NHS Band 5 Salary 2026/27: £32,073 to £39,043 Explained

Band 5 is the most searched NHS pay band for a simple reason: it is where most registered professionals start. Newly qualified nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiographers, operating department practitioners, paramedics and many others begin their careers here.

Band 5 pay points for 2026/27

So a newly qualified nurse who stays on Band 5 will see two pay rises from steps alone: £2,519 after two years and a further £4,451 after four. Each step needs a pay step review, which mostly checks that your appraisal and mandatory training are up to date.

Monthly take-home on Band 5

Full time, with the NHS Pension and tax code 1257L:

At the top step your pay passes £35,155, so the pension contribution rises from 8.3% to 9.8%. That is still taken before tax, so a pound of pension contribution costs you about 80p.

Band 5 with a student loan

Most new graduates repay a student loan, which makes a noticeable difference:

Plan 5 borrowers, who started courses from August 2023, have a lower threshold of £25,000 and repay more at the same salary. If you studied in Scotland your Plan 4 threshold is higher. The student loan calculator handles every plan, and the postgraduate loan stacks on top of the others.

How unsocial hours change Band 5 pay

Ward nurses and other staff working shifts rarely take home just their basic pay. At Band 5 entry:

• A night or Saturday hour pays £16.40 plus 30% = £21.32
• A Sunday or public holiday hour pays £16.40 plus 60% = £26.24

A full-time nurse working a typical rota with a mix of nights and weekends can add several hundred pounds a month before tax. Use the shift pay calculator to work out exactly what a particular shift is worth.

Overtime and bank shifts

Overtime with your own employer is paid at time and a half, or double time on public holidays. Many Band 5 staff do extra shifts through the trust's staff bank instead. Bank rates and rules vary by trust, so check whether your bank pays enhancements or a flat rate. The tax on a bank shift is not higher than on normal pay, even if it looks that way on a payslip; our guide to tax on overtime explains why.

Band 5 to Band 6

The usual next step is a Band 6 post, such as a senior staff nurse, a specialist physiotherapist or a junior sister or charge nurse role. Band 6 starts at £39,959, which is a jump of £7,886 on Band 5 entry, but only £916 above the top of Band 5.

That last point matters. If you are approaching your four-year step on Band 5, a move to Band 6 entry gives a smaller immediate rise than you might expect. The bigger gain is longer term, because Band 6 rises to £48,117. The pay progression calculator shows when each future step is due.

For midwives and paramedics, the move to Band 6 is often built into the role once a preceptorship or newly qualified period is complete. See our midwife salary guide and paramedic salary guide.

Working in London

Band 5 staff in and around London receive a high cost area supplement on top of basic pay. In Inner London it is 20% of basic salary, subject to a minimum and maximum, and in Outer London 15%. The London weighting calculator works out the exact amount.

Quick answers

Do newly qualified nurses start at entry? Yes, normally at the entry point. Some trusts offer a higher starting point for previous healthcare experience, but it is not guaranteed.

How long is preceptorship? Usually around 12 months. It does not change your band by itself for nurses, but it is the period when you build the experience needed for Band 6 roles.

Is Band 5 enough to get a mortgage? Many lenders will consider basic pay plus regular enhancements. Our mortgage guide for NHS staff explains how lenders treat shift pay.

Check your own pay

Use the take-home pay calculator with your own hours, student loan plan and pension choice.