NHS Scotland Pay Bands 2026/27 — Every Band, Real Take-Home
Scotland runs its own Agenda for Change deal: a 36-hour full-time week, its own pay scales, Scottish income tax and SPPA pension tiers. Band 5 starts at £34,544 — taking home £2,167.21 a month, more than the same band in England. Every band is below, with take-home at every point.
Last updated November 2026 · Figures checked against NHS Employers and the Scottish Government in November 2026. Next scheduled check: the April 2027 pay award.
Scotland pay at a glance — salary and take-home by band
| Band | Point 1 | Point 2 | Point 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £26,696 £1,784.46/mo | £28,988 £1,900.61/mo | — |
| Band 3 | £29,103 £1,906.97/mo | £31,409 £2,034.57/mo | — |
| Band 4 | £31,537 £2,041.65/mo | £34,303 £2,154.33/mo | — |
| Band 5 | £34,544 £2,167.21/mo | £36,911 £2,293.70/mo | £43,039 £2,590.01/mo |
| Band 6 | £43,231 £2,600.13/mo | £45,135 £2,679.70/mo | £52,679 £3,024.93/mo |
| Band 7 | £52,845 £3,031.84/mo | £54,863 £3,097.21/mo | £61,466 £3,357.72/mo |
| Band 8A | £65,125 £3,507.96/mo | £70,303 £3,720.57/mo | — |
| Band 8B | £76,888 £3,990.95/mo | £82,251 £4,211.15/mo | — |
| Band 8C | £90,808 £4,503.53/mo | £97,338 £4,753.93/mo | — |
| Band 8D | £107,810 £5,155.49/mo | £112,426 £5,332.49/mo | — |
| Band 9 | £127,521 £5,699.00/mo | £133,044 £5,820.37/mo | — |
Take-home is full-time (36 hours), NHS Pension member, no student loan. Bands 2 and 4 have two points in Scotland. Source: Scottish Government PCS(AFC) 2026/1. Click a band for its full page — every band page on this site has a Scotland section and a Scotland setting in its calculator.
Scotland vs England — the honest comparison
At Band 5 point 1, Scotland's basic pay is £34,544 against England's £32,073, and take-home is £2,167.21 a month against £2,040.21 — a difference of £127.00 a month. Two forces combine: higher Scottish scales at most bands, and Scottish income tax, which is gentler than rUK tax at Band 5 pay but steeper at higher bands. The hourly comparison flatters Scotland further, because the full-time week is 36 hours, not 37.5: Band 5 point 1 is £18.40 an hour in Scotland against £16.40 in England.
Scottish pension tiers (SPPA) — 2026/27
| Pensionable pay | Your contribution |
|---|---|
| Up to £13,330 | 5.7% |
| £13,331 – £28,987 | 6.4% |
| £28,988 – £34,302 | 7.0% |
| £34,303 – £43,038 | 8.7% |
| £43,039 – £45,134 | 9.8% |
| £45,135 – £54,862 | 10.5% |
| £54,863 – £59,369 | 11.2% |
| £59,370 – £83,026 | 11.6% |
| £83,027 and above | 12.7% |
Set by your actual pensionable pay (part-timers: what you really earn). Source: SPPA circular 2026/03. Your employer adds 22.5% of pay on top. Model your own pension on the pension calculator — it has a Scotland setting.
Assumptions, stated plainly: Scotland’s full-time week is 36 hours; Scottish income tax rates and bands; SPPA pension tiers set by your actual pensionable pay; standard Scottish tax code S1257L.
Worked example — Band 5 nurse, Scotland, entry point
Gross pay of £34,544.00 a year becomes £2,167.21 a month in your bank account. Across the year, NHS pension £3,005.33 (8.7% under the Scottish SPPA tiers), income tax £3,774.21 — charged at Scotland's own rates and bands — and National Insurance £1,757.92 come off, leaving £26,006.54 of take-home pay. The same nurse in England takes home £2,040.21 a month: Scotland's higher Band 5 scale more than offsets its different tax bands at this level. Run any band and step on the homepage calculator with Scotland selected.
More for Scottish staff
NHS Scotland pay — frequently asked questions
How much is NHS pay in Scotland for 2026/27?
Scottish Agenda for Change pay runs from £26,696 (Band 2) to £133,044 (top of Band 9). Band 5 starts at £34,544, Band 6 at £43,231. Scotland's full-time week is 36 hours.
Why is Scottish NHS pay different from England?
Scotland sets its own Agenda for Change pay through its own pay deal, uses Scottish income tax bands (six bands, different rates and thresholds), SPPA pension tiers, and moved to a 36-hour full-time week — so the same band can pay and take home differently from England.
What is the take-home pay for a Band 5 nurse in Scotland?
A full-time Band 5 at point 1 in Scotland takes home £2,167.21 a month, against £2,040.21 in England — higher basic pay and Scottish tax bands both play a part.
What pension contribution do Scottish NHS staff pay?
SPPA tiers for 2026/27 run from 5.7% to 12.7% of actual pensionable pay — the tier is set by what you really earn, not your full-time equivalent. Your employer adds 22.5% on top.
Is annual leave the same in Scotland?
The day tiers match England — 27, 29 and 33 days plus public holidays — but on a 36-hour week the entitlement in hours is slightly lower. Our annual leave calculator has a Scotland setting.
How every figure on this site is calculated and checked: our methodology.