NHS Pay Rise 2027
What Bands 2–8 Take Home After Tax
The 2027/28 NHS pay award hasn't been confirmed yet — but we've calculated the exact take-home impact of a 3%, 4%, or 5% rise for every Agenda for Change band, after PAYE tax, NI, and NHS pension.
Current take-home — 2026/27
Your take-home now, before any 2027 rise
Based on approximate 2026/27 AfC midpoint salaries. NHS pension uses post-2023 contribution tiers (net-pay arrangement — pension deducted before tax). Standard tax code 1257L.
2027 pay rise scenarios
What a 3%, 4%, or 5% rise means for your monthly take-home
Extra monthly take-home after all deductions. Negative figures (shown in amber) indicate the pay rise triggers a higher NHS pension tier, temporarily reducing net benefit.
The NHS pension tier cliff edge — why a pay rise can cost you money
The NHS pension uses tiered contribution rates based on your full-time equivalent pensionable pay. Unlike income tax bands — where only the additional earnings are taxed at the higher rate — crossing an NHS pension tier threshold increases your contribution rate on your entire pensionable pay.
This creates a "cliff edge" effect: if a pay rise pushes you from just below a threshold to just above it, your pension deduction could increase by more than the pay rise itself — temporarily reducing your monthly take-home.
Source: NHS Employers — Agenda for Change pay circular 2023. Rates apply to full-time equivalent pensionable pay, not actual part-time earnings.
Current pension: 6.5% of £33,500 = £2,178/year. After rise: 7.2% of £34,505 = £2,484/year. That's £306 more in pension contributions — offset against the £1,005 gross pay rise. Net benefit is still positive, but the pension tier change absorbs about 30% of the rise.