NHS Band 6 pay 2025/26
Band 6 salaries in England for 2025/26 ran from £38,682 at entry to £46,580 at the top step. Pay rose 3.6% versus 2024/25 pay scales. Backdated to 2025-04-01.
Band 6 pay scale, 2025/26
| Step | Years from entry | Annual | Hourly (37.5h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | From day one | £38,682 | £19.78 |
| Intermediate | After 2 years | £40,823 | £20.88 |
| Top | After 5 years | £46,580 | £23.82 |
| Full range | £38,682 to £46,580 | £19.78 to £23.82 | |
England, 2025/26, effective 2025-04-01. Source: Pay scales for 2025/26 — NHS Employers.
All Agenda for Change pay scales for 2025/26 were backdated to 1 April 2025. Salaries are subject to UK income tax, Class 1 National Insurance and NHS pension contributions. Use the take-home calculator for a personalised estimate.
The 2025/26 NHS pay deal in context
The 2025/26 pay round delivered a 3.6% consolidated uplift across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland's multi-year deal applied 4.4% to its 2024/25 figures after its inflation guarantee was triggered.
The NHS Pay Review Body recommended 3.6% in its 38th report. The UK Government accepted the recommendation, with NHS Employers publishing the new pay scales on 22 May 2025 and the uplift backdated to 1 April 2025. Wales and Northern Ireland adopted the same percentage. Scotland's 4.25% deal-implied figure for 2025/26 was lifted to 4.4% in early 2026 when CPI inflation was confirmed at 3.4%, triggering the inflation guarantee in the Scottish multi-year settlement.
Every pay point moved up by 3.6% in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland by 4.4%. The pay scale structure (number of steps, progression years) was unchanged from 2024/25. The new intermediate steps for Bands 8a through 9 introduced in 2024/25 remained, giving senior staff an explicit progression point rather than the previous single-step structure.
Year-on-year change for Band 6
Compared with 2024/25, Band 6 entry pay rose by £1,344 (3.6%) . Top-of-band pay rose by £1,618 (3.6%). The following year, 2026/27, Band 6 entry pay moved to £39,959.
- Previous year entry
- £37,338
- This year entry
- £38,682
2024/25
+ 3.6% vs previous year
Union response to the 2025/26 deal
The 2025/26 deal was accepted without industrial action across the four nations. Most union ballots showed members reluctantly accepting the offer rather than backing strike action, which contrasted with the strike-heavy 2022 and 2023 rounds. The settlement was helped by a stronger headline figure than the previous several years and the addition of intermediate pay points for Bands 8a-9 in 2024/25, which had improved pay progression for senior staff.
Common questions about Band 6 pay in 2025/26
- How much did Band 6 pay increase in 2025/26?
- Band 6 entry pay in England rose from £37,338 to £38,682 (3.6%). Top-of-band pay rose from £44,962 to £46,580 (3.6%).
- When was the 2025/26 Band 6 pay rise paid?
- The new Band 6 rates were backdated to 2025-04-01. In most NHS Trusts the uplift first showed in the payslip a few months later, with arrears for the backdated period paid alongside the first new monthly rate.
- What is the hourly rate for Band 6 in 2025/26?
- Based on a 37.5-hour standard NHS week, Band 6 entry pay of £38,682 works out at £19.78 per hour. Top-of-band pay of £46,580 works out at £23.82 per hour.
- When was the 2025/26 NHS pay rise paid?
- England, Wales and Northern Ireland staff saw the new rate in their June or July 2025 payslip with arrears back to 1 April. Scotland's 4.4% revision was paid out in February and March 2026 after the inflation guarantee was triggered, with arrears back to 1 April 2025.
- How much was the 2025/26 uplift in cash?
- A Band 5 newly qualified nurse saw entry pay rise from £29,970 to £31,049, a £1,079 annual increase. A Band 6 specialist nurse went from £37,338 to £38,682, up £1,344. A Band 7 ward manager at the top step moved from £52,809 to £54,710, a £1,901 increase.
- Was the 2025/26 deal accepted by unions?
- Yes, all major NHS unions accepted the 2025/26 settlement without industrial action. The RCN, Unison, Unite and others ran consultative ballots; while many members described the offer as below what they felt they deserved, the majority view was to accept rather than strike.