What is the Band 8c salary in Northern Ireland for 2025/26?

Band 8c in Northern Ireland pays from £76,965 at entry to £88,682 at the top of the scale for 2025/26. Staff progress through 5 years to reach top of band.

Does Northern Ireland pay Band 8c the same as the other UK nations?

No. Scotland pays Band 8c more at the top of band, with a top rate of £97,338 compared to £88,682 in Northern Ireland. The difference is £8,656 per year (9.8%).

What is the hourly rate for Band 8c in Northern Ireland?

Based on a standard 37.5-hour NHS week, Band 8c entry pay of £76,965 works out at £39.36 per hour, rising to £45.35 per hour at the top of band.

Band 8c pay in Northern Ireland, 2025/26

Heads of profession and senior operational managers.

Minimum: £76,965
Maximum: £88,682
Hourly at top: £45.35
Years to top: 5

Calculate take-home pay for Band 8c in Northern Ireland

Step	Years from entry	Annual	Hourly (37.5h)
Entry	From day one	£76,965	£39.36
Intermediate	After 2 years	£81,652	£41.76
Top	After 5 years	£88,682	£45.35
Full range		£76,965 to £88,682	£39.36 to £45.35

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

Band 8c in Northern Ireland, what the role involves

Band 8c covers heads of profession and senior operational managers in larger services. Heads of nursing, heads of allied health professions, senior consultant practitioners and divisional managers typically sit at Band 8c. These roles are predominantly strategic and managerial, with limited or no direct clinical work.

Day-to-day work is strategy, finance, workforce planning and Board-level reporting. Most clinical work has ended by Band 8c. The focus is on leading a whole profession or division within the Trust, managing budgets in the millions, contributing to the executive team's planning, and representing the service in external bodies and inspections.

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 8c pay in Northern Ireland compares to other UK nations

At the top of Band 8c in Northern Ireland, staff earn £88,682 per year for 2025/26. Scotland pays Band 8c more at the top of band: £97,338, a difference of £8,656 per year (9.8% more than Northern Ireland).

Pay aligns closely across nations at Band 8c, with Scotland again slightly higher. The range is wide because the band covers everything from a small Trust head of profession to a divisional director in a large teaching hospital.

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 8c pay in Northern Ireland

What is the Band 8c salary in Northern Ireland for 2025/26?: Band 8c in Northern Ireland pays from £76,965 at entry to £88,682 at the top of the scale for 2025/26. Staff progress through 5 years to reach top of band.
Does Northern Ireland pay Band 8c the same as the other UK nations?: No. Scotland pays Band 8c more at the top of band, with a top rate of £97,338 compared to £88,682 in Northern Ireland. The difference is £8,656 per year (9.8%).
What is the hourly rate for Band 8c in Northern Ireland?: Based on a standard 37.5-hour NHS week, Band 8c entry pay of £76,965 works out at £39.36 per hour, rising to £45.35 per hour at the top of band.
How is Band 8c 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.