NHS Pay Bands

NHS COPD Specialist Nurse salary, 2026/27

COPD specialist nurses manage patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in community and hospital settings, including pulmonary rehabilitation, smoking cessation and home oxygen reviews. Most COPD nurses sit at Band 6 or Band 7.

Range (England)
£39,959 to £56,515
Typical bands
Band 6, Band 7
Hourly entry
£20.44
Hourly top
£28.90

Calculate COPD Specialist Nurse take-home pay

COPD Specialist Nurse pay by band, England 2026/27

The table below shows the entry and top step at each band COPD Specialist Nurses are typically paid on. Most COPD Specialist Nurses move through the bands over the course of their career as they take on more senior or specialist responsibilities.

Band Entry Top Hourly at top
Band 6 £39,959 £48,117 £24.61 Take-home
Band 7 £49,387 £56,515 £28.90 Take-home

COPD Specialist Nurse salary after tax, 2026/27

The figures below show COPD Specialist Nurse take-home pay — the cash that lands in your bank account after income tax, employee National Insurance and the NHS pension contribution on the 2026/27 England scale. They exclude London weighting, unsocial hours and overtime. The band-level take-home pages have the full step-by-step breakdown and London weighting variants.

Gross vs net at the top of each band on the 2026/27 England scale

COPD Specialist Nurse gross vs net pay by band, 2026/27 Band 6 £48,117 gross £34,391 net Band 7 £56,515 gross £39,708 net
Band Entry net Top net Monthly at top
Band 6 £29,157 £34,391 £2,866 Full breakdown
Band 7 £35,206 £39,708 £3,309 Full breakdown

Assumes full-time pay, standard NHS Pension membership and no student loan. Open the band's take-home page for London weighting variants, or use the calculator to add part-time hours, student loan, or HCAS.

COPD Specialist Nurse career pay progression

Most COPD Specialist Nurses progress through more than one band over their career. The path below shows the typical pay journey on the 2026/27 England scale, from entry at the lowest banding to the top step at the highest. Promotion between bands depends on additional qualifications, experience or moving into a more senior post; it isn't automatic.

  1. 1

    Band 6 £39,959 to £48,117 gross

    Top step net: £34,391 a year (£2,866/month). 3 steps; 5 years from entry to top.

    Step timeline
  2. 2

    Band 7 £49,387 to £56,515 gross

    Top step net: £39,708 a year (£3,309/month). 3 steps; 5 years from entry to top.

    Step timeline

Across the typical COPD Specialist Nurse career on the 2026/27 England scale, gross pay rises by £16,556 a year from entry on Band 6 (£39,959) to the top of Band 7 (£56,515). National pay deals add a further cost-of-living rise on top each April.

COPD Specialist Nurse pay in Scotland

Scottish NHS staff are paid on a separate pay scale, negotiated by the Scottish Government rather than the UK Pay Review Body. Scotland consistently pays more than England at every band. The figures below are the Scottish equivalents for the same bands.

Band (Scotland) Entry Top
Band 6 £43,231 £52,679
Band 7 £52,845 £61,466

Common questions

What pay band is a COPD Specialist Nurse on?
NHS COPD Specialist Nurses sit at Band 6 or Band 7 depending on experience and the specific responsibilities of the role. Newly qualified COPD Specialist Nurses usually start on the lowest banding shown, with progression to the higher bands as they take on more senior or specialist work.
How much does an NHS COPD Specialist Nurse earn in 2026/27?
On the 2026/27 England pay scale, an NHS COPD Specialist Nurse earns between £39,959 and £56,515 a year gross, depending on band and step. At the lowest entry rate that works out to roughly £20.44 an hour, and at the top rate roughly £28.90 an hour. Take-home pay after tax, NI and the NHS pension contribution is typically 70% of the gross figure. Scottish COPD Specialist Nurses earn between £43,231 and £61,466 on the equivalent Scottish scale.
Where can I find COPD Specialist Nurse jobs in the NHS?
NHS Jobs (jobs.nhs.uk) lists all current vacancies across the four UK nations. Filter by 'Pay Band' to focus on roles at the band you're interested in. HSC Recruit covers Northern Ireland (jobs.hscni.net) and NHS Scotland Jobs covers Scotland (jobs.scot.nhs.uk). Most Trusts also list vacancies on their own websites alongside the national portal.
What is an NHS COPD Specialist Nurse salary after tax?
An NHS COPD Specialist Nurse starting on Band 6 (£39,959 gross) takes home around £29,157 a year after income tax, employee National Insurance and the NHS pension contribution — about £2,430 a month. At the top of Band 7 (£56,515 gross), take-home pay rises to £39,708 a year, or £3,309 a month. The figures exclude student loan repayments, unsocial hours and London weighting.
Does COPD Specialist Nurse get London weighting?
Only at NHS Trusts in England inside one of the three London weighting (HCAS) zones. COPD Specialist Nurses working at Inner London Trusts get 20% on top of basic pay (minimum £5,794, maximum £8,746 for 2026/27). Outer London is 15%, Fringe is 5%. Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish COPD Specialist Nurses don't receive a London weighting equivalent.