What is the Band 6 salary in Northern Ireland for 2025/26?

Band 6 in Northern Ireland pays from £38,682 at entry to £46,580 at the top of the scale for 2025/26. Staff progress through 5 years to reach top of band.

Does Northern Ireland 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 £46,580 in Northern Ireland. The difference is £6,099 per year (13.1%).

What is the hourly rate for Band 6 in Northern Ireland?

Based on a standard 37.5-hour NHS week, Band 6 entry pay of £38,682 works out at £19.78 per hour, rising to £23.82 per hour at the top of band.

Band 6 pay in Northern Ireland, 2025/26

Specialist and senior practitioner roles, including most experienced nurses and AHPs.

Minimum: £38,682
Maximum: £46,580
Hourly at top: £23.82
Years to top: 5

Calculate take-home pay for Band 6 in Northern Ireland

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

Northern Ireland, 2025/26, effective 2025-04-01. Source: HSC (AfC) 06/2025 — Agenda for Change Pay Arrangements 2025/26.

Band 6 in Northern Ireland, 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 Northern Ireland

Health and Social Care (HSC) staff in Northern Ireland sit on the same Agenda for Change framework as the rest of the UK. Pay is set by the Department of Health's Workforce Policy Directorate, which usually adopts the NHS Pay Review Body recommendation. Pay circulars are published as HSC (AfC) letters and apply to staff across the integrated HSC Trusts rather than separate NHS Trusts.

Northern Ireland's health service is integrated with social care, so Agenda for Change covers HSC Trusts rather than NHS Trusts only. The Department of Health takes the PRB recommendation, secures Executive approval (when there is a functioning Executive), and issues an HSC (AfC) pay arrangement circular. Pay is usually applied from 1 April with arrears paid later in the year, often after a delay caused by political processes at Stormont.

How Band 6 pay in Northern Ireland compares to other UK nations

At the top of Band 6 in Northern Ireland, staff earn £46,580 per year for 2025/26. Scotland pays Band 6 more at the top of band: £52,679, a difference of £6,099 per year (13.1% more than Northern Ireland).

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 Northern Ireland

The 2025/26 settlement applied a 3.6% consolidated uplift, matching England and Wales in percentage terms. The previous round (2024/25) was delayed by Executive politics but eventually delivered. The 2026/27 settlement is expected later in 2026 following the PRB report and Executive approval. NI HSC pay has consistently tracked England exactly because the Department of Health applies the PRB recommendation in full.

Common questions about Band 6 pay in Northern Ireland

What is the Band 6 salary in Northern Ireland for 2025/26?: Band 6 in Northern Ireland pays from £38,682 at entry to £46,580 at the top of the scale for 2025/26. Staff progress through 5 years to reach top of band.
Does Northern Ireland 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 £46,580 in Northern Ireland. The difference is £6,099 per year (13.1%).
What is the hourly rate for Band 6 in Northern Ireland?: Based on a standard 37.5-hour NHS week, Band 6 entry pay of £38,682 works out at £19.78 per hour, rising to £23.82 per hour at the top of band.
How is Band 6 pay set in Northern Ireland?: Northern Ireland's health service is integrated with social care, so Agenda for Change covers HSC Trusts rather than NHS Trusts only. The Department of Health takes the PRB recommendation, secures Executive approval (when there is a functioning Executive), and issues an HSC (AfC) pay arrangement circular. Pay is usually applied from 1 April with arrears paid later in the year, often after a delay caused by political processes at Stormont.