NHS pay scales 2024/25
Annual pay scales for every NHS band in 2024/25, drawn from the official circular for each of the four UK nations. England uplift: 5.5% on 2023/24 pay scales.
The 2024/25 NHS pay deal
The 2024/25 pay round delivered a 5.5% consolidated uplift across all bands. England, Wales and Northern Ireland also introduced intermediate pay points for Bands 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d and 9 for the first time, easing progression at senior levels. Scotland delivered the same 5.5% increase under its multi-year deal.
The NHS Pay Review Body recommended a 5.5% consolidated uplift in its 37th report. The UK Government accepted the recommendation, with NHS Employers publishing the new scales in August 2024. Wales followed with AfC(W) 02/2024 on 30 October 2024, also implementing the new intermediate pay points for Bands 8a and above that had been agreed in partnership with Welsh trade unions. Scotland delivered 5.5% under the first year of its 2024/25 to 2026/27 multi-year settlement.
Headline figures, 2024/25
The most-searched NHS bands are 5, 6 and 7, covering staff nurses, specialist nurses and ward managers. Entry salaries for these bands are shown below for each nation.
| Band | England | Scotland | Wales | N. Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 5 entry | £29,970 | £31,892 | £30,420 | — |
| Band 6 entry | £37,338 | £39,912 | £37,898 | — |
| Band 7 entry | £46,148 | £48,788 | £46,840 | — |
What changed in 2024/25
Every pay point moved up by 5.5%. Critically, for the first time in many years, the pay structure itself changed at Bands 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d and 9, with new intermediate pay points added between the historic entry and top points. Staff at those bands now progress to the intermediate step after two years and the top step after a further three years, rather than spending five years on a single rate with no internal progression.
Union response
The 2024/25 deal was accepted in England, Wales and Northern Ireland without strike action, marking a clear de-escalation from the 2022 and 2023 disputes that had seen multiple unions ballot for and take industrial action. The decision to add intermediate pay points for Bands 8a-9 was a significant concession to senior nursing and AHP staff who had been campaigning for better progression. Scotland avoided industrial action entirely because the multi-year deal had been agreed in partnership ahead of the formal Pay Review Body process.
England
5.5% uplift, effective 2024-04-01
| Band | Minimum | Steps | Maximum | Hourly at top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 closed | £23,615 | 1 | Single rate | £12.08 |
| Band 2 | £23,615 | 1 | Single rate | £12.08 |
| Band 3 | £24,071 | 2 | £25,674 | £13.13 |
| Band 4 | £26,530 | 2 | £29,114 | £14.89 |
| Band 5 | £29,970 | 3 | £36,483 | £18.66 |
| Band 6 | £37,338 | 3 | £44,962 | £22.99 |
| Band 7 | £46,148 | 3 | £52,809 | £27.01 |
| Band 8a | £53,755 | 3 | £60,504 | £30.94 |
| Band 8b | £62,215 | 3 | £72,293 | £36.97 |
| Band 8c | £74,290 | 3 | £85,601 | £43.78 |
| Band 8d | £88,168 | 3 | £101,677 | £52.00 |
| Band 9 | £105,385 | 3 | £121,271 | £62.02 |
England pay scales for 2024/25, effective 2024-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: Pay scales for 2024/25 — NHS Employers.
Scotland
5.5% uplift, effective 2024-04-01
| Band | Minimum | Steps | Maximum | Hourly at top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 closed | £24,518 | 1 | Single rate | £12.54 |
| Band 2 | £24,647 | 2 | £26,763 | £13.69 |
| Band 3 | £26,869 | 2 | £28,998 | £14.83 |
| Band 4 | £29,116 | 2 | £31,670 | £16.20 |
| Band 5 | £31,892 | 3 | £39,735 | £20.32 |
| Band 6 | £39,912 | 3 | £48,635 | £24.87 |
| Band 7 | £48,788 | 3 | £56,747 | £29.02 |
| Band 8a | £60,126 | 2 | £64,906 | £33.19 |
| Band 8b | £70,986 | 2 | £75,937 | £38.84 |
| Band 8c | £83,837 | 2 | £89,866 | £45.96 |
| Band 8d | £99,534 | 2 | £103,795 | £53.08 |
| Band 9 | £117,732 | 2 | £122,831 | £62.82 |
Scotland pay scales for 2024/25, effective 2024-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: PCS(AFC)2024/5 — Pay and conditions for NHS staff covered by AfC.
Wales
5.5% uplift, effective 2024-04-01
| Band | Minimum | Steps | Maximum | Hourly at top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 closed | £23,970 | 1 | Single rate | £12.26 |
| Band 2 | £23,970 | 1 | Single rate | £12.26 |
| Band 3 | £24,433 | 2 | £26,060 | £13.33 |
| Band 4 | £26,928 | 2 | £29,551 | £15.11 |
| Band 5 | £30,420 | 3 | £37,030 | £18.94 |
| Band 6 | £37,898 | 3 | £45,637 | £23.34 |
| Band 7 | £46,840 | 3 | £53,602 | £27.41 |
| Band 8a | £54,550 | 3 | £61,412 | £31.41 |
| Band 8b | £63,150 | 3 | £73,379 | £37.53 |
| Band 8c | £75,405 | 3 | £86,885 | £44.43 |
| Band 8d | £89,491 | 3 | £103,203 | £52.78 |
| Band 9 | £106,967 | 3 | £123,091 | £62.95 |
Wales pay scales for 2024/25, effective 2024-04-01. Hourly rate uses the 37.5-hour NHS working week. Source: AfC(W) 02/2024 v2 — Agenda for change payscales 2024/2025.
Common questions about 2024/25 NHS pay
- What is the NHS pay scale for 2024/25?
- The 2024/25 NHS pay scale in England applied a 5.5% consolidated uplift to all Agenda for Change pay points, backdated to 2024-04-01. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each negotiated separately, with the figures shown in the tables below.
- Do all four UK nations pay the same NHS rates in 2024/25?
- No. Each nation negotiates its own pay scale. England, Wales and Northern Ireland usually follow the NHS Pay Review Body recommendation, while Scotland negotiates directly between the Scottish Government and trade unions. Differences are usually small at lower bands but can be larger at senior bands.
- Why did 8a-9 get new pay points in 2024/25?
- Senior NHS nursing and AHP staff had been arguing for years that the single-rate structure at Bands 8a-9 (entry and top with no intermediate point) compared poorly with the multi-step progression at lower bands. The 2024/25 deal added explicit intermediate pay points, giving these staff a tangible progression milestone after two years rather than five.
- What was the cash value of the 2024/25 uplift?
- A Band 5 newly qualified nurse saw entry pay rise from £28,407 to £29,970, a £1,563 annual increase. A Band 6 specialist nurse went from £35,392 to £37,338, up £1,946. A Band 7 ward manager at the top step moved from £50,056 to £52,809, a £2,753 increase.
- Did Scotland get more than England in 2024/25?
- Scotland's 2024/25 deal was the same headline 5.5% as England, but applied to a higher 2023/24 baseline. So in cash terms, Scottish staff at every band earned more than their English counterparts. The Scottish baseline had been lifted by structural changes negotiated in the previous deal.