Band 8a covers matrons, advanced clinical practitioners and senior service managers. The three spine points below are the published April 2026 national rates for England. High-cost area supplements and unsocial hours are not included.
If your gross pay is £64,750 a year, after income tax, National Insurance and this pension contribution your take-home is about £43,955 a year — that’s £3,663 a month, £845 a week.
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £64,750 | £5,396 | £1,245 |
| Income tax | −£10,561 | −£880 | −£203 |
| National Insurance | −£3,306 | −£275 | −£64 |
| Pension contribution | −£6,928 | −£577 | −£133 |
| Take-home pay | £43,955 | £3,663 | £845 |
Effective deduction rate: 32% of gross, leaving 68p in every pound. Marginal rate: 48%, so an extra £100 pay rise or overtime puts about £52 in your pocket.
NHS Pension contributions are tiered by pay, and the tier applies to your whole salary rather than a slice of it. At £64,750 the 2026/27 member rate is 10.7%, which is what the table above deducts — most online calculators apply one flat rate to every band and get this wrong.
Your NHS Pension contribution is taken off your pay before income tax is worked out — what HMRC calls a net pay arrangement. Relief is automatic at your top rate and there is nothing to claim back. So the £6,928 contribution above cuts your tax bill by £2,771, and its real cost to your take-home is £4,157 a year. Calculators that tax your whole salary and then subtract the pension understate your take-home by that £2,771.
Figures based on the NHS Agenda for Change pay rates April 2026 and the NHS Pension member contribution tiers effective 1 April 2026. Actual take-home depends on your exact tax code, Scottish or Welsh rates, student loan plan, and whether you actually pay into the NHS Pension. Sources: Health Careers — Agenda for Change pay rates · NHS Employers — pension contribution tiers
Your actual take-home may differ because of your tax code, student loan, bonus, overtime or whether you opt out of this pension. Put your real numbers into our free salary calculator — nothing is recorded.
Band 8a NHS pay points
Jump straight to another point:
Band 8a – Point 1 · Band 8a – Point 2
Other NHS bands
Band 2 NHS · Band 3 NHS · Band 4 NHS · Band 5 nurse · Band 6 nurse · Band 7 nurse · Band 8b NHS · Band 8c NHS · Band 8d NHS · Band 9 NHS
By profession: Paramedic · Midwife · Physiotherapist · Radiographer · Occupational therapist · Resident doctor — career-path take-home guides
In Scotland: NHS Scotland pays its own rates — see Band 8a take-home in Scotland
More take-home pages
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