NHS take-home pay calculator
Compare two weekly working patterns using England’s 2026/27 Agenda for Change basic salaries.
England · Agenda for Change · 2026/27
Change the band or hours to update your comparison.
Excludes enhancements, London allowances, loans and other deductions. Doctors’ contracts and payroll outside England need a different calculation.
Band 5 · Entry step · Pension contributions included
Current: 37.5 hours
£2,040.25
Estimated take-home / month
Comparison: 30 hours
£1,721.65
Estimated take-home / month
Working 30 hours instead of 37.5 means an estimated £318.60 less take-home each month.
The pay-step amounts are full-time annual salaries. Match the step on your contract or ask payroll if unsure; progression is not automatic. Full-time is modelled as 37.5 hours. Inputs stay in this page’s memory and are not added to URLs or saved. Membership changes affect benefits beyond take-home pay; this tool does not recommend opting out.
Calculation assumptions
England basic pay for a full, steady tax year; standard Personal Allowance including taper, monthly pay, category A employee NI and ordinary net-pay pension contributions. Excludes salary sacrifice, other income, special tax codes and mid-year changes, as well as the extras listed above. Check payroll for an individual payslip.
Assumptions: full steady tax year, standard Personal Allowance including taper, monthly category A NI and net-pay pension contributions. Excludes enhancements, HCAS, loans, other deductions/income, salary sacrifice, special tax codes and mid-year changes.
England Agenda for Change · 2026/27 · Band 5, step 1 of 3 · Full-time salary £32,073.00 · Current 37.5 hours/week; comparison 30 hours/week · NHS pension membership: included in both scenarios.
Average monthly comparison
Steady-year estimates, not exact payslips. Income tax is annual liability divided by 12; monthly NI uses payroll thresholds. Payroll rounding and cumulative tax can differ.
| Component | Current | Comparison | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £2,672.75 | £2,138.20 | -£534.55 |
| Pension contribution | £221.84 | £138.98 | -£82.86 |
| Income tax | £280.68 | £190.34 | -£90.34 |
| Employee NI | £129.98 | £87.22 | -£42.76 |
| Take-home | £2,040.25 | £1,721.65 | -£318.60 |
Pension rates apply to the whole pensionable salary, so a change in hours can change the contribution percentage. Ordinary pension deductions reduce taxable pay, but do not reduce NI pay. Contributions buy scheme benefits, not a personal investment pot.
Sources and pension context
Checked 12 September 2026: NHS Employers pay scales, NHSBSA contribution tiers and HMRC payroll thresholds. Basic salaries and pension tiers apply from 1 April 2026; tax/NI year runs from 6 April.
For retirement benefits rather than current salary, use the NHS pension calculator and its separate scheme assumptions. Our public-sector pension guide explains the benefit types.