NHS Band 6 salary, England 2026/27
Specialist and senior practitioner roles, including most experienced nurses and AHPs.
Minimum
£39,959
Maximum
£48,117
Hourly at entry
£20.44
Hourly at top
£24.61
Band 6 pay scale, England 2026/27
| Step | Years from entry | Annual | Hourly (37.5h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | From day one | £39,959 | £20.44 |
| Intermediate | After 2 years | £42,170 | £21.57 |
| Top | After 5 years | £48,117 | £24.61 |
| Full range | £39,959 to £48,117 | £20.44 to £24.61 | |
England, 2026/27, effective 2026-04-01. Source: Pay scales for 2026/27 — NHS Employers.
About Band 6
Band 6 is the senior practitioner band, recognising specialist experience, post-registration qualifications or team leadership beyond a Band 5 newly qualified role. Senior staff nurses, specialist nurses, senior midwives, advanced paramedics, senior physiotherapists, senior radiographers, specialist dietitians and health visitors are all common Band 6 posts. For many NHS staff, Band 6 is where they spend the bulk of their working life.
What Band 6 staff actually do
A Band 6 specialist nurse runs their own clinic, manages a caseload of patients with a specific condition (diabetes, cardiology, oncology, palliative care, mental health), leads on service development for that specialty and supports more junior staff. A Band 6 senior physiotherapist might lead a particular pathway (musculoskeletal, neuro rehab, paediatrics) and take on the most complex patients on the caseload. A Band 6 senior paramedic provides clinical leadership on shift and acts as a mentor for newly qualified colleagues.
How to get on Band 6
Most Band 6 posts ask for two to five years of post-registration experience plus a specialist qualification or completed continuing professional development portfolio. Some roles require a Masters or postgraduate diploma in a specialist field. Trusts also recruit directly into Band 6 from other Trusts, and a small number of Band 6 roles in shortage specialties are open to newly qualified staff with the right potential.
Moving up from Band 6
From Band 6, progression to Band 7 typically requires either advanced practice qualifications (often a Masters in advanced clinical practice) or moving into a ward manager or team leader role. Some Band 6 staff stay in clinical practice indefinitely. Others move sideways into education, leadership or research. There is no automatic timeline: progression depends on what Band 7 roles come up and whether you compete for them successfully.
Band 6 across the four UK nations
Band 6 sees a noticeable Scotland-England gap, with Scottish Band 6 paying around 7% to 8% more at entry on the 2026/27 scales (£43,231 in Scotland versus £39,959 in England). Welsh Band 6 sits between the English and Scottish rates. Northern Ireland tracks England exactly.
| Nation | Minimum | Maximum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | £39,959 | £48,117 | View pay scale |
| Scotland | £43,231 | £52,679 | View pay scale |
| Wales | £40,559 | £48,841 | View pay scale |
| Northern Ireland | £38,682 | £46,580 | View pay scale |
Example Band 6 roles
Band 6 covers a range of NHS jobs. The roles below are typical of this band.
-
Staff Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Senior Staff Nurse
Band 6
-
Community Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
District Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Practice Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
School Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Health Visitor
Bands 6, 7
-
Theatre Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Recovery Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Emergency Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Intensive Care Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Oncology Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Palliative Care Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Diabetes Specialist Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Mental Health Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Learning Disability Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Midwife
Bands 5, 6
-
Community Midwife
Band 6
-
Specialist Midwife
Bands 6, 7
-
Physiotherapist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Occupational Therapist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Speech and Language Therapist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Dietitian
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Diagnostic Radiographer
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Therapeutic Radiographer
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Sonographer
Bands 6, 7
-
Operating Department Practitioner
Bands 5, 6
-
Paramedic
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Podiatrist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Audiologist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Orthoptist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Art Therapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Music Therapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Pharmacist
Bands 6, 7, 8a, 8b
-
Biomedical Scientist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Cardiac Physiologist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Dental Hygienist
Bands 5, 6
-
Dental Therapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Clinical Coder
Bands 4, 5, 6
-
Estates Officer
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Project Manager
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Chaplain
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Social Worker
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Public Health Practitioner
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Cardiac Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Heart Failure Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Respiratory Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Stroke Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Tissue Viability Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Infection Control Nurse
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Continence Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Pain Management Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Endoscopy Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Urology Specialist Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Breast Care Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Stoma Nurse Specialist
Bands 6, 7
-
Epilepsy Nurse Specialist
Bands 6, 7
-
Multiple Sclerosis Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Parkinson's Nurse Specialist
Bands 6, 7
-
Dementia Care Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Macmillan Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Renal Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Sexual Health Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
IV Therapy Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
CAMHS Practitioner
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Forensic Mental Health Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Eating Disorder Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Diabetes Educator
Bands 6, 7
-
Rheumatology Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
HIV Specialist Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Safeguarding Nurse
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Community Psychiatric Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
MSK Physiotherapist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Neurological Physiotherapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Respiratory Physiotherapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Paediatric Physiotherapist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Hand Therapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Mental Health Occupational Therapist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Paediatric Occupational Therapist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Dysphagia Specialist
Bands 6, 7
-
MRI Radiographer
Bands 6, 7
-
CT Radiographer
Bands 6, 7
-
Mammographer
Bands 6, 7
-
Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Bands 6, 7
-
Haematology Biomedical Scientist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Clinical Biochemistry Scientist
Bands 5, 6, 7, 8a
-
Microbiology Biomedical Scientist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Blood Transfusion Scientist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Cytology Screener
Band 6
-
Genetic Technologist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Embryologist
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Echocardiographer
Bands 6, 7
-
Neurophysiology Technologist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Sleep Physiologist
Bands 6, 7
-
IAPT Therapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Drama Therapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Substance Misuse Worker
Bands 4, 5, 6
-
Discharge Coordinator
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Bed Manager
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Sexual Health Advisor
Bands 5, 6
-
Data Analyst
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Health Informatics Specialist
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Patient Experience Officer
Bands 5, 6
-
Complaints Officer
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Communications Officer
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Volunteer Coordinator
Bands 4, 5, 6
-
Finance Officer
Bands 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
-
Procurement Officer
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Health Records Manager
Bands 4, 5, 6
-
EHR Trainer
Bands 5, 6
-
Workforce Planner
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Care Coordinator
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Health Promotion Specialist
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Occupational Health Nurse
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Research Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
School Health Advisor
Band 6
-
Hearing Aid Dispenser
Bands 5, 6
-
Respiratory Physiologist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Vascular Technologist
Bands 6, 7
-
Paediatric Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Neonatal Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Hospital Play Specialist
Bands 5, 6
-
School Counsellor
Bands 5, 6
-
Acute Medical Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Surgical Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Orthopaedic Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Burns Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Hospice Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Vascular Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Bowel Screening Practitioner
Bands 6, 7
-
Cervical Screening Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Lymphoedema Nurse Specialist
Bands 6, 7
-
Pre-assessment Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Day Surgery Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Outpatient Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Triage Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Frailty Nurse Specialist
Bands 6, 7
-
Anticoagulation Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Menopause Specialist Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
COPD Specialist Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Travel Health Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Haemophilia Nurse Specialist
Bands 6, 7
-
Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Cardiac Rehab Physiotherapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Stroke Occupational Therapist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Burns Occupational Therapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Older People's Occupational Therapist
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Clinical Photographer
Bands 5, 6
-
Medical Illustrator
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Lung Function Technician
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Pharmacy Team Leader
Bands 5, 6
-
Systems Administrator
Bands 6, 7
-
Internal Audit Officer
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Equality and Diversity Officer
Bands 6, 7
-
Press Officer
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Fundraising Officer
Bands 4, 5, 6
-
Apprenticeship Coordinator
Bands 5, 6
-
Trade Union Representative
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
NHS Librarian
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Trainee Clinical Scientist
Band 6
-
Orthodontic Therapist
Bands 6, 7
-
Trainee Physician Associate
Band 6
-
Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist
Bands 6, 7
-
Lung Cancer Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Colorectal Nurse Specialist
Bands 6, 7
-
Gynaecology Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Plastic Surgery Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
ENT Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Ophthalmic Nurse
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Nephrology Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Dialysis Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Critical Care Outreach Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Theatre Practitioner
Bands 5, 6
-
Anaesthetic Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Drug and Alcohol Nurse
Bands 5, 6
-
Psychiatric Liaison Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Crisis Team Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Dental Technician
Bands 4, 5, 6
-
Cancer Pathway Coordinator
Bands 5, 6
-
Ward Sister
Bands 6, 7
-
Charge Nurse
Bands 6, 7
-
Dosimetrist
Bands 6, 7
-
Clinical Engineer
Bands 6, 7, 8a
-
Biomedical Engineer
Bands 5, 6, 7
-
Medical Photographer
Bands 5, 6
-
Clinical Systems Analyst
Bands 6, 7
-
EPR Trainer
Bands 5, 6
-
Infection Prevention Practitioner
Bands 6, 7
-
Health and Safety Officer
Bands 5, 6
-
Fire Safety Officer
Bands 5, 6
Band 6 pay over time
Band 6 pay rose from £38,682 to £39,959 at entry between 2025/26 and 2026/27, a 3.3% change. Top of band moved from £46,580 to £48,117.
Band 6 common questions
- How long does it usually take to get from Band 5 to Band 6?
- Most nurses move to Band 6 within 5 to 10 years post-qualification, though it varies a lot by specialty. Some shortage specialties like community midwifery, mental health and specialist nursing recruit at Band 6 with less experience because they need to fill posts. Other specialties like cardiology and oncology have fewer Band 6 vacancies, so the wait is longer.
- What's a Band 6 nurse called?
- There's no single title. Common Band 6 nursing job titles include senior staff nurse, specialist nurse, clinical nurse specialist, community staff nurse, district nurse, and practice development nurse. The title depends on the role, the specialty and the Trust's local naming conventions.
- What's the difference between Band 6 and Band 5 pay?
- On the 2026/27 England scale, Band 5 entry is £32,073 and Band 6 entry is £39,959, a gap of £7,886 at entry. At the top step the gap is £9,074. The Band 6 progression takes five years total (two years to the intermediate step, then three more to the top).
- Can I be a Band 6 nurse without going to university for a Masters?
- Yes. Many Band 6 roles do not require a Masters, just relevant post-registration experience, completed competencies in the specialty, and ongoing CPD. Where a Masters is required (advanced practice, some consultant nurse roles), the Trust will often fund it through a Master's level apprenticeship or a study budget.