Nurse Salary in the UK: NHS Band 5 Starts at £32,073
Cross-agency · employment
Quick answer
A newly qualified nurse in the NHS is appointed to Band 5, which runs from £32,073 to £39,043 a year on the Agenda for Change scales effective 1 April 2026. Band 6 runs from £39,959 to £48,117. London posts add a high cost area supplement on top.
Every figure on this page is from NHS Employers's own published documents.
Last verified 1 source, listed below
Pay scales for 2026/271. PHGuides is independent and not affiliated with any agency.
NHS pay is set by a national structure, Agenda for Change, not by individual employers. That makes the UK one of the few destinations where a nurse’s pay can be read off a published table before applying.
The scales below are effective 1 April 2026, published by NHS Employers on 12 February 2026, and carry a pay award of 3.3 percent.
The bands a nurse actually lands in
A newly qualified nurse is appointed to Band 5.
| Band | Entry | Mid point | Top |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 5 | £32,073 | £34,592 | £39,043 |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | £42,170 | £48,117 |
| Band 7 | £49,387 | £51,932 | £56,515 |
Progression is by time served, not by negotiation. On Band 5 the entry point holds for 2 years, the mid point for a further 2 years, so the top of the band arrives after 4 years. On Bands 6 and 7 it is 2 years then 3 years, so 5 years to the top.
Band 5 spans £6,970 from entry to top. Moving from the top of Band 5 to the entry of Band 6 is worth £916. Both are arithmetic on the published figures.
The whole structure
| Band | Entry | Top |
|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £25,272 | £25,272 |
| Band 3 | £25,760 | £27,476 |
| Band 4 | £28,392 | £31,157 |
| Band 5 | £32,073 | £39,043 |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | £48,117 |
| Band 7 | £49,387 | £56,515 |
| Band 8a | £57,528 | £64,750 |
| Band 8b | £66,582 | £77,368 |
| Band 8c | £79,504 | £91,609 |
| Band 8d | £94,356 | £108,814 |
| Band 9 | £112,782 | £129,783 |
Band 1 is closed to new entrants and sits at £25,272.
The London supplement
High cost area supplements are paid on top of basic salary, as a percentage with a floor and a ceiling.
| Area | Rate | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner London | 20 percent | £5,794 | £8,746 |
| Outer London | 15 percent | £4,870 | £6,137 |
| Fringe | 5 percent | £1,346 | £2,270 |
For a Band 5 nurse at entry, 20 percent of £32,073 is £6,414.60, which sits between the Inner London floor and ceiling, so that is what the supplement pays. On Outer London, 15 percent is £4,810.95, below the £4,870 minimum, so the minimum applies instead. Those two calculations are arithmetic on the published rates, not figures NHS Employers prints.
What the number is and is not
These are basic annual salaries. They are before Income Tax, National Insurance and pension contributions, and before unsocial hours enhancements or overtime, none of which the pay scales page publishes.
NHS Employers also states that as part of the 2026/27 package the Department of Health and Social Care will begin discussions with unions and employers through the NHS Staff Council on funded improvements to the structure, with priorities including raising pay for the lowest bands and improving pay for graduates. So the shape of the table is itself under negotiation.
Nursing in the UK is regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The pay scales page does not cover registration, English language testing, credential recognition or immigration, and this page does not either. The working in the UK guide covers the statutory minimum wage, which sits well below every nursing band and is the floor for other work.
The Philippine side
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| DMW processing, direct hire | USD 100, in peso equivalent |
| DMW processing, manual OEC through a landbased agency | ₱200.00 |
| OWWA membership | USD 25 |
| Pag-IBIG | ₱600.00 |
Charging above the allowable schedule is illegal recruitment under RA 10022, carrying 12 years and 1 day to 20 years and a fine of ₱1,000,000.00 to ₱2,000,000.00.
The recruitment agencies guide covers the licence directory and the OEC guide covers the exit certificate.
Related
The nurse salary abroad comparison puts the NHS bands beside the other destinations that publish nurse pay, the working in the UK guide covers the wider labour market, the nurse salary in Germany guide covers the other large European destination, which publishes an average rather than a ladder, and the PEOS guide covers the free seminar to take before applying.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a nurse earn in the NHS?
- A newly qualified nurse is appointed to Band 5, which starts at £32,073 and rises to £39,043 a year on the scales effective 1 April 2026. Band 6, typically a senior or specialist nurse, runs from £39,959 to £48,117.
- How long does it take to reach the top of Band 5?
- Four years on the published structure. The entry point of £32,073 holds for 2 years, then the mid point of £34,592 for a further 2 years, then the top of £39,043.
- Is London paid more?
- Yes, through a high cost area supplement on top of basic pay. Inner London is 20 percent of basic salary with a minimum of £5,794 and a maximum of £8,746, Outer London 15 percent with a minimum of £4,870 and a maximum of £6,137, and the fringe 5 percent with a minimum of £1,346 and a maximum of £2,270.
- How much did pay rise this year?
- The 2026/27 Agenda for Change pay award is 3.3 percent, effective 1 April 2026. NHS Employers published the updated scales on 12 February 2026.
- What are the higher bands worth?
- Band 7 runs from £49,387 to £56,515, Band 8a from £57,528 to £64,750, and Band 8b from £66,582 to £77,368. Band 9, the top of the structure, runs from £112,782 to £129,783.
- Are these figures take-home pay?
- No. They are basic annual salaries before Income Tax, National Insurance and pension contributions, and before any unsocial hours enhancement or overtime. The pay scales page publishes basic pay and the area supplements and nothing else.
- Do I need NMC registration?
- Nursing in the UK is regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The NHS pay scales page does not cover registration, English testing or immigration, so this page states none of it.
- Does the Philippine side still apply?
- Yes. You still need an Overseas Employment Certificate, OWWA membership and either a licensed agency or a qualifying direct hire, whatever your UK immigration position is.
More Cross-agency guides
Sources
- NHS Employers | Pay scales for 2026/27, retrieved