8.3%
£30,639 to £45,996 9.8% 9.8%
£45,997 to £51,708 10% 10.7%
£51,709 to £58,972 11.6% 10.7%
£58,973 to £75,632 12.5% 12.5%
£75,636 and above 13.5% 12.5%

Frequently Asked Questions

We will try to answer some of your frequently asked questions about the NHS pay bands.

What happened to yearly pay progression? Following the implementation of the 2018 NHS pay deal, pay progression for those under Agenda for Change terms has changed from the historic yearly incrementation, previously known as spine points, to a system based on years of experience at that band.

Why is there no overlap between NHS pay bands? The 2018 NHS pay deal removed the overlap between bands to prevent someone with a lower level of responsibility from being paid more than someone with a higher level of responsibility.

Why is there a difference between pay in each country? The pay of NHS workers is decided by the devolved governments in each of the four countries.

What happens if I move between pay bands? Staff moving to a post in a higher pay band will enter that band at the minimum pay point. Staff moving voluntarily or otherwise to a post in a lower pay band would usually move to the top pay point.

What annual leave do I get? You can use our NHS Annual Leave Calculator to work out your entitlement. 


NHS Pay Rise

This page has been updated to include the most recent NHS pay settlement.

In the 2023/24 financial year NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts were a 5% consolidated pay rise plus a non-consolidated payment.

Talks for the 2024/25 financial year are expected to begin towards the end of 2023.

You can find the latest news on NHS pay below.