NHS A&E Nurse Hourly Pay 2026/27: What Bands 5 and 6 Earn an Hour

Last updated: 28 October 2026 · Figures verified against the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay circular.

By the NHS Bands Pay editorial team

Annual salaries hide the working pattern that defines emergency nursing pay. An emergency department runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year, so the hourly rate, and what each kind of hour is worth, matters more than the headline salary when you compare posts, check a payslip or weigh up overtime. This page sets out every A&E nurse hourly rate for 2026/27 in England, step by step, with the unsocial hours, overtime, London and part-time figures worked through in full.

If you want the annual picture, the A&E nurse salary guide covers the same bands from the yearly side, and the NHS hourly rate calculator will convert any band salary to an hourly rate for you. The rates below are all full-time equivalent for England under Agenda for Change, after the 3.3% award effective 1 April 2026. A&E nursing is not a separate Nursing and Midwifery Council field: you qualify as an adult or children's nurse and then build emergency competence in post, through triage training, resus courses and, for the practitioner route, postgraduate minor injury and illness study. Newly qualified nurses sit at Band 5, senior staff nurses, charge nurses and emergency nurse practitioners at Band 6, and senior charge nurses and advanced clinical practitioners at Band 7.

A&E nurse hourly rates 2026/27 at a glance

The emergency band ladder is short, because most of the department sits on two bands. A newly qualified nurse completing preceptorship is Band 5. An experienced nurse, charge nurse or emergency nurse practitioner is Band 6. The table below gives every step from Band 5 entry to Band 6 top.

One step in the table deserves a second look. The move from the top of Band 5 (£19.95 an hour) to the bottom of Band 6 (£20.41) is worth only £0.46 an hour, or £916 a year, because the bands overlap. The step matters more than that gap suggests, because a higher band also changes the value of every enhanced hour that follows, and in emergency care, where nights and weekends are a large share of the rota, that second effect is large.

How the NHS hourly rate is worked out

The formula is simple, and it is worth knowing because it lets you check any figure on a payslip in seconds. Take the full-time annual salary, divide it by 52.2, which is the number of weeks in the NHS pay year, and divide again by 37.5, the standard full-time week. That gives the plain-time hourly rate.

Worked example: a Band 6 A&E nurse at the entry step earns £39,959 a year. Divide £39,959 by 52.2 and you get £765.50 a week. Divide £765.50 by 37.5 and you get £20.41 an hour. The same arithmetic gives £16.38 an hour for a Band 5 newly qualified nurse on £32,073 (£614.43 a week) and £24.58 an hour for a Band 6 nurse at the top of the band on £48,117 (£921.78 a week). Monthly pay is the annual salary divided by 12, so the Band 6 entrant takes £3,329.92 a month gross before deductions.

One common mistake is to divide by 52 weeks instead of 52.2. That small change inflates every hourly rate by a few pence, which is why some online calculators disagree with payroll by a small amount. Another is to use the wrong week: Agenda for Change full time in England is 37.5 hours, not 40. Scotland is the exception, with a 36 hour week from April 2026, and its hourly rates are covered separately near the end of this page.

Band 5 A&E nurse hourly pay in detail

Band 5 is where every emergency nursing career starts. The preceptorship year runs at the entry step, in the emergency department itself, and the band has three steps in total. At £16.38 an hour, a newly qualified nurse earns £122.85 for a standard 7.5 hour day and £614.43 for a 37.5 hour week. At the intermediate step, £17.67 an hour gives £132.53 a day and £662.68 a week. At the top of Band 5, £19.95 an hour gives £149.63 a day and £747.95 a week.

Band 5 is also where the rota first shows up in the pay packet. An A&E nurse on nights and weekends earns £21.29 for a Saturday or night hour and £26.21 for a Sunday or bank holiday hour at the entry step. At the top of the band, those figures rise to £25.94 and £31.92. A single 12 hour Sunday shift at the entry step is therefore worth £314.52 at the enhanced rate, against £196.56 at the plain rate, a difference of £117.96 for one shift. Because emergency departments run around the clock, that difference is not an occasional bonus for A&E nurses: it is a regular part of the month.

Pension sits on top of these rates rather than inside them. Under the provisional 2026/27 tiers, a Band 5 entrant on £32,073 pays 8.3% of pensionable pay, which is £221.84 a month, and the employer adds 23.7%, which is £633.44 a month. The intermediate step at £34,592 also falls in the 8.3% tier at £239.26 a month, while the top step at £39,043 falls in the 9.8% tier at £318.85 a month. Those tiers are provisional for 2026/27, calculated from the published 2025/26 thresholds, so treat the monthly pension figures as the best current estimate rather than a final published rate.

Band 6 senior, charge nurse and ENP hourly pay in detail

Band 6 is where most career A&E nurses settle. The band runs from £20.41 an hour at entry to £24.58 at the top, with an intermediate step at £21.54. In day terms, that is £153.08, £161.55 and £184.35 for a 7.5 hour day. In weekly terms, it is £765.50, £807.85 and £921.78 for a full 37.5 hour week.

The unsocial hours figures for Band 6 are the ones most working A&E nurses will recognise from their payslips. At the entry step, a Saturday or night hour pays £26.53 and a Sunday or bank holiday hour pays £32.66. At the intermediate step, the figures are £28.00 and £34.46. At the top of the band, they are £31.95 and £39.33. Put those rates against a 12 hour shift and the rota effect becomes concrete: a Band 6 entrant earns £244.92 for a plain 12 hour day shift, £318.36 for a 12 hour Saturday or night shift, and £391.92 for a 12 hour Sunday or bank holiday shift.

Band 6 in emergency care covers three jobs that share a pay band but not a working day. A senior staff nurse carries the sickest majors and resus patients. A charge nurse runs the department on the shift. An emergency nurse practitioner autonomously assesses, diagnoses and treats minor injuries and illnesses, often running the minors stream or an urgent treatment centre. All three earn the same hourly rates at the same step, and all three move to Band 7, at £25.23 to £28.87 an hour, when the post carries departmental leadership or advanced clinical practice. Pension at Band 6 is 9.8% at every step under the provisional tiers: £326.33 a month at entry, £344.39 at the intermediate step and £392.96 at the top, with the employer adding 23.7%, which is £11,403.73 a year at the top of the band.

Unsocial hours: what each kind of hour pays

Unsocial hours under Agenda for Change Section 2 cover weekday nights from 8pm to 6am, all of Saturday, and all of Sunday and public holidays. For Bands 4 to 9, which includes every A&E nurse band, the enhancement is 30% on top of plain time for Saturday and weekday night hours, and 60% on top for Sunday and public holiday hours. The table below gives the resulting hourly rates for the two main A&E bands.

Two points catch people out. First, the enhancement applies to the hour worked, not to the whole shift: a shift that starts in the evening and runs past 8pm earns plain time before 8pm and the enhanced rate after it, unless local arrangements say otherwise. Second, the percentages above are the current Section 2 rates. Older figures still circulate online, including 44% and 88% for Band 2 and 37% and 74% for Band 3, but those are the pre-September 2018 rates and they do not apply to A&E nurses on Bands 5 and 6 in any case. If a calculator or forum post quotes them, it is out of date.

For the full unsocial hours rules, including how the enhancements interact with part-time hours, see the unsocial hours and overtime guide. The setting split matters most here: an emergency department cannot close, so nights, weekends and bank holidays are built into every A&E rota, while a nurse in a weekday clinic on the same band earns the plain rate for almost every hour.

Overtime hourly rates for A&E nurses

Overtime under Section 3 pays time and a half for Bands 1 to 7, and double time on bank and public holidays. Overtime only starts above 37.5 hours in a week. Part-time staff earn plain time, plus any unsocial enhancement that applies, for hours above their contracted hours up to 37.5, and overtime rates only kick in beyond that point. You cannot claim overtime and an unsocial enhancement for the same hour, and staff may elect time off in lieu instead of payment.

Worked example: a Band 6 A&E nurse at the top of the band who works four overtime hours in a normal week earns 4 times £36.87, which is £147.48 on top of the normal week's pay. The same four hours on a bank holiday at double time earn 4 times £49.16, which is £196.64. If those overtime hours fall on a Sunday, the choice is between the overtime rate and the unsocial rate for the same hours, not both added together. The overtime calculator runs the same maths for any combination of hours and enhancements.

A typical A&E rota, worked in hourly terms

A mixed emergency rota shows why the average hourly rate on an A&E payslip sits well above the plain rate. Take a Band 6 entrant working one plain 12 hour day, one 12 hour night shift and one 12 hour Sunday shift in a week. The plain day pays £244.92, the night pays £318.36 and the Sunday pays £391.92, a total of £955.20 for 36 hours, which averages £26.53 an hour across the three shifts. That average is not a contractual rate, it is simply what that particular mix of hours produces, but it explains why two A&E nurses on the same band can take home very different amounts in the same month. A nurse on a weekday-only pattern in the same band would earn £244.92 for each of those three days at the plain rate, with no night or Sunday uplift at all.

Triage, resus and majors work does not change these figures, because Agenda for Change pays the band for the post. What changes the pay is the rota itself: how many of the hours fall after 8pm, on Saturdays, on Sundays and on bank holidays. When comparing two emergency posts, the rota pattern is therefore worth as close a look as the band, and the department's self-rostering rules, shift lengths and weekend frequency are the details that turn a headline hourly rate into a monthly reality.

London A&E nurse hourly rates with HCAS

High Cost Area Supplement is a percentage of basic pay, subject to a minimum and a maximum, and it is pensionable. Inner London pays 20% with a minimum of £5,794 and a maximum of £8,746. Outer London pays 15% with a minimum of £4,870 and a maximum of £6,137. The fringe pays 5% with a minimum of £1,346 and a maximum of £2,270. Where the percentage gives less than the minimum, the minimum applies, and where it gives more than the maximum, the supplement is capped.

How the table is built, so you can check it: a Band 5 entrant on £32,073 earns a 20% inner supplement of £6,414.60, giving a total of £38,487.60 a year, which is £19.66 an hour. The outer minimum of £4,870 applies instead of 15%, because 15% of £32,073 is £4,810.95, below the minimum, giving £36,943 a year or £18.87 an hour. The fringe rate is 5%, which is £1,603.65, giving £33,676.65 a year or £17.20 an hour. At the top of Band 6, the inner supplement is capped: 20% of £48,117 is £9,623.40, above the £8,746 maximum, so the total is £56,863 a year or £29.05 an hour. At Band 7 entry, the inner supplement is also capped at £8,746, giving £29.70 an hour. The London weighting guide explains the zones and the caps in full.

Part-time A&E nurse hourly pay

Part-time work does not change the hourly rate. An A&E nurse on 0.6 whole time equivalent works 22.5 hours a week and earns the same rate per hour as a full-time colleague on the same band and step. The annual salary and the monthly pay are scaled by the fraction, and so is the weekly total.

At Band 5 entry, £16.38 an hour gives £368.55 a week at 22.5 hours (£19,243.80 a year) and £491.40 a week at 30 hours (£25,658.40 a year). At Band 6 top, £24.58 an hour gives £553.05 a week at 22.5 hours (£28,870.20 a year) and £737.40 a week at 30 hours (£38,493.60 a year). Part-time staff also accrue annual leave pro rata, and hours above contracted hours up to 37.5 are paid at plain time plus any unsocial enhancement, as set out in the overtime section above. The part-time pay guide works through the leave and pension effects in detail.

Career progression in hourly terms

Progression through emergency nursing is usually driven by the post rather than by time served: a newly qualified post is Band 5, an experienced, charge nurse or emergency nurse practitioner post is Band 6, and a senior charge nurse or advanced clinical practitioner post is Band 7. In hourly terms, the full journey from Band 5 entry (£16.38) to Band 6 top (£24.58) is worth £8.20 an hour, or £16,044 a year full time, and on to Band 7 top (£28.87) it is worth £12.49 an hour, or £24,442 a year. The single biggest step inside the two main bands is inside Band 6, from entry (£20.41) to top (£24.58), worth £4.17 an hour or £8,158 a year.

That progression also changes the value of every enhanced hour. A Sunday hour rises from £26.21 at Band 5 entry to £32.66 at Band 6 entry, £39.33 at Band 6 top and £46.19 at Band 7 top. For an A&E nurse working regular weekends and nights, the band step therefore matters twice: once in the plain rate and again in every unsocial hour that follows. The Band 6 pay guide and the Band 5 pay guide set out the full salary tables for the two bands where most A&E nurses sit.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scotland agreed a two-year deal with a 3.75% award from 1 April 2026 and moved to a 36 hour week, which changes the hourly calculation: the divisor becomes 52.2 times 36, or 1,879.2 hours a year, instead of 1,957.5. The published Scotland Band 5 range of £34,494 to £42,977 therefore works out at £18.36 to £22.87 an hour. The full Scotland step-by-step scale is not in the verified data used for this page, so this page gives the range endpoints only and does not invent intermediate steps.

Wales applied the 3.3% award from 1 April 2026 with a real living wage floor of £13.45 an hour for the lowest bands. Welsh Band 5 steps of £32,557, £35,114 and £39,631 give hourly rates of £16.63, £17.94 and £20.25 on the standard 37.5 hour week, slightly above the England equivalents at each step. Northern Ireland is the exception to the whole 2026/27 picture: the 3.3% award was recommended but had not been implemented at the last check, and staff there should not budget on rates that have not yet been paid. The Scotland pay guide and the Wales pay guide carry the nation-level detail.

Source: NHS Employers unsocial hours payments. Pay rates also published by Health Careers NHS.

Frequently asked questions

What is the hourly rate for an NHS A&E nurse in 2026/27?

In England in 2026/27, an NHS A&E nurse on Band 5 earns £16.38 an hour at the entry step, £17.67 an hour at the intermediate step and £19.95 an hour at the top of the band. A Band 6 A&E nurse, typically a senior staff nurse, charge nurse or emergency nurse practitioner, earns £20.41 an hour at entry, £21.54 an hour at the intermediate step and £24.58 an hour at the top. Those are plain-time rates for a 37.5 hour week, before night, weekend, overtime, London weighting or bank payments.

How is the NHS A&E nurse hourly rate worked out?

Divide the full-time annual salary by 52.2, the number of weeks in the NHS year, and then by 37.5, the standard full-time week. A Band 6 A&E nurse on £39,959 a year therefore earns £39,959 divided by 52.2 divided by 37.5, which is £20.41 an hour. The same formula gives every hourly rate on this page. Enhancements in the tables below are worked out from the rounded hourly rate, which is how the site's other hourly guides present them.

What is the hourly rate for a newly qualified A&E nurse?

A newly qualified A&E nurse starts at the bottom of Band 5: £32,073 a year, which is £16.38 an hour and £2,672.75 a month before tax, National Insurance and pension. The first year is normally a preceptorship year in the emergency department, and registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council is required before appointment to a registered post. The next Band 5 steps pay £17.67 an hour (£34,592 a year) and £19.95 an hour (£39,043 a year), and Band 6 is the normal next post once emergency experience and triage competence are in place.

Do A&E nurses get paid more for nights and weekends?

Yes, where the rota includes unsocial hours. Under Agenda for Change Section 2, Bands 4 to 9 get 30% on top of plain time for Saturday and weekday night hours, from 8pm to 6am, and 60% on top for Sunday and bank holiday hours. A Band 6 A&E nurse at the entry step therefore earns £26.53 for a Saturday or night hour and £32.66 for a Sunday or bank holiday hour, against a plain rate of £20.41. Emergency departments run through the night and across every weekend, so A&E nurses work these hours as a matter of routine, which is why two nurses on the same band can take home different amounts.

What is A&E nurse overtime pay per hour?

Overtime for Bands 1 to 7 pays time and a half, and double time on bank and public holidays. A Band 5 A&E nurse at the entry step earns £24.57 an overtime hour and £32.76 on a bank holiday, while a Band 6 A&E nurse at the top of the band earns £36.87 and £49.16. Overtime only starts above 37.5 hours a week, and you cannot claim overtime and an unsocial hours enhancement for the same hour. Charge nurses and advanced practitioners on Band 8a and above do not get contractual overtime pay and take time off in lieu instead.

Do triage, resus or ENP skills change the hourly rate?

No, not on their own. Agenda for Change pays the band for the post, not a supplement for each skill inside it, so a Band 5 nurse staffing resus earns the same hourly rate as a Band 5 nurse staffing minors. Skills change the band you can apply for: triage competence and resus experience are what move a nurse into a Band 6 senior or charge nurse post, and postgraduate minor injury and illness study plus non-medical prescribing open the Band 6 emergency nurse practitioner route, with senior ENP and advanced clinical practitioner roles at Band 7 (£49,387 to £56,515 a year, or £25.23 to £28.87 an hour). The skill pays when it carries you into the higher-banded post.

What is the London A&E nurse hourly rate with HCAS?

High Cost Area Supplement is a percentage of basic pay, subject to a minimum and a maximum, and it is pensionable. Inner London pays 20% with a minimum of £5,794 and a maximum of £8,746, outer London pays 15% with a minimum of £4,870 and a maximum of £6,137, and the fringe pays 5% with a minimum of £1,346 and a maximum of £2,270. A Band 5 A&E nurse at the entry step therefore earns £19.66 an hour in inner London, £18.87 in outer London and £17.20 in the fringe, against a basic rate of £16.38. At the top of Band 6, the inner supplement is capped at £8,746, giving £29.05 an hour.

Do Scotland and Wales pay different A&E nurse hourly rates?

Yes. Scotland agreed a 3.75% award from 1 April 2026 and moved to a 36 hour week, which changes the hourly calculation: the divisor becomes 52.2 times 36, or 1,879.2 hours a year, instead of 1,957.5. The published Scotland Band 5 range of £34,494 to £42,977 therefore works out at £18.36 to £22.87 an hour. Wales applied the 3.3% award with a £13.45 an hour living wage floor, and Welsh Band 5 steps of £32,557, £35,114 and £39,631 give £16.63, £17.94 and £20.25 an hour on the standard 37.5 hour week. Northern Ireland had not implemented the 3.3% recommendation at the last check, so do not budget on it.