NHS Nurse Salary 2026: Band 5, Band 6 & Band 7 take-home pay after pension

NHS Agenda for Change pay scales determine the earnings of hundreds of thousands of nurses across the UK. However, because NHS Pension contribution tiers range from 7.7% to 10.7%, many nurses are surprised by their net monthly payslip. Here is the complete, official 2026/27 net salary breakdown for **NHS Nurse Bands 5, 6, and 7**.

1. The NHS Pension Contribution Tiers (2026/27)

The NHS Pension scheme is a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme. Contributions are tiered based on your full-time equivalent earnings:

• Up to £25,147: 5.2%
• £25,148 to £31,230: 7.7%
• £31,231 to £47,845: 9.8%
• £47,846 to £56,000: 10.7%

2. Summary

While the NHS Pension tier reduces monthly cash retention, it provides a generous, inflation-linked pension backed by the UK government upon retirement.