NHS Wales Pay Scales 2026/27
NHS Wales paid the same 3.3% award as England for 2026/27, but on Wales's own pay scales, which start higher at every band: £26,300 on Band 2 to £131,732 at the top of Band 9, on a 37.5-hour week.
Working Week
37.5 hours
Tax System
UK Rates
Band 2 to Band 9
£26,300 to £131,732
Wales Pay and Take Home by Band
| Band | Pay points | Take home a month |
|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £26,300 | £1,757.33 |
| Band 3 | £26,300 / £27,890 | £1,757.33 / £1,845.84 |
| Band 4 | £28,819 / £31,626 | £1,897.56 / £2,015.86 |
| Band 5 | £32,557 / £35,114 / £39,631 | £2,066.57 / £2,205.84 / £2,412.24 |
| Band 6 | £40,559 / £42,805 / £48,841 | £2,461.85 / £2,581.94 / £2,904.67 |
| Band 7 | £50,129 / £52,712 / £57,365 | £2,973.53 / £3,123.84 / £3,345.52 |
| Band 8a | £58,379 / £61,317 / £65,723 | £3,389.11 / £3,515.39 / £3,704.78 |
| Band 8b | £67,583 / £71,952 / £78,530 | £3,784.73 / £3,907.76 / £4,184.59 |
| Band 8c | £80,698 / £85,611 / £92,984 | £4,275.82 / £4,482.58 / £4,792.86 |
| Band 8d | £95,773 / £101,643 / £110,448 | £4,910.23 / £5,157.26 / £5,527.80 |
| Band 9 | £114,475 / £121,377 / £131,732 | £5,694.54 / £5,884.33 / £6,169.11 |
Calculate Your Pay in Wales
Pay advice
Wales · 2026/27 · monthlyPayments
Deductions
£476.90 a week · £24,798.86 a year
Rates
The Living Wage floor
NHS Wales pays at least the Living Wage Foundation rate. From 1 April 2026, before this year's award, every directly employed member of staff was lifted to at least £13.45 an hour, the Foundation's rate at the time. That's why Bands 1, 2 and the bottom of Band 3 are all £26,300 a year in Wales (£13.45 an hour), It was paid as an advance on the pay award, so the 3.3% was applied to last year's scales rather than on top of it.
The Foundation announced a new rate of £14.10 on 15 October 2026; employers who follow it have until 1 May 2027 to pay it.
Allowances
The Welsh pay letter for 2026/27 raised the sleeping-in and on-call allowances by 3.3%: sleeping in is £44.82, and on-call is £26.05 on a weekday or weekend and £52.08 on a public holiday. Bank workers in Wales are paid on the Welsh pay scales for the work they do, and at least the Living Wage Foundation rate.
Tax and pensions
Welsh rates of income tax are set by the Welsh Government and paid by people who live in Wales, but for 2026/27 they're the same as England's. Wales is in the same NHS Pension Scheme as England, with the same tiers (5.2% to 12.5%) and a 23.7% employer contribution. There's no London weighting in Wales.
Wales vs England
Because the Welsh scales start higher, the same band pays more in Wales: Band 5 starts at £32,557 against £32,073 in England, and Band 2 at £26,300 against £25,272. The years between pay points are the same.
Wales FAQs
From £26,300 on Band 2 to £131,732 at the top of Band 9, after a 3.3% award. Every pay point is in the table above.
Sources (checked 18 October 2026)
- Pay Letter AfC(W) 02/2026 (Welsh Government)
- Pay Letter AfC(W) 01/2026 (Living Wage advance) (Welsh Government)
- What is the real Living Wage? (Living Wage Foundation)
- Income Tax in Wales (GOV.UK)
- NHS Pension Scheme member contributions (NHS Employers)
