Published 8 July 2026
SAS Doctor Pay
Gross / yr
£63,696–£115,341
Take-home / yr
£43,412–£68,620
These are the latest published 2026/27 figures, including the 3.5% DDRB award applied from 1 April 2026.
| Role | Years' experience | Gross salary | Net take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialty doctor | 0–2 yrs | £63,696 | £43,412 |
| Specialist | 0–2 yrs | £104,401 | £63,280 |
| Specialty doctor | 3–5 yrs | £73,383 | £47,616 |
| Specialist | 3–5 yrs | £108,484 | £65,342 |
| Specialty doctor | 6–8 yrs | £81,804 | £51,868 |
| Specialist | 6–8 yrs | £115,341 | £68,620 |
| Specialty doctor | 9–11 yrs | £90,548 | £56,284 |
| Specialty doctor | 12+ yrs | £102,689 | £62,415 |
Grades and Pay Scales
SAS stands for Specialty and Associate Specialist: senior doctors who work outside the training pathway and the consultant grade. There are two open SAS contracts, Specialty Doctor and Specialist (both 2021), and three closed grades. Closed grades keep their scales for doctors already on them, but no one new can be appointed. The card above models the open 2021 grades; the closed grades remain for reference only.
| Grade | Contract | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty Doctor | 2021 | Open |
| Specialist | 2021 | Open |
| Associate Specialist | 2008 | Closed |
| Staff Grade | Pre-2008 | Closed |
| Specialty Doctor | 2008 | Closed |
Grades and their open/closed status. Each open grade links to its NHS Employers terms and conditions; the closed grades take no new entrants.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are basic pay only. Under the 2021 SAS contract, additional programmed activities beyond a standard job plan, on-call availability and out-of-hours work are all paid on top, so earnings are usually higher. Working less than full time scales your basic pro-rata to your programmed activities. None of these are in the figures above.
Yes. The Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR) lets an experienced SAS doctor apply to the GMC specialist register on evidence of equivalent competence, without returning to a formal training post.
No. Associate Specialist and the old Staff Grade are closed, with no new entrants since 2008. Their scales remain only for doctors already on them; new SAS appointments use the 2021 Specialty Doctor and Specialist contracts.
Yes. All four nations run the 2021 SAS contracts but set their scales in separate pay circulars, so pay and timing differ.
No. NHS Employers publishes the official SAS scales, but no NHS or government body runs a calculator. This page is the quick estimate straight from the published scales; open the our calculator for a detailed answer.