NHS Overtime Calculator 2026/27
Extra hours beyond your contracted week are paid at time and a half — double time on bank holidays. Enter your band and your typical overtime hours to see what they are really worth after tax.
NHS overtime rates by band — entry points 2026/27
| Band | Hourly rate | Overtime (time and a half) | Bank holiday (double time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £12.92 | £19.39 | £25.85 |
| Band 3 | £13.17 | £19.76 | £26.35 |
| Band 4 | £14.52 | £21.78 | £29.04 |
| Band 5 | £16.40 | £24.60 | £32.81 |
| Band 6 | £20.44 | £30.65 | £40.87 |
| Band 7 | £25.26 | £37.89 | £50.51 |
Entry points shown, priced from the hourly rates. Part-time staff: hours up to the full-time 37.5 are paid at plain time (with enhancements where they apply) — overtime rates start only beyond 37.5 hours, whichever way your contract is written.
How NHS overtime works
Overtime under Agenda for Change (Section 3) is any hour worked beyond the full-time standard of 37.5 a week. It pays time and a half of your hourly rate for every extra hour, and double time for hours worked on a general public holiday. Only one overtime rate applies to any hour — you do not also add unsocial-hours enhancements to an overtime hour, because Section 2 enhancements are for hours inside your contracted week. At the Band 5 entry point, four overtime hours a week are worth £98.42 a week before deductions — £5,131.68 a year gross, and £3,694.82 a year of it survives as extra take-home after tax and National Insurance at the standard marginal rates.
Two limits catch people out. First, Bands 8a and above are not paid overtime at all — extra hours are repaid as time off in lieu. Second, overtime is not pensionable: however much overtime you work, your NHS Pension contributions (and eventual benefits) are based on your basic pay, plus any pensionable enhancements — a payslip showing a big overtime month will still show the usual pension amount. If you are part-time, your extra hours up to 37.5 a week are paid at plain time first; only hours beyond 37.5 attract the overtime rates above.
Sources: NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook (Sections 2–3); NHS Employers Agenda for Change pay scales 2026/27.
Overtime questions
How is NHS overtime paid?
Hours beyond the full-time week of 37.5 are paid at time and a half of your hourly rate, and hours on a general public holiday at double time. At Band 5 entry that is £24.58 an hour, or £32.77 on a bank holiday. Overtime is taxed like normal pay but is not pensionable.
Which NHS bands get paid overtime?
Bands 1 to 7. Bands 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d and 9 are not paid overtime under Agenda for Change — additional hours at those bands are normally repaid as time off in lieu instead.
Is NHS overtime pensionable?
No. NHS Pension contributions are calculated on your basic pay (plus pensionable enhancements such as unsocial-hours payments inside your contracted week), never on overtime. A month with heavy overtime shows the same pension deduction as a normal month on the same salary.
Do overtime hours also get unsocial-hours enhancements?
No — the two systems cover different hours. Section 2 enhancements apply to unsocial hours inside your contracted 37.5-hour week; hours beyond that are overtime and are paid at time and a half (double time on bank holidays) without a separate enhancement on top.