NHS Band 5 · London · Agenda for Change 2026/27

NHS Band 5 Salary in London 2026/27

Registered Nurse / Allied Health Professional. Gross salary £37,644 (inc. £5,570 HCAS). Net take-home after pension: £2,245/month. Rent takes 96% of take-home after pension. Shared accommodation strongly recommended.

Gross
£37,644
annual AfC salary
Net after pension
£2,245
per month
Pension input
£307
employee / month
After rent
£95
per month
Unaffordable solo — rent takes 96% of take-home after pension. Consider a shared house or outer-area flat.

NHS Pension Scheme

Employee contribution
£260/mo
8.3% of gross
Net take-home
£2,292/mo
after tax, NI & pension
After rent
£142/mo
disposable income

Most NHS staff joined the 2015 scheme. Your payslip will show which scheme applies to you. Contribution rates from NHS Employers 2026/27.

Monthly Budget Breakdown — NHS Band 5 in London

Item Amount
AfC Base Salary £32,074/yr
HCAS Supplement +£5,570/yr
Total Gross £37,644/yr
Income Tax −£418/mo
National Insurance −£167/mo
NHS Pension (9.8%) −£307/mo
Net take-home £2,245/mo
Rent (1-bed median) −£2,150/mo
Council tax −£165/mo
Transport −£185/mo
Remaining −£255/mo

Tax computed using HMRC 2025/26 rates. AfC salaries: NHS Employers pay circular 2026/27. Rent = Rightmove Q4 2025 median. All figures rounded to nearest £1.

Updated April 2026 — 3.3% Agenda for Change pay award
2025/26 range
£29,969 – £36,483
+3.3%
2026/27 range
£30,959 – £37,687
+£990 at entry

Pay Progression — NHS Band 5 2026/27

Experience Annual gross Monthly take-home After rent RTI
0–2 years £30,959 £1,937/mo −£213/mo 111%
2–4 years £33,706 £2,083/mo −£67/mo 103%
4+ years £37,687 £2,294/mo £144/mo 94%

Progression based on NHS Agenda for Change 2026/27 pay scales. Monthly take-home calculated after tax, NI, and 2015 CARE scheme pension at applicable tier rate. Moving to the next band requires applying for a higher-band post — progression is not automatic.

NHS Pension Breakdown

Monthly Contributions
Employee contribution (9.8%) £307/mo
Employer contribution (23.7%) £743/mo
Total pension input £1,050/mo
30-Year Projection (CARE Scheme)
Annual contributions (combined) £12,600/yr
Total contributions over 30 years £378,000
Est. annual pension at retirement £20,913/yr
Should I opt out of the NHS pension?

Opting out increases take-home by £307/month, but you permanently lose the NHS employer contribution of £743/month and the security of a defined-benefit guarantee. The 2015 CARE scheme provides an inflation-linked pension for life with no investment risk. For most NHS staff, staying enrolled is strongly recommended. If short-term cash flow is the concern, explore salary sacrifice for other costs (e.g. cycle-to-work, car leasing) before opting out.

High Cost Area Supplement — Select Your Zone

The NHS HCAS compensates staff for higher living costs in and around London. Your zone depends on your workplace postcode.

HCAS supplement
£5,570/yr
Total gross
£37,644/yr
Net take-home
£2,292/mo
After rent
£142/mo

Inner London covers most central NHS trusts. Outer London covers zones 3–6. Fringe covers Reading, Oxford, Brighton and surrounding areas. HCAS rates from NHS Employers AfC pay circular 2026/27.

NHS Band 5 in Other Cities

Manchester Birmingham Bristol Edinburgh Glasgow

Career Progression

↓ Band 4 — £28,740/yr ↑ Band 6 — £42,044/yr

Affordability & Comparisons

NHS Band 5 — all cities All NHS pay bands Can I afford London on £40,000? Software Engineer salary in London

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the take-home pay for an NHS Band 5 in London in 2026/27? +
An NHS Band 5 in London earns £37,644 gross (including £5,570 HCAS supplement). Net take-home before pension deduction: £2,552/month. After the 9.8% pension contribution of £307/month, take-home is £2,245/month.
What does the NHS pension contribute on a Band 5 salary? +
On an NHS Band 5 salary of £37,644, the employee pays £307/month (9.8%) and the NHS employer adds £743/month (23.7%) into the 2015 Career Average (CARE) scheme. Combined annual pension input: £12,600/year. After 30 years the CARE scheme projects an estimated annual pension of approximately £20,913/year at retirement.
Can an NHS Band 5 afford to live alone in London? +
On £2,245/month net after pension, an NHS Band 5 in London has £95/month remaining after average 1-bed rent of £2,150/month. Rent-to-income ratio: 96%. Rent takes 96% of take-home after pension. Shared accommodation strongly recommended.
What is the HCAS for NHS Band 5 in London? +
NHS Band 5 staff in London receive a High Cost Area Supplement of £5,570/year, bringing total gross to £37,644. Zone rates: Inner London £5,570, Outer London £3,966, Fringe £1,173.

Studying nursing? See if you can afford university in London first → Student finance in London

Data sources & methodology

NHS Employers Agenda for Change Pay Scales 2026/27 · HMRC Income Tax Rates 2025/26 · Rightmove Rental Trends Tracker Q1 2026

Analysis by the SalaryDex data team · May 2026 · Corrections: [email protected] · Full methodology · Data transparency pledge

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0