What is the Band 9 salary in Northern Ireland for 2025/26?

Band 9 in Northern Ireland pays from £109,179 at entry to £125,637 at the top of the scale for 2025/26. Staff progress through 5 years to reach top of band.

Does Northern Ireland pay Band 9 the same as the other UK nations?

No. Scotland pays Band 9 more at the top of band, with a top rate of £133,044 compared to £125,637 in Northern Ireland. The difference is £7,407 per year (5.9%).

What is the hourly rate for Band 9 in Northern Ireland?

Based on a standard 37.5-hour NHS week, Band 9 entry pay of £109,179 works out at £55.84 per hour, rising to £64.25 per hour at the top of band.

Band 9 pay in Northern Ireland, 2025/26

Trust-level directors of profession. Senior medical staff and very senior managers are paid separately.

Minimum: £109,179
Maximum: £125,637
Hourly at top: £64.25
Years to top: 5

Calculate take-home pay for Band 9 in Northern Ireland

Step	Years from entry	Annual	Hourly (37.5h)
Entry	From day one	£109,179	£55.84
Intermediate	After 2 years	£115,763	£59.20
Top	After 5 years	£125,637	£64.25
Full range		£109,179 to £125,637	£55.84 to £64.25

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

Band 9 in Northern Ireland, what the role involves

Band 9 is the top of the Agenda for Change pay scale. It covers Trust-level directors of profession: directors of nursing, chief allied health professionals, and directors of pharmacy. Doctors, dentists and Very Senior Managers (chief executives and other executive directors) sit on separate pay arrangements outside the Agenda for Change framework entirely.

Board-level executive work. A director of nursing leads the entire nursing workforce of a Trust, sits on the Trust Board with full voting rights, holds professional accountability for nursing standards across the whole organisation, and contributes to executive-level decisions on strategy, performance and finance. There is no clinical caseload at Band 9.

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 9 pay in Northern Ireland compares to other UK nations

At the top of Band 9 in Northern Ireland, staff earn £125,637 per year for 2025/26. Scotland pays Band 9 more at the top of band: £133,044, a difference of £7,407 per year (5.9% more than Northern Ireland).

Band 9 pay across all four nations is broadly aligned in the £105,000 to £133,000 range on the 2026/27 scales. Scottish Band 9 is structured with two pay points rather than three.

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 9 pay in Northern Ireland

What is the Band 9 salary in Northern Ireland for 2025/26?: Band 9 in Northern Ireland pays from £109,179 at entry to £125,637 at the top of the scale for 2025/26. Staff progress through 5 years to reach top of band.
Does Northern Ireland pay Band 9 the same as the other UK nations?: No. Scotland pays Band 9 more at the top of band, with a top rate of £133,044 compared to £125,637 in Northern Ireland. The difference is £7,407 per year (5.9%).
What is the hourly rate for Band 9 in Northern Ireland?: Based on a standard 37.5-hour NHS week, Band 9 entry pay of £109,179 works out at £55.84 per hour, rising to £64.25 per hour at the top of band.
How is Band 9 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.