Band 6 includes specialist nurses, paramedics, midwives entering the register, podiatrists, dietitians and senior allied health professionals. 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 £42,170 a year, after income tax, National Insurance and this pension contribution your take-home is about £30,576 a year — that’s £2,548 a month, £588 a week.
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £42,170 | £3,514 | £811 |
| Income tax | −£5,093 | −£424 | −£98 |
| National Insurance | −£2,368 | −£197 | −£46 |
| Pension contribution | −£4,133 | −£344 | −£79 |
| Take-home pay | £30,576 | £2,548 | £588 |
Effective deduction rate: 27% of gross, leaving 73p in every pound. Marginal rate: 36%, so an extra £100 pay rise or overtime puts about £64 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 £42,170 the 2026/27 member rate is 9.8%, 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 £4,133 contribution above cuts your tax bill by £827, and its real cost to your take-home is £3,306 a year. Calculators that tax your whole salary and then subtract the pension understate your take-home by that £827.
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 6 NHS pay points
Jump straight to another point:
Band 6 – Point 1 · Band 6 – Point 3
Other NHS bands
Band 2 NHS · Band 3 NHS · Band 4 NHS · Band 5 nurse · Band 7 nurse · Band 8a NHS · 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 6 take-home in Scotland
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