Income Tax

NHS Pay Calculator (Scotland)

Pick your Agenda for Change band and step for the 2026/27 salary, then see your monthly take-home after the SPPA pension, Scottish income tax, NI and student loan.

By Gary · Updated May 2026

✓ Updated May 2026✓ Scotland-specific✓ No sign-up required

Your Details

Agenda for Change band

Pay step

Working pattern

Student loan

Include NHS pension (SPPA) contribution — nearly all staff are members

Your monthly take-home pay

£2,187.25

from £34,544 gross (Band 5)

Gross salary

£34,544

≈ £18.45/hour on the 36-hour week

Pension (SPPA)

£3,005.33

8.7% tier, before tax

Annual take-home

£26,246.99

after tax, NI, pension

Monthly Breakdown (2026/27)

Gross pay£2,878.67

NHS pension (8.7%)−£250.44

Scottish income tax−£314.52

National Insurance−£126.46

Take-home£2,187.25

Pay journey: from this step you reach the top of Band 5 (£43,039) after 4 more years of incremental progression — before any national pay uplift.

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How NHS Scotland pay is set

Nearly everyone in NHS Scotland apart from doctors, dentists and the most senior managers is paid on Agenda for Change (AfC) — a national framework of bands (1–9) and pay steps within each band. Scotland negotiates its own AfC settlement: the 2026/27 rates come from circular PCS(AFC)2026/1, a 3.75% uplift on a 2025/26 baseline that was re-based to 4.4% when the pay deal's inflation guarantee triggered. You progress up your band's steps with service, and the whole scale moves each April.

The 36-hour week changes the hourly maths

From 1 April 2026 the full-time working week in NHS Scotland is 36 hourswith no loss of pay, the final stage of a phased reduction from 37.5. The same salary over fewer hours is an effective hourly rise on top of the headline uplift — this calculator's hourly figures use the 36-hour week, matching the official circular.

Why the pension tier matters

The SPPA pension deduction is tiered from 5.7% to 12.7% of pay, assessed on your whole-time-equivalent salary — and it comes out before tax, so the real cost is much lower than the headline percentage. The NHS Scotland Pension Calculator breaks down the tier, the 22.5% employer top-up and the pension you build each year.

Not NHS? The Take-Home Pay Calculator covers any Scottish salary, and the Scotland vs England comparison shows how Scottish tax changes the picture.

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Frequently asked questions

Answers to common questions about this calculator.

What are the NHS Scotland pay bands for 2026/27?

Agenda for Change salaries in Scotland run from £26,557 (Band 1) to £133,044 (top of Band 9) from 1 April 2026, under circular PCS(AFC)2026/1. A newly qualified nurse starts Band 5 at £34,544, rising to £43,039 at the top of the band; Band 6 runs £43,231–£52,679 and Band 7 £52,845–£61,466. Pick your band and step above for the exact figure.

Is NHS pay higher in Scotland than England?

Scotland negotiates its own Agenda for Change settlement, separately from England — the 2026/27 Scottish deal is a 3.75% uplift on a 2025/26 baseline that was itself re-based to 4.4% when the deal's inflation guarantee triggered. Scottish AfC rates at most bands are currently ahead of their English equivalents, and Scotland has also cut the full-time working week to 36 hours, which raises the hourly rate again. Always compare like-for-like band and step.

What is the NHS Scotland 36-hour week?

From 1 April 2026 the full-time NHS Scotland working week is 36 hours (it was 37 in 2025/26, and 37.5 before the phased reduction) with no loss of pay — the official hourly rates in PCS(AFC)2026/1 are calculated on the 36-hour week. Same salary over fewer hours means a higher effective hourly rate; this calculator uses 36 hours for its hourly figures.

What gets deducted from NHS pay in Scotland?

Four things, in order: your SPPA pension contribution (tiered from 5.7% to 12.7% by whole-time-equivalent pay, taken before tax), Scottish income tax (Scotland's six-band system, different from England's), National Insurance, and any student loan repayment (most Scottish-domiciled staff are on Plan 4). The calculator itemises each one monthly.

How does part-time NHS pay work?

Your salary scales with your contracted fraction of the 36-hour week — 0.6 WTE of a Band 6 step means 0.6 of that salary. The pension tier is the wrinkle: it's assessed on the full-time (WTE) salary for your post, but the resulting percentage is applied to your actual earnings. The calculator handles that automatically when you pick a working pattern.

When do NHS Scotland pay rises happen?

The annual uplift applies from 1 April, set out in a PCS(AFC) circular from the Scottish Government. Separately from national uplifts, you also move up your band's pay steps with years of service — for example Band 5 reaches its top step after four years. The calculator shows your remaining pay journey for the step you pick.

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NHS Scotland Pension Calculator

Work out your NHS Scotland (SPPA) pension contribution by tier, the 22.5% employer contribution, your real cost after Scottish tax relief, and the pension you build each year.

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Take-Home Pay Calculator

See your exact take-home pay monthly, weekly, daily, and hourly after all Scottish deductions.

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Salary Sacrifice Calculator

See how much you could save through pension, one-off bonus, EV, or cycle-to-work salary sacrifice with Scottish tax bands.

Rates verified May 2026· All figures sourced from Revenue Scotland and HMRC

This calculator provides estimates only and does not constitute financial or tax advice. Always verify with Revenue Scotland, HMRC, or mygov.scot, and speak to a qualified financial adviser for advice specific to your circumstances.