NHS Scotland pay scales 2026/27

Agenda for Change pay scales Scotland: band ranges

These are full-time annual salaries. They come from Scottish Government circular PCS(AFC)2026/1, dated 23 January 2026.

The two-year NHS Scotland pay deal

The deal covers 2025/26 and 2026/27. It was first set out in circular PCS(AFC)2025/5 on 19 May 2025.

• 2025/26: 4.25% from 1 April 2025 in the original deal.
• Inflation guarantee: the rise had to be at least 1 percentage point above average CPI. Average CPI for 2025 was 3.4%, so the guarantee applied.
• Revised 2025/26 rise: PCS(AFC)2026/1 raised it to 4.4%. The new rates were paid in February 2026 salaries, with most arrears in March 2026.
• 2026/27: 3.75% from 1 April 2026, added to the revised 2025/26 rates.

Under the original 4.25%, Band 1 would have been £25,560 in 2025/26. The revised rate is £25,597. Over the two years, Band 5 entry has risen from £31,892 in 2024/25 to £34,544.

NHS Scotland pay 2025/26 vs 2026/27

Could 2026/27 pay change again

Possibly. The second year carries its own inflation guarantee. The 3.75% must be at least 1 percentage point above average CPI for calendar 2026.

That CPI figure is not known until early 2027. Any top-up would come as a one-off consolidated payment in March 2027.

The 36-hour week from 1 April 2026

Full-time NHS Scotland staff moved to a 36-hour week on 1 April 2026. Annual salaries stayed the same, so there was no loss of earnings.

The standard week fell from 37.5 to 37 hours on 1 April 2024. The move to 36 hours was set out in PCS(AFC)2025/8 in December 2025. PCS(AFC)2026/2 made the handbook changes on 1 April 2026. The hours exclude meal breaks.

NHS Scotland hourly rates

Hourly rates for 2026/27 are based on a 36-hour week. The 2025/26 rates used 37 hours. Because the same salary now covers fewer hours, hourly pay rose by more than 3.75%.

How pay points work in Scotland

Each band in NHS Scotland has 1 to 3 pay points. You start on point 1. Annex C of PCS(AFC)2026/1 sets out the point you hold in each year in the band.

• Band 1: one point, so no steps.
• Bands 2 and 3: point 1 in years 1 and 2, then point 2 from year 3.
• Band 4: point 1 in years 1 to 3, then point 2 from year 4.
• Band 5: point 1 for two years, point 2 for two years, then point 3 from year 5.
• Bands 6 and 7: point 1 for two years, point 2 for three, then point 3 from year 6.
• Bands 8a to 9: point 1 in years 1 to 5, then point 2 from year 6.

Band 5 salary Scotland

A Band 5 post pays £34,544 at entry from 1 April 2026. Point 2 pays £36,911 and point 3 pays £43,039.

On the 36-hour week those points are £18.40, £19.66 and £22.93 an hour. In 2025/26 the same three points paid £33,295, £35,576 and £41,483.

NHS Scotland Band 6 salary

Band 6 pays £43,231 at entry, £45,135 at point 2 and £52,679 at point 3. That is £23.03 to £28.06 an hour.

Band 6 entry sits just above the top of Band 5. The 2025/26 Band 6 range was £41,668 to £50,775.

Bands 1 to 4

Band 1 has a single rate of £26,557. Bands 2, 3 and 4 each have two points. They run from £26,696 at Band 2 entry to £34,303 at the top of Band 4.

The top of Band 4 sits just below Band 5 entry, at £34,544. Hourly rates for Bands 1 to 4 run from £14.15 to £18.27.

Band 7 and senior bands

Band 7 pays £52,845, £54,863 and £61,466 across its three points. That is £28.15 to £32.74 an hour.

Bands 8a to 8d each have two points. Band 8a starts at £65,125, and Band 8d tops out at £112,426. Band 9 pays £127,521 to £133,044.

Nurse salary Scotland

Nurses in NHS Scotland are paid on these Agenda for Change bands. Pay depends on the band of the post. Find the band in the job details, then read across the table above for the salary and points.

Take-home pay examples

These examples use 2026/27 Scottish income tax and National Insurance with a standard tax code. They are before pension, because NHS Scotland pension rates are not covered here. Pension contributions will lower the figures.

How the Band 5 entry figures are worked out

• Taxable pay is £34,544 minus the £12,570 personal allowance, which is £21,974.
• Starter rate: 19% on £3,967 is £753.73.
• Basic rate: 20% on £12,989 is £2,597.80.
• Intermediate rate: 21% on £5,018 is £1,053.78.
• Income tax totals £4,405.31.
• National Insurance is 8% on £21,974, which is £1,757.92.

How the Band 6 top figures are worked out

• Taxable pay is £52,679 minus £12,570, which is £40,109.
• Starter, basic and intermediate rates take £753.73, £2,597.80 and £2,968.56.
• Higher rate: 42% on £9,017 is £3,787.14.
• Income tax totals £10,107.23.
• National Insurance is 8% on £37,700 plus 2% on £2,409, which is £3,064.18.

With a Plan 4 student loan, Band 5 entry repays about £67 a year. Band 6 top repays about £1,700 a year, leaving about £3,151 a month.

Quick answers

How much is Band 5 in NHS Scotland in 2026/27?

Band 5 pays £34,544 at entry, £36,911 at point 2 and £43,039 at point 3 from 1 April 2026. That is £18.40 to £22.93 an hour on a 36-hour week.

What is the NHS Scotland Band 6 salary for 2026/27?

Band 6 pays £43,231 to £52,679 from 1 April 2026, over three points. The middle point is £45,135.

What was the NHS Scotland pay rise for 2025/26?

It was 4.4%. The deal first gave 4.25%, but the inflation guarantee lifted it. The revised rates were paid in February 2026, with most arrears in March 2026.

What is the NHS Scotland pay rise for 2026/27?

It is 3.75% from 1 April 2026, on top of the revised 2025/26 rates. An inflation guarantee for 2026 could add a one-off payment in March 2027.

Did the 36-hour week cut NHS Scotland pay?

No. Annual salaries stayed the same and hourly rates rose. Band 5 entry went from £17.26 to £18.40 an hour.

How long does it take to reach the top of Band 5 in Scotland?

You hold point 1 in years 1 and 2 and point 2 in years 3 and 4. Point 3, £43,039 in 2026/27, applies from year 5.

What is the take-home pay for Band 5 in NHS Scotland?

At Band 5 entry (£34,544), take-home is about £2,365 a month before pension, with a standard tax code. Pension contributions will reduce this.