Band 5 covers staff nurses, physiotherapists, radiographers, occupational therapists and many other registered 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 £34,592 a year, after income tax, National Insurance and this pension contribution your take-home is about £26,129 a year — that’s £2,177 a month, £502 a week.
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £34,592 | £2,883 | £665 |
| Income tax | −£3,830 | −£319 | −£74 |
| National Insurance | −£1,762 | −£147 | −£34 |
| Pension contribution | −£2,871 | −£239 | −£55 |
| Take-home pay | £26,129 | £2,177 | £502 |
Effective deduction rate: 24% of gross, leaving 76p in every pound. Marginal rate: 35%, so an extra £100 pay rise or overtime puts about £65 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 £34,592 the 2026/27 member rate is 8.3%, 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 £2,871 contribution above cuts your tax bill by £574, and its real cost to your take-home is £2,297 a year. Calculators that tax your whole salary and then subtract the pension understate your take-home by that £574.
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 5 NHS pay points
Jump straight to another point:
Band 5 – Point 1 · Band 5 – Point 3
Other NHS bands
Band 2 NHS · Band 3 NHS · Band 4 NHS · Band 6 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 5 take-home in Scotland
More take-home pages
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