Updated 29 June 2026
NHS Band 3 Pay
Band 3 covers Emergency care assistants, therapy support workers across 2 pay points.
Gross · 2026/27
£25,760–£27,476
Take-home / yr
≈ £20,728–£21,874
across 2 pay points
Your salary is taxed at the basic rate (20%), and your pension contribution sits at 6.5% on most of your pay. Salary sacrifice and the pension opt-out are options to model at this income.
How much of this you take home depends on income tax and your personal allowance, your NHS pension contribution tier, and options like salary sacrifice.
What Band 3 pays
Band 3 has 2 pay points. You start at entry (£25,760) and move up one point a year, reaching the top of the band (£27,476) after 1 year, subject to the national pay progression standards.
If you are promoted from Band 2 to Band 3, your pay is set at the minimum of Band 3; because adjacent bands do not overlap, that is always a rise. The full rule is on pay on promotion.
The 2026/27 headline pay award was 3.3%, though Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland negotiate separately. Rates are published by NHS Employers.
Band 3 sits below the higher-rate tax threshold (£50,270), so your basic salary is taxed at the basic rate. Overtime, bank shifts and unsocial hours can edge your taxable income toward it.
NHS Band 3 salary by pay point (2026/27)
| Pay point | Gross salary | Pension | Monthly take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £25,760 | 6.5% | £1,727 |
| Year 2+ | £27,476 | 6.5% | £1,823 |
Gross from the latest 2026/27 Agenda for Change pay scales (England), published by NHS Employers. Take-home assumes the standard tax code, no student loan or salary sacrifice.
Your Band 3 pension entitlements
Your NHS pension contribution is 6.5% of gross pay (tier 2). At entry that is £1,674 a year (£140/month); at the top, £1,786 (£149/month). It comes off before income tax, so the real cost is lower than the headline rate. Your employer contribution adds 23.7% on top. The NHS Pension Scheme guide covers the wider mechanics (accrual rates, when you can take it, how the 1995/2008/2015 schemes interact).
Frequently Asked Questions
Band 3 covers Emergency care assistants, therapy support workers. Pay ranges from £25,760 to £27,476 (England) across 2 pay points. At Year 1, gross pay is £25,760. Rates are set nationally by the NHS Pay Review Body and updated each April.
Entry-point gross rose by £823 (3.3%) from 2025/26 to 2026/27. Use the calculator to see the net change at Year 1 after pension, tax and NI.
In 2026/27 at Year 1, monthly take-home after pension, tax and National Insurance is around £1,727 (England). Across the band, the range is £1,727–£1,823. Use the calculator for a personalised figure with student loans or salary sacrifice.
NHS Pension contributions are deducted before income tax under a NET pay arrangement, so you get full tax relief automatically. The contribution rate for Band 3 is 6.5% of salary. That reduces your taxable income but not your National Insurance, which is calculated on your full gross pay.
Base pay does not include London weighting. Staff in qualifying areas receive a High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) on top, ranging from 5% in the fringe zone to 20% in inner London. HCAS is pensionable and affects your take-home calculation.
At Band 3 your pay is taxed at the basic rate, so salary sacrifice arrangements like EV lease schemes or cycle to work reduce income tax and National Insurance on your salary, and also reduce your pensionable pay. The NHS take-home pay calculator shows the effect on take-home and pension at each pay point.