Understanding NHS Pay: Hours, Bands and the Salary Calculator

When you’re looking at NHS jobs, one of the first things you’ll encounter is the pay band system. Each band has several pay steps, and each step has a set annual salary and an equivalent hourly rate. But to make sense of these numbers – especially if you’re comparing part-time roles or trying to work out your take-home pay – you need to understand the hours assumption behind them. That’s where an NHS salary calculator becomes essential.

Full-Time Hours Assumption

The NHS defines full-time as 37.5 hours per week for Agenda for Change staff. All published annual salaries in the pay scales assume this weekly commitment. To convert an hourly rate to an annual salary, you multiply by 37.5 and then by 52 weeks. For example, the 2026/27 Band 5 entry step has an hourly rate of £19.68, which gives an annual figure of £19.68 × 37.5 × 52 = £38,376 – very close to the official £38,488 (the small difference comes from rounding in the published scales).

Conversely, if you know the annual salary, you can find the hourly rate by dividing by (37.5 × 52). The NHS Employers pay scales for 2026/27, effective from 1 April 2026, list both annual and hourly values for every band and step, making it straightforward to check.

Part-Time and Pro-Rata Pay

Many NHS staff work part-time. Your pay is then a proportion of the full-time salary for your band and step, based on your contracted hours. For instance, a Band 6 entry full-time salary is £47,951 (hourly £24.52). If you work 30 hours per week, your annual salary would be £47,951 × (30 ÷ 37.5) = £38,360.80. Your hourly rate stays the same – it’s the number of hours that changes.

An NHS salary calculator should let you input your actual contracted hours to see the correct annual and monthly figures. This is especially useful when comparing job offers or planning a change in hours.

London Weighting (High Cost Area Supplement)

NHS staff in and around London receive a High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS), a pensionable top-up calculated as a percentage of basic salary. For inner London, it’s 20% of basic salary, subject to a minimum of £5,794 and a maximum of £8,746 per year (2026/27 rates). For outer London, it’s 5%, with a minimum of £1,346 and a maximum of £2,270. The supplement is added to your basic pay before tax and National Insurance. When using a salary calculator, you should include this supplement to get an accurate gross figure.

How NHS Pay Compares to UK Benchmarks

To put NHS salaries in context, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) for 2025 reported median full-time weekly earnings of £766.60, median hourly pay (excluding overtime) of £19.67, and median gross annual earnings of £39,039. The National Living Wage for employees aged 21 and over was £12.21 per hour in April 2025.

NHS Band 5 entry at £19.68 per hour sits slightly above the UK median hourly rate, while Band 2 entry at £15.89 per hour is above the National Living Wage but below the median. This helps job seekers see where NHS roles fit in the wider labour market.

Using the NHS Salary Calculator on This Site

Our Hourly to Salary tool allows you to convert between hourly and annual pay using any hours-per-week assumption. For NHS staff, we recommend selecting 37.5 hours for full-time comparisons. You can also enter part-time hours to see the pro-rata annual amount. If you know your band and step, you can check the rates from the NHS Employers 2026/27 scales and input them directly.

Remember that the calculator gives gross figures. Your actual take-home pay will be lower after deductions for income tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions (most NHS staff are in the 2015 Scheme). Overtime and unsocial hours payments are separate – bands 8a and above are not entitled to overtime under Agenda for Change terms, as noted by the NHS Pay Calculator resource.

Caveats and Important Notes

• Annual salaries in NHS pay scales assume no unpaid overtime or absence. If you work additional hours, your total earnings may be higher.
• Part-time staff may have different holiday entitlement calculations; the calculator assumes standard leave.
• London weighting is pensionable and should be included in gross pay calculations.
• The National Living Wage for 2026/27 had not been confirmed at the time of writing; the 2025 rate of £12.21 is used for context.
• Always check your contract and the official GOV.UK guidance for the most up-to-date rates.

For more salary comparisons and data, visit our salary articles or explore the salary data page for UK benchmarks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert my NHS hourly rate to an annual salary?

For NHS full-time staff (37.5 hours/week), multiply your hourly rate by 37.5 and then by 52 weeks. For example, a Band 5 entry hourly rate of £19.68 gives an annual salary of £19.68 × 37.5 × 52 = £38,376 (close to the published £38,488 due to rounding). If you work part-time, multiply the full-time annual salary by your contracted hours divided by 37.5. The NHS salary calculator on this site does this automatically.

What is the difference between full-time and part-time NHS pay?

Full-time NHS staff are contracted for 37.5 hours per week and receive the full annual salary for their band and step. Part-time staff are paid a pro-rata proportion of that salary based on their contracted hours. For example, a Band 6 entry full-time salary is £47,951; working 30 hours/week gives £47,951 × (30/37.5) = £38,360.80. The hourly rate remains the same regardless of hours, but annual and monthly pay differ.

Does the NHS salary calculator include London weighting?

Yes, the calculator can account for the High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS). For inner London, HCAS is 20% of basic salary (capped between £5,794 and £8,746 per year for 2026/27); for outer London it is 5% (capped between £1,346 and £2,270). You should select your region or enter the supplement amount to get an accurate gross annual figure. The supplement is pensionable and added to your basic pay.