NHS Band 4 is a pivotal grade under Agenda for Change, covering assistant practitioner, technical, and senior admin/coordinator roles.
This page consolidates everything you need: basic (gross) pay, hourly rates, overtime rules, pension contribution tiers, HCAS (London weighting), and annual leave all based on confirmed 2025/26 data.
What is NHS Band 4?
Band 4 typically includes roles such as:
- Assistant Practitioner / Therapy Assistant Practitioner
- Pharmacy Technician / Technical Support roles
- Senior Administrative / Coordinator posts
Band 4 has three pay points (entry → intermediate → top), with 3 years between steps (subject to local appraisal policies).
Gross Pay for Band 4 (England, 2025/26)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual gross (entry) | £27,485 |
| Annual gross (top) | £30,162 |
| Monthly gross (entry) | £2,290.42 |
| Monthly gross (top) | £2,513.50 |
| Weekly gross (entry) | £528.56 |
| Weekly gross (top) | £580.04 |
| Base hourly (entry → top) | £14.06 → £15.43 |
| Progression period | 3 years |
About net pay: NHS Employers publish gross/HCAS/ hourly figures. Net (take-home) varies by tax code, pension choices, student loan, etc., and is not a single official number so we don’t publish generic net figures here to keep this page strictly accurate.
Band 4 Hourly Rates & Overtime (AfC rules)
- Overtime for Bands 1–7: Time-and-a-half (1.5×) for hours beyond 37.5 per week.
- General public holidays: Double time (2×) (or TOIL if agreed locally).
Using the official base hourly rates:
| Pay Step | Base Hourly | Overtime 1.5× | Public Holiday 2× |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £14.06 | £21.09 | £28.12 |
| Top | £15.43 | £23.15 | £30.86 |
London Weighting (HCAS) Inclusive Pay (England, 2025/26)
Inner London – Inclusive (base + HCAS) figures published by NHS Employers:
| Pay Step | Annual (inclusive) | Hourly (inclusive) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | £33,094 | £16.92 |
| Top | £36,195 | £18.51 |
These inclusive totals are taken directly from the HCAS (Inner) table.
Outer London & Fringe: HCAS is set nationally (Outer 15%, Fringe 5%) with minimum/maximum caps. NHS Employers/NHSBSA publish the caps and the calculation method; Trusts apply them to base pay to produce the inclusive totals. For exact Outer/Fringe figures for your post and point, see your Trust’s payroll or the official HCAS guidance/caps for 2025/26.
NHS Pension – Member Contribution Tiers (England, from 1 April 2025)
From 1 April 2025, the pensionable pay ranges (thresholds) were uplifted to reflect the 3.6% pay award (backdated). Rates unchanged; thresholds updated.
| Pensionable pay range (annual) | Member rate |
|---|---|
| Up to £13,259 | 5.2% |
| £13,260 – £27,797 | 6.5% |
| £27,798 – £33,868 | 8.3% |
| £33,869 – £50,845 | 9.8% |
| £50,846 – £65,190 | 10.7% |
| £65,191+ | 12.5% |
Source: NHSBSA “NHS Pensions contribution rates 2025/26” and NHS Employers member contributions update (effective from 1 Aug 2025, backdated to 1 Apr 2025).
Most Band 4 entry salaries fall in 6.5%; Band 4 top falls in 8.3%, based on the table above. Always check your pensionable pay on your payslip.
Annual Leave & Bank Holidays (AfC)
For full-time AfC staff (pro-rata for part-time):
- 0–5 years: 27 days + 8 public holidays
- 5–10 years: 29 days + 8 public holidays
- 10+ years: 33 days + 8 public holidays
(Policy per NHS Terms & Conditions of Service.)
FAQs – NHS Band 4 (2025/26) – People Also Ask
Conclusion
Band 4 offers a clear progression from Bands 2-3 with official 2025/26 pay of £27,485–£30,162 (hourly £14.06–£15.43), time-and-a-half overtime, double time on public holidays, uplifted pension thresholds, and generous AfC leave. Where applicable, HCAS significantly raises take-home in London areas. Use this page as your single source of truth; all figures are drawn directly from NHS Employers/NHSBSA for 2025/26.