NHS Band 6 covers experienced clinicians and senior specialists under Agenda for Change (AfC) for example Senior Staff Nurses, Specialist Physiotherapists/Occupational Therapists, Senior Radiographers, Clinical Specialists, and Team Leaders.
This page consolidates everything you need: basic (gross) pay, official hourly rates, overtime rules, London weighting (HCAS), pension contribution tiers, and AfC annual leave all based on confirmed 2025/26 data from official sources.
What is NHS Band 6?
Typical Band 6 roles include:
- Senior Staff Nurse / Charge Nurse (clinical leadership)
- Specialist AHP roles (e.g., Physio/OT/Radiography)
- Specialist/Advanced Clinical roles, Senior Pharmacy/Pathology posts
- Team Leaders / Service Coordinators
Progression: Band 6 has three pay points (Entry → Mid → Top), with two years from Entry to Mid and three years from Mid to Top (subject to local appraisal policy).
Gross Pay for Band 6 (England, 2025/26)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual gross (Entry) | £38,682 |
| Annual gross (Mid) | £40,823 |
| Annual gross (Top) | £46,580 |
| Monthly gross (Entry / Mid / Top) | £3,223.50 / £3,401.92 / £3,881.67 |
| Weekly gross (Entry / Mid / Top) | £743.88 / £785.06 / £895.77 |
| Base hourly (Entry / Mid / Top) | £19.78 / £20.88 / £23.82 |
| Progression (years) | 2 → 3 |
About “net pay”: take-home varies by tax code, NHS pension tier, student loan, salary sacrifice and local allowances. To keep this page strictly accurate (no estimates), we publish only official gross and official hourly figures.
Band 6 Hourly Rates & Overtime (AfC rules)
- Overtime (Bands 1–7): Time-and-a-half (1.5×) for hours above 37.5/week.
- General Public Holidays: Double time (2×) (TOIL may be agreed locally).
These rules are set in the Agenda for Change Terms & Conditions – Section 3 (Overtime).
Calculated overtime rates from the official hourly table (rounded to 2dp):
| Pay Step | Base Hourly | Overtime 1.5× | Public Holiday 2× |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | £19.78 | £29.67 | £39.56 |
| Mid | £20.88 | £31.32 | £41.76 |
| Top | £23.82 | £35.73 | £47.64 |
(Base hourly from NHS Employers; overtime multipliers per AfC handbook.)
London Weighting (HCAS) – Inner London inclusive pay (England, 2025/26)
NHS Employers publish Inner London HCAS inclusive totals (annual) and inclusive hourly rates:
| Band 6 (Inner London) | Annual (inclusive) | Hourly (inclusive) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | £46,419 | £23.74 |
| Mid | £48,988 | £25.05 |
| Top | £55,046 | £28.15 |
Outer London & Fringe: HCAS is nationally set as 20% (Inner), 15% (Outer), 5% (Fringe) with minimum and maximum caps; employers apply this to base pay to produce inclusive totals. See Annex 9 (HCAS) and latest pay advisory notices for the current caps and method.
NHS Pension – Member Contribution Tiers (England, from 1 April 2025)
Member contribution thresholds were uplifted for 2025/26 to reflect the AfC award. Rates unchanged; thresholds backdated to 1 April 2025.
| 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% |
Which tiers Band 6 hits (England 2025/26):
All three Band 6 steps (£38,682 / £40,823 / £46,580) sit in the 9.8% tier.
Annual Leave & Public 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
(Entitlements are in Section 13; NHS Employers’ public-holiday guidance confirms eight public holidays per 12-month period.)
FAQs – NHS Band 6 (2025/26) – People Also Ask
Conclusion
Band 6 is the bridge to advanced practice and first-line leadership. With official 2025/26 pay of £38,682–£46,580 (hourly £19.78–£23.82), time-and-a-half overtime, double-time on public holidays, uplifted pension thresholds, and generous AfC leave, it offers both clinical impact and clear progression routes to Band 7 and beyond.
This page is your single source of truth: every figure above comes directly from NHS Employers (pay/HCAS) and NHSBSA (pension tiers).