NHS Hourly Rate Calculator 2026/27
Turn any NHS salary into its hourly rate — and see what Saturdays, nights, Sundays and bank holidays pay on top. Pick your band and pay point, and the NHS hourly rate calculator does the rest.
NHS hourly rate by band — entry points 2026/27
| Band | Annual salary | Hourly rate | Saturday / night | Sunday / bank holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £25,272 | £12.92 | £18.22 | £23.65 |
| Band 3 | £25,760 | £13.17 | £17.78 | £22.26 |
| Band 4 | £28,392 | £14.52 | £18.88 | £23.23 |
| Band 5 | £32,073 | £16.40 | £21.32 | £26.24 |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | £20.44 | £26.57 | £32.70 |
| Band 7 | £49,387 | £25.26 | £32.83 | £40.41 |
| Band 8a | £57,528 | £29.42 | — | — |
| Band 8b | £66,582 | £34.05 | — | — |
| Band 8c | £79,504 | £40.66 | — | — |
| Band 8d | £94,356 | £48.26 | — | — |
| Band 9 | £112,782 | £57.68 | — | — |
Entry points shown. Bands 8a–9 are marked “—” for enhancements because paid unsocial-hours enhancements apply at Bands 1–9, though senior staff are normally repaid with time off in lieu under local arrangements. The full scale for every point is on the NHS pay scales page.
How the NHS hourly rate is worked out
Agenda for Change salaries are annual figures, so the hourly rate is a conversion: annual salary × 7 ÷ 365 ÷ your weekly hours (37.5 for full-time staff). Band 5 entry, for example: £32,073 × 7 ÷ 365 ÷ 37.5 = £16.40 an hour. Payroll systems use the same conversion to price everything that is paid by the hour — enhancements, overtime and bank shifts all start from this rate.
Part-time staff have the same hourly rate. Working fewer hours pro-rates your salary, not your rate: a Band 5 nurse on 22.5 hours earns the same £16.40 an hour as a full-time colleague, on a salary of £19,243.80. What changes with hours is the weekly and monthly totals, which the calculator shows for your pattern. Bank shifts are paid from the same hourly rates — your substantive band’s rate plus the relevant enhancement for the shift’s unsocial hours — which is why booking a Sunday bank shift pays noticeably more per hour than a weekday one.
Sources: NHS Employers Agenda for Change pay scales 2026/27; NHS Employers unsocial hours payments (Section 2).
Hourly rate questions
How is the NHS hourly rate worked out?
Multiply the annual salary by 7, divide by 365, then by your weekly contracted hours — 37.5 for full-time. Band 5 entry (£32,073) works out at £16.40 an hour. Every hourly payment in the NHS — enhancements, overtime, bank shifts — is priced from this rate.
Does my hourly rate change if I work part-time?
No. Part-time hours pro-rate your salary, not your hourly rate — a part-time Band 5 on 22.5 hours a week earns the same £16.40 an hour as a full-time colleague, on a smaller annual salary. Only the weekly and monthly totals change.
What is the hourly rate for a Band 5 nurse?
£16.40 an hour at the entry point (£32,073), rising to £19.97 an hour at the top point (£39,043) in 2026/27. Unsocial hours pay more on top: £21.32 an hour for Saturdays and nights, £26.24 for Sundays and bank holidays at the entry point.
Do NHS hourly rates include enhancements?
No — the hourly rate is basic pay only. Enhancements for unsocial hours are added per hour on top, at your band’s Section 2 rate: +41% (Band 2), +35% (Band 3) or +30% (Bands 4–9) for Saturdays and nights, and +83%, +69% or +60% for Sundays and bank holidays.