NHS overtime and unsocial hours pay
NHS staff are paid time and a half for overtime (Bands 1 to 7) and an unsocial hours enhancement for shifts on nights, weekends and bank holidays. The two payments layer on top of each other. This page shows the cash impact for each band on the 2026/27 pay scale.
Enhanced hourly rates by band, 2026/27
The table below shows what you actually earn per hour at each band at the entry pay point, broken down by shift type. Add together the relevant enhancement and the basic rate to see your effective hourly rate.
| Band | Basic (daytime weekday) | Weekday night and Saturday | Sunday and bank holiday | Overtime (1.5x) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £12.92 | £18.22 | £23.65 | £19.39 |
| Band 3 | £13.17 | £17.78 | £22.26 | £19.76 |
| Band 5 | £16.40 | £21.32 | £26.24 | £24.60 |
| Band 6 | £20.44 | £26.57 | £32.70 | £30.65 |
| Band 7 | £25.26 | £32.83 | £40.41 | £37.89 |
Figures use the entry step for each band. Top step rates are higher. Band 1 is closed to new entrants but the percentages are shown for reference for legacy staff.
How a real ward nurse roster pays
A typical Band 5 ward nurse roster might include one weekend in three and one set of nights in four. Over a year, that adds roughly 25 weekend day shifts, 25 weekend night shifts and 50 weekday night shifts on top of regular weekday day shifts.
At Band 5 entry (£16.41 an hour basic on the 2026/27 scale), each 12 hour Saturday day shift earns roughly £245 gross. Each Saturday night shift earns roughly £245 (same Section 2 enhancement covers both nights and Saturdays). Each Sunday shift earns roughly £302 gross. The annual uplift from unsocial hours for this roster pattern is around £8,000 gross on top of the £32,073 basic salary, which is roughly 25% extra.
Unsocial hours pay is pensionable, so your pension contributions are calculated on the higher figure. It's also fully taxable, so the take-home impact is around 70% of the gross uplift after tax, NI and pension.
Stacking overtime and unsocial hours
When you work an overtime shift that also happens to fall on a weekend or night, both payments apply. The maths is straightforward: take the basic rate, multiply by the overtime rate (1.5 for Bands 1 to 7), then multiply by the Section 2 enhancement for the type of shift. A Band 5 nurse doing a Sunday overtime shift earns 1.5 x 1.60 = 2.4x their basic hourly rate.
Bank holidays count as Sundays for Section 2 purposes, so Christmas Day and New Year's Day overtime is among the highest-paid hours an NHS worker can do. A Band 5 nurse on Christmas Day overtime earns roughly £39 an hour, or £450 for a 12 hour shift. Both pension and tax apply normally, so the net figure is around £315.
See the unsocial hours pay page for the full Section 2 rate table and the rules around shift boundaries.
Common questions
- What's the difference between unsocial hours pay and overtime?
- Unsocial hours pay (Section 2 enhancement) is a percentage uplift on your basic hourly rate for shifts that fall on weekday nights, Saturdays, Sundays or bank holidays. It applies whether the shift is part of your normal contracted hours or extra. Overtime is hours worked above your contracted weekly hours, regardless of when they fall. The two layer on top of each other: an overtime shift on a Sunday gets both the overtime rate and the Sunday Section 2 enhancement.
- Do all NHS staff get overtime pay at time and a half?
- Bands 1 to 7 get overtime at time and a half (1.5x basic hourly rate) for hours worked above 37.5 a week. Band 8 and 9 staff are paid overtime at plain time only, reflecting the more senior nature of the role. Some Trusts use time off in lieu (TOIL) instead of cash overtime for Band 8 and 9 staff.
- How much does a Band 5 nurse earn for a Saturday night shift?
- On the 2026/27 England pay scale, Band 5 entry is £16.41 an hour at basic. A Saturday shift attracts the 30% Section 2 enhancement (Bands 4 to 9), making the effective rate £21.33 an hour. A 12 hour Saturday shift (with 11.5 paid hours after the unpaid break) earns roughly £245 gross. The same shift at the top step of Band 5 (£39,043 a year) works out to around £298 gross.
- Do unsocial hours and overtime payments get pensioned?
- Unsocial hours pay is pensionable: it counts as part of your pensionable pay for the NHS Pension Scheme, and your contribution is calculated on the higher amount. Overtime is not pensionable: it's paid separately and doesn't add to your pension. If you're working regular extra shifts to boost income, the unsocial hours portion of the pay is contributing to your retirement but the overtime element isn't.
- How does bank work compare to overtime for extra income?
- NHS Bank work is hours worked outside your substantive contract through the Trust's internal staff bank, paid at a single Bank rate which often combines the basic plus a standard enhancement. Bank pay is usually slightly higher per hour than overtime, but doesn't accrue pension and doesn't count towards continuous service or annual leave entitlement. Most NHS staff prefer bank work for occasional extra income and overtime for regular extra hours, because overtime keeps you within your substantive contract benefits.