NHS Band 6 · York · Agenda for Change 2026/27

NHS Band 6 Salary in York 2026/27

Senior Nurse / Specialist Practitioner. Gross salary £42,044. Net take-home after pension: £2,473/month. Solo 1-bed living is tight — rent takes 38% of take-home.

Gross
£42,044
annual AfC salary
Net after pension
£2,473
per month
Pension input
£343
employee / month
After rent
£1,523
per month
Stretched — rent takes 38% of take-home after pension. Consider a shared house or outer-area flat.

NHS Pension Scheme

Employee contribution
£291/mo
8.3% of gross
Net take-home
£2,525/mo
after tax, NI & pension
After rent
£1,575/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 6 in York

Item Amount
AfC Base Salary £42,044/yr
Income Tax −£491/mo
National Insurance −£197/mo
NHS Pension (9.8%) −£343/mo
Net take-home £2,473/mo
Rent (1-bed median) −£950/mo
Council tax −£120/mo
Transport −£68/mo
Remaining £1,335/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
£37,338 – £44,962
+3.3%
2026/27 range
£38,570 – £46,446
+£1,232 at entry

Pay Progression — NHS Band 6 2026/27

Experience Annual gross Monthly take-home After rent RTI
0–2 years £38,570 £2,341/mo £1,391/mo 41%
2–4 years £41,659 £2,505/mo £1,555/mo 38%
4+ years £46,446 £2,759/mo £1,809/mo 34%

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%) £343/mo
Employer contribution (23.7%) £830/mo
Total pension input £1,173/mo
30-Year Projection (CARE Scheme)
Annual contributions (combined) £14,076/yr
Total contributions over 30 years £422,280
Est. annual pension at retirement £23,358/yr
Should I opt out of the NHS pension?

Opting out increases take-home by £343/month, but you permanently lose the NHS employer contribution of £830/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.

NHS Band 6 in Other Cities

Manchester Birmingham Bristol Edinburgh Glasgow

Career Progression

↓ Band 5 — £32,074/yr ↑ Band 7 — £51,708/yr

Affordability & Comparisons

NHS Band 6 — all cities All NHS pay bands Can I afford York on £40,000? Software Engineer salary in York

Tools for NHS Staff

Recommended
Amex Gold
Earn Membership Rewards on everyday spending. Min. income: £20,000.
Apply Now
Popular
Barclaycard Avios
Collect Avios on purchases — useful for NHS staff who travel between sites.
Apply Now
Fee-free
Chase Cashback
1% cashback on all debit card spending. No annual fee, no minimum income.
Apply Now

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the take-home pay for an NHS Band 6 in York in 2026/27? +
An NHS Band 6 in York earns £42,044 gross. Net take-home before pension deduction: £2,816/month. After the 9.8% pension contribution of £343/month, take-home is £2,473/month.
What does the NHS pension contribute on a Band 6 salary? +
On an NHS Band 6 salary of £42,044, the employee pays £343/month (9.8%) and the NHS employer adds £830/month (23.7%) into the 2015 Career Average (CARE) scheme. Combined annual pension input: £14,076/year. After 30 years the CARE scheme projects an estimated annual pension of approximately £23,358/year at retirement.
Can an NHS Band 6 afford to live alone in York? +
On £2,473/month net after pension, an NHS Band 6 in York has £1,523/month remaining after average 1-bed rent of £950/month. Rent-to-income ratio: 38%. Solo 1-bed living is tight — rent takes 38% of take-home.
What is the HCAS for NHS Band 6 in York? +
York does not qualify for the NHS High Cost Area Supplement. The NHS Band 6 salary here is the standard Agenda for Change rate of £42,044. HCAS is only payable in Inner London, Outer London, and designated fringe areas of South East England.

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

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