NHS Audiologist Salary 2026/27

Last updated: 25 October 2026 · Figures verified against the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay circular.

By the NHS Bands Pay editorial team

What NHS audiologists earn in 2026/27: the Band 5 to Band 7 salary ranges, hourly rates, on-call and unsocial hours, London weighting, and how NHS audiology pay compares with the private hearing-aid market.

An NHS audiologist spends the working day measuring something invisible: how well a person hears, and how much of the world that hearing loss is shutting out. The work takes place in soundproof booths and clinic rooms, with headphones, bone conductors, tympanometers and hearing aids on the desk, and patients ranging from newborns failing a screening test to older adults who have waited years before admitting they cannot follow a conversation. A morning might run from a paediatric assessment to a hearing aid fitting to a balance clinic, with notes, referrals and hearing aid programming between appointments. It is precise, patient-facing work, and the pay question sits next to a private market that advertises itself on every high street.

This guide sets out the NHS pay picture in full: the 2026/27 salary at every step of Bands 5, 6 and 7, the hourly rates, unsocial hours and overtime, London weighting, pension contributions, what the private sector comparison really looks like, and the position in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All figures are the England Agenda for Change rates for 2026/27, which include the 3.3% consolidated award effective 1 April 2026.

NHS audiologist salary 2026/27

The 2026/27 Agenda for Change rates for NHS audiologist posts in England, full-time at 37.5 hours a week, with 2025/26 for comparison:

Source: NHS Employers Agenda for Change pay circular 2026/27 (England, full-time 37.5 hours a week). Hourly rates are annual salary divided by 52.2 weeks and 37.5 hours. The 2026/27 figures include the 3.3% consolidated award effective 1 April 2026.

Band 5 is the qualified audiologist post: the audiologist who carries out hearing assessments, fits and programmes hearing aids, and follows patients up in an audiology service. Band 6 is the specialist level: the audiologist working in paediatric audiology, vestibular assessment, complex rehabilitation or bone-anchored devices, often with a specialist caseload and a role in training junior staff. Band 7 is the senior and lead level: the audiologist who leads a service or a team within a larger service, carries the most complex cases, and answers for clinical standards, waiting lists and service quality.

Monthly pay before deductions gives a clearer sense of the money. A Band 5 audiologist at entry takes £2,672.75 a month in basic pay, rising to £3,253.58 at top. At Band 6, monthly basic runs from £3,329.92 at entry to £4,009.75 at top. At Band 7, it runs from £4,115.58 at entry to £4,709.58 at top. Those are gross figures, before tax, National Insurance, pension and any student loan deduction. Part-time audiologists are paid pro rata: a 0.6 whole-time-equivalent Band 5 audiologist at entry, for example, earns 60% of £32,073, which is £19,243.80 a year.

What NHS audiologists do

Audiology sits inside healthcare science, and the clinic day reflects that. The core work is assessment: pure-tone audiometry in a soundproof booth, speech testing, tympanometry to check middle-ear function, and, for balance patients, vestibular testing that looks at how the inner ear and the eyes work together. A hearing test on its own takes around half an hour, but the appointment also covers the history, the explanation of the result, and the plan. A patient who has just been told their hearing loss is permanent needs time and plain language, not a printout.

Rehabilitation is the second half of the job. Fitting a hearing aid is not a matter of handing over a device: the audiologist selects the aid, programmes it to the patient's hearing loss, verifies the fit with real-ear measurements, and then follows the patient up to adjust the settings as they get used to amplified sound. Children need a different approach again, with play-based testing, family counselling and close work with schools and ENT colleagues. Audiologists in balance services work with dizzy patients whose symptoms may come from the inner ear, from medication or from something else entirely, and the assessment has to separate those causes before treatment starts.

There is also work that never appears in an appointment count. Hearing aid repairs and reprogramming, liaison with ENT, paediatrics and care-of-the-elderly teams, school visits for paediatric patients, and the admin of a service with long waiting lists all take time. Audiology services carry large follow-up caseloads, because hearing aids need ongoing adjustment and replacement, and patients return over years rather than being discharged after one visit. When you look at a post, ask about the balance between new assessments, follow-ups and specialist clinics. The answer tells you more about the job than the salary alone.

One boundary worth knowing: audiologists are not the same as hearing aid dispensers in the private sector, although the roles overlap in the fitting of hearing aids. NHS audiologists are registered healthcare scientists who assess, diagnose and rehabilitate across the full range of hearing and balance conditions, including children and complex cases. Private dispensers focus on adult hearing aid provision. That difference in scope is also the difference in the pay picture below.

NHS audiology vs the private hearing-aid market

The private hearing-aid market is hard to ignore, because it is visible. High-street hearing centres advertise free hearing tests and the latest devices, and a qualified audiologist can walk into a dispensing role with a salary that looks competitive against the Band 5 and Band 6 figures on this page. Per appointment, private work can pay more, because the client pays for the device and the service, and the dispenser sets the fee.

The comparison is less clear once the full picture is counted. Private income depends on sales and appointments: quiet weeks, cancelled appointments, holidays and sick days all cut income, and the costs of premises, equipment, hearing aid stock, insurance and professional registration come out of the same pot. NHS pay, by contrast, is steady and pensionable, with paid annual leave, sick pay, employer pension contributions and a team around you. A Band 6 audiologist at top earns £48,117 a year whether clinics are full or half empty, and the employer pays 23.7% of pensionable pay into the NHS Pension Scheme on top of that.

There is also a scope difference that matters for the career, not just the payslip. NHS audiology covers paediatric work, balance assessment, complex rehabilitation and bone-anchored devices, which the private high-street market largely does not. An audiologist who moves entirely into private dispensing narrows their practice, and moving back into a specialist NHS post later may need retraining or a period at a lower band. Many audiologists end up doing both: a substantive NHS post for stability and breadth, with private work on the side, within the rules on second jobs and conflicts of interest. For those rules, see our guide to NHS second job rules. The honest summary is this: private work can beat NHS pay per appointment, but it rarely beats the NHS package once pension, leave, sick pay and income stability are counted, and it carries the full risk of a quiet diary.

Unsocial hours, on-call and overtime

Most NHS audiologists work daytime weekday hours, so unsocial-hours pay is a small part of the package. The exceptions are services that run Saturday clinics and evening appointments, and audiologists who take part in on-call rotas for urgent referrals, where local arrangements apply. Under Agenda for Change Section 2, Bands 4 to 9 receive time plus 30% for Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm to 6am) and time plus 60% for Sundays and bank holidays.

In hourly terms, that means a Band 5 audiologist at entry earns £21.29 an hour for a Saturday or a weekday night hour and £26.21 an hour for a Sunday or bank holiday hour, against a plain-time rate of £16.38. At Band 5 top, the rates are £25.94 and £31.92 an hour. At Band 6 entry, they are £26.53 and £32.66 an hour, and at Band 6 top, £31.95 and £39.33. At Band 7 top, they are £37.53 and £46.19 an hour. These enhancements apply only to hours actually worked in the unsocial windows, and they cannot be claimed for the same hours as overtime pay.

On-call deserves a separate note, because audiology on-call is not the same as ward on-call. Some services run an on-call rota for urgent paediatric referrals or for patients with sudden hearing loss, where timing affects treatment. On-call payments and availability payments are set locally, so this guide quotes no on-call rate: check the trust's on-call policy and the job description before assuming on-call adds a fixed amount to the salary. For the full overtime and unsocial rules, see our guide to unsocial hours and overtime pay.

Overtime rules are straightforward at these bands. At Bands 5, 6 and 7, overtime above 37.5 hours a week is paid at time and a half, and at double time on bank holidays. A Band 5 audiologist at entry on £16.38 an hour therefore earns £24.57 an hour for weekday overtime, and a Band 7 audiologist at top on £28.87 earns £43.31 an hour. Part-time audiologists are paid at plain time for hours above their contracted hours up to 37.5, with overtime rates only above that threshold.

London weighting (HCAS)

Audiologists in London trusts receive the High Cost Area Supplement on top of basic pay: 20% in inner London, 15% in outer London and 5% in the fringe zone, each subject to a minimum and a maximum. The inner London minimum is £5,794 and the maximum is £8,746. The outer London minimum is £4,870 and the maximum is £6,137. The fringe minimum is £1,346 and the maximum is £2,270.

Worked examples show how the zones work in practice. A Band 5 audiologist at entry in inner London earns £32,073 + £6,414.60 = £38,487.60 a year, because 20% of £32,073 sits inside the cap. The same audiologist in outer London would get 15% of £32,073, which is £4,810.95, but the outer London minimum is £4,870, so the supplement rises to the minimum and the total is £32,073 + £4,870 = £36,943. In the fringe zone, the same audiologist earns £32,073 + £1,603.65 = £33,676.65. At Band 7 top, 20% of £56,515 would be £11,303, so the supplement is capped at £8,746 and the total is £56,515 + £8,746 = £65,261. For the full zone rules, see our London weighting (HCAS) guide.

Pension contributions

Audiologists in the NHS Pension Scheme pay a tiered member contribution based on whole-time equivalent pensionable pay, and the employer contributes a further 23.7% of pensionable pay. The 2026/27 tiers used here are provisional, calculated from the published tier boundaries rather than yet published as final, so treat them as the best current guide and check your payslip against them.

The tier boundary explains the jump at Band 7 top: the 9.8% tier runs to £52,778, and the 10.7% tier runs from £52,779 to £67,668, so Band 7 intermediate at £51,932 still pays 9.8% while Band 7 top at £56,515 pays 10.7%. Employer contributions are substantial: at Band 7 top, the employer pays 23.7% of £56,515, which is £13,394.06 a year into the scheme. For the full tier table, see our guide to NHS pension contributions. Uniformed staff should also note the flat-rate expense rules: the default rate for a uniformed job not separately listed is £60 a year, worth £12 at the basic tax rate or £24 at the higher rate, claimable where the employer provides no laundry service or allowance.

Pay in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The figures above are the England rates. Scotland agreed a two-year deal with 3.75% from 1 April 2026 and a 36-hour week from April 2026, which changes the hourly maths and the overtime threshold for Scottish staff. Wales implemented 3.3% from 1 April 2026, with a Real Living Wage floor of £13.45 an hour applied to the lowest bands. Northern Ireland is the exception: the 3.3% award has been recommended but not yet implemented, so Northern Ireland staff should not budget on the new rates until implementation is confirmed. For the national pictures, see NHS Scotland pay, NHS Wales pay and NHS Northern Ireland pay. Annual leave follows the England Section 13 tiers of 27, 29 and 33 days plus 8 bank holidays by length of service; see our annual leave guide for the part-time pro rata rules.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an NHS audiologist earn?

In 2026/27, NHS audiologists in England typically earn £32,073 to £39,043 a year at Band 5, £39,959 to £48,117 at Band 6 for specialist roles, and £49,387 to £56,515 at Band 7 for senior and lead posts, for a full-time 37.5-hour week under Agenda for Change.

What band is an NHS audiologist?

Most NHS audiologist posts sit at Band 5 on qualification, for audiologists carrying out hearing assessments and fitting hearing aids in an audiology service. Specialist audiologists, including those working in paediatric, balance and complex rehabilitation services, typically sit at Band 6. Senior audiologists, clinical leads and heads of service sit at Band 7. The band follows the scope, complexity and responsibility of the post, not the audiologist's qualifications alone.

What does an NHS audiologist do?

NHS audiologists assess hearing and balance, diagnose hearing loss and related conditions, fit and programme hearing aids, and support rehabilitation for adults and children. Much of the work is clinic-based: hearing tests in soundproof booths, hearing aid fittings and follow-up, and advice on managing hearing loss and tinnitus. Some audiologists specialise in paediatric audiology, vestibular (balance) assessment or bone-anchored hearing devices.

What is the hourly rate for an NHS audiologist?

In 2026/27, the Band 5 hourly rates in England are £16.38 at entry, £17.67 at the intermediate step and £19.95 at top, for a 37.5-hour week. At Band 6, the hourly rates are £20.41 at entry, £21.54 at the intermediate step and £24.58 at top. At Band 7, they are £25.23 at entry, £26.53 at the intermediate step and £28.87 at top. Unsocial hours add 30% for Saturdays and weekday nights and 60% for Sundays and bank holidays.

Do NHS audiologists get London weighting?

Yes. Audiologists in London trusts receive the High Cost Area Supplement: 20% of basic pay in inner London (minimum £5,794, maximum £8,746), 15% in outer London (minimum £4,870, maximum £6,137) and 5% in the fringe zone (minimum £1,346, maximum £2,270). A Band 5 audiologist at entry in inner London earns £32,073 + £6,414.60 = £38,487.60 a year; at Band 7 top, inner London pay is capped at £56,515 + £8,746 = £65,261.

What pension do NHS audiologists pay?

Audiologists in the NHS Pension Scheme pay a tiered member contribution based on whole-time equivalent pensionable pay. On the provisional 2026/27 tiers, Band 5 audiologists pay 8.3% at entry and the intermediate step (£221.84 to £239.26 a month) and 9.8% at top (£318.85 a month). Band 6 audiologists pay 9.8% at every step (£326.33 to £392.96 a month), and Band 7 audiologists pay 9.8% at entry and the intermediate step and 10.7% at top (£503.93 a month). The employer contributes a further 23.7% of pensionable pay.

Is private hearing-aid work better paid than the NHS?

Per appointment, private hearing-aid work can pay more, because the dispenser sets the fee and the client pays for the device and the service. Once the cost of premises, equipment, stock, insurance and quiet weeks is counted, and pension, paid annual leave and sick pay are added on the NHS side, the NHS package usually comes out ahead for employed staff. Many audiologists combine a substantive NHS post with private work on the side, within the rules on second jobs and conflicts of interest.

Do NHS audiologists work nights and weekends?

Most NHS audiologists work daytime weekday hours in clinics. Some services run Saturday clinics and evening appointments, and some audiologists take part in on-call rotas for urgent referrals, where local arrangements apply. Where the Section 2 enhancements apply, Bands 5 to 7 receive time plus 30% for Saturdays and weekday nights and time plus 60% for Sundays and bank holidays.