Band 6 pay in England, 2026/27
Specialist and senior practitioner roles, including most experienced nurses and AHPs.
- Minimum
- £39,959
- Maximum
- £48,117
- Hourly at top
- £24.61
- Years to top
- 5
| 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.
Band 6 in England, what the role involves
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.
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 NHS pay is set in England
England has the largest NHS workforce of the four UK nations and sets the reference pay scale for the Agenda for Change framework. Pay is negotiated by NHS Employers on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, following the recommendation of the independent NHS Pay Review Body. Wales and Northern Ireland usually adopt the same recommendation; Scotland negotiates separately and consistently pays more.
Each year, NHS Employers and the trade unions submit detailed evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body. The Review Body hears the evidence, decides on a recommended uplift, and submits its report to the UK Government in the spring. The government then accepts, modifies or rejects the recommendation. The agreed uplift is published as a Pay Advisory Notice on the NHS Employers website and applied to the AfC scale with effect from 1 April, normally backdated by a month or two so staff see arrears alongside their first new monthly payslip.
How Band 6 pay in England compares to other UK nations
At the top of Band 6 in England, staff earn £48,117 per year for 2026/27. Scotland pays Band 6 more at the top of band: £52,679, a difference of £4,562 per year (9.5% more than England).
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.
Recent NHS pay history in England
Three recent settlements give the picture. 2024/25 saw a flat £1,400 uplift to every Band 2 to 8c pay point, plus a 5% rise for Band 8d and Band 9. 2025/26 applied a consolidated 3.6% uplift to every pay point, worth roughly £1,090 at Band 5 entry. The 2026/27 deal is a 3.3% consolidated uplift, recommended by the PRB and accepted by the government in early 2026.
Common questions about Band 6 pay in England
- What is the Band 6 salary in England for 2026/27?
- Band 6 in England pays from £39,959 at entry to £48,117 at the top of the scale for 2026/27. Staff progress through 5 years to reach top of band.
- Does England pay Band 6 the same as the other UK nations?
- No. Scotland pays Band 6 more at the top of band, with a top rate of £52,679 compared to £48,117 in England. The difference is £4,562 per year (9.5%).
- What is the hourly rate for Band 6 in England?
- Based on a standard 37.5-hour NHS week, Band 6 entry pay of £39,959 works out at £20.44 per hour, rising to £24.61 per hour at the top of band.
- How is Band 6 pay set in England?
- Each year, NHS Employers and the trade unions submit detailed evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body. The Review Body hears the evidence, decides on a recommended uplift, and submits its report to the UK Government in the spring. The government then accepts, modifies or rejects the recommendation. The agreed uplift is published as a Pay Advisory Notice on the NHS Employers website and applied to the AfC scale with effect from 1 April, normally backdated by a month or two so staff see arrears alongside their first new monthly payslip.