NHS Chaplain Pay 2026/27

Last updated: 26 October 2026 · Figures verified against the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay circular.

By the NHS Bands Pay editorial team

What NHS chaplains earn in 2026/27: the Band 5 and Band 6 salary ranges, hourly rates, unsocial hours and overtime, London weighting, pension contributions, the shape of the job across faiths and beliefs, and the position in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A hospital chaplain is called to the places where clinical care runs out of words. A patient facing a frightening diagnosis, a family sitting through a long night in intensive care, a relative after a death, a member of staff after a shift that went badly: these are the moments chaplaincy exists for. The job is quiet, personal and often invisible to the rest of the hospital, which is part of why its pay is so rarely set out in plain figures. This guide does that job: the 2026/27 salary at Band 5 and Band 6, the hourly rates, unsocial hours and overtime, London weighting, pension contributions, what the role actually involves day to day, 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 chaplain salary 2026/27

The 2026/27 Agenda for Change rates for NHS chaplain posts in England, full-time at 37.5 hours a week:

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 entry band for qualified chaplains, with three pay points. A chaplain starts at £32,073, moves to £34,592 at the intermediate point and reaches £39,043 at the top of the band. Band 6 covers lead chaplains, deputy heads of chaplaincy and chaplaincy managers: entry at £39,959, intermediate at £42,170 and top at £48,117. The step from the top of Band 5 to the entry of Band 6 is £916 a year in basic pay, which is smaller than the step inside either band. That matters when weighing a move into a lead post: the gain in basic pay is modest, and the real change is responsibility, not money.

Monthly pay before deductions gives a clearer sense of the money. A Band 5 chaplain takes £2,672.75 a month at entry, £2,882.67 at intermediate and £3,253.58 at top. At Band 6, monthly basic runs from £3,329.92 at entry through £3,514.17 at intermediate to £4,009.75 at top. Those are gross figures, before tax, National Insurance, pension and any student loan deduction. Weekly equivalents follow the same maths: a Band 5 chaplain at entry earns £614.43 a week, at intermediate £662.68 a week and at top £747.95 a week, each figure being annual salary divided by 52.2 weeks. At Band 6, the weekly figures are £765.50 at entry, £807.85 at intermediate and £921.78 at top.

The 2026/27 award is worth knowing in cash terms. The Band 5 range rose from £31,049 to £37,796 in 2025/26 to £32,073 to £39,043 in 2026/27: an increase of £1,024 a year at entry and £1,247 a year at top. The Band 6 range rose from £38,682 to £46,580 in 2025/26 to £39,959 to £48,117 in 2026/27: an increase of £1,277 a year at entry and £1,537 a year at top. For the wider band structure, see our guides to Band 5 pay and Band 6 pay.

Part-time chaplains are paid pro rata. A 0.6 whole-time-equivalent Band 5 chaplain at entry earns 60% of £32,073, which is £19,243.80 a year, and a 0.8 whole-time-equivalent Band 6 chaplain at top earns 80% of £48,117, which is £38,493.60 a year. Many chaplaincy posts are part-time by design, because a team needs cover across faiths and across the week rather than one full-time post. For the pro rata maths in detail, see our part-time pay guide.

What NHS chaplains do

The core of the job is presence. Chaplains visit wards, sit with patients who are frightened or lonely, pray with those who ask for prayer, and talk with those who do not want prayer at all. A large part of the work is at the end of life: sitting with a dying patient, supporting a family in the hours after a death, helping with the practical and ritual steps that follow, and being available in the days after when grief sharpens rather than fades. Chaplains also support staff, and that side of the role has grown: a debrief after a traumatic resuscitation, a quiet word after a complaint, a space to talk about a death that stayed with someone.

Chaplaincy teams cover several faiths and beliefs, and the structure of a team reflects the community it serves. A large teaching hospital may have chaplains from Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist traditions, alongside humanist pastoral carers, while a smaller trust runs a leaner team and draws on local faith leaders for cover. Patients can ask for a chaplain of their own faith, and the team arranges it. The chapel and the multi-faith rooms are part of the job too: quiet spaces kept open through the day, used for services, prayer, meditation and plain silence, and looked after so that a person in crisis can walk in and find calm rather than clutter.

The work is not confined to office hours. Deaths do not wait for Monday morning, and families need support at night and at weekends. Chaplains take part in on-call rotas, and the on-call payment for chaplaincy is arranged locally: this guide quotes no national on-call rate for chaplains, because none is published in the Agenda for Change figures used here, and a rate invented for this page would mislead. Applicants should ask at interview how the on-call rota works, how often they would be called, and how call-outs are paid. The same question applies to bank holiday cover, which falls to the team on a rota and is paid under the unsocial-hours rules set out below.

Confidentiality runs through the role in a way that sets it apart from most hospital jobs. What a patient tells a chaplain in confidence stays in confidence, within the same safeguarding limits that apply across the hospital. Chaplains are not part of the clinical record in the usual sense, and they do not share the content of pastoral conversations with the ward team unless the patient agrees or safety requires it. That trust is the reason patients talk to chaplains about things they will not raise with anyone else, and it is a responsibility the role carries every day.

Hourly rates, unsocial hours and overtime

Chaplaincy unsocial-hours pay follows Agenda for Change Section 2. Bands 5 and 6 both sit in the Bands 4 to 9 group, which receives time plus 30% for Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm to 6am) and time plus 60% for Sundays and bank holidays. At Band 5 entry, on the £16.38 base rate, that is £21.29 an hour for a Saturday or weekday night hour and £26.21 an hour for a Sunday or bank holiday hour. At Band 5 intermediate, the rates are £22.97 and £28.27 an hour, and at Band 5 top, £25.94 and £31.92 an hour. At Band 6 entry, the rates are £26.53 and £32.66 an hour, at intermediate £28.00 and £34.46 an hour, and at top £31.95 and £39.33 an hour.

Overtime above 37.5 hours a week is paid at time and a half for Bands 5 and 6, and at double time on bank holidays. A Band 5 chaplain at entry on £16.38 an hour therefore earns £24.57 an hour for weekday overtime and £32.76 an hour for bank holiday overtime. At Band 5 intermediate, overtime is £26.51 an hour and bank holiday overtime is £35.34, and at Band 5 top, £29.93 and £39.90. At Band 6 entry, overtime is £30.62 an hour and bank holiday overtime is £40.82, at intermediate £32.31 and £43.08, and at top £36.87 and £49.16. Part-time chaplains are paid at plain time for hours above their contracted hours up to 37.5, with overtime rates only above that threshold. Overtime and unsocial-hours enhancement cannot both be claimed for the same hours. For the full overtime and unsocial rules, see our guide to unsocial hours and overtime pay.

Weekend and evening work deserves a plain word, because it is where chaplaincy differs from most Band 5 and Band 6 roles. A chaplain called to a ward at 2am is not covering a routine shift: the call is usually a death, a family in distress, or a patient asking for prayer before surgery at dawn. The unsocial-hours premium recognises the hour, but the work itself is the reason many chaplains accept the rota. Teams share the load so that no one chaplain carries every night, and small teams in particular need a rota that leaves room for rest.

London weighting (HCAS)

Chaplains 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 where the minimums and maximums bite. A Band 5 chaplain at entry in inner London would get 20% of £32,073, which is £6,414.60, for a total of £32,073 + £6,414.60 = £38,487.60. The same chaplain 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 is lifted to the minimum and the total is £32,073 + £4,870 = £36,943. In the fringe zone, 5% of £32,073 is £1,603.65, which sits between the minimum and the maximum and is paid as calculated, for a total of £32,073 + £1,603.65 = £33,676.65. At Band 5 top, inner London pay is £39,043 + £7,808.60 = £46,851.60, outer London pay is £39,043 + £5,856.45 = £44,899.45, and fringe pay is £39,043 + £1,952.15 = £40,995.15.

At Band 6 the maximums bite. A Band 6 chaplain at top in inner London would get 20% of £48,117, which is £9,623.40, but the inner London maximum is £8,746, so the supplement is capped and the total is £48,117 + £8,746 = £56,863. In outer London, 15% of £48,117 is £7,217.55, capped at the £6,137 maximum, for a total of £48,117 + £6,137 = £54,254. In the fringe zone, 5% of £48,117 is £2,405.85, capped at the £2,270 maximum, for a total of £48,117 + £2,270 = £50,387. At Band 6 entry, where no cap or floor bites except the outer minimum check, inner London pay is £39,959 + £7,991.80 = £47,950.80, outer London pay is £39,959 + £5,993.85 = £45,952.85, and fringe pay is £39,959 + £1,997.95 = £41,956.95. For the full zone rules, see our London weighting (HCAS) guide.

Pension contributions

Chaplains 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 jump inside this role sits between Band 5 intermediate and Band 5 top: the 8.3% tier runs to £35,155, and the 9.8% tier starts at £35,156, so a chaplain moving to the top of Band 5 sees the contribution rate rise as well as the salary. The employer contribution is substantial: at Band 5 entry, the employer pays 23.7% of £32,073, which is £7,601.30 a year into the scheme, and at Band 6 top the employer pays £11,403.73 a year. For the full tier table, see our guide to NHS pension contributions.

Where a chaplain post requires a uniform and the employer gives no laundry service or allowance, HMRC flat-rate expenses can apply. Chaplains are not named in the published role rows, so a uniformed post falls under the default row of £60 a year, worth £12 a year in tax relief at the 20% rate and £24 at the 40% rate. Many chaplaincy posts do not require a uniform, so this is a detail to check rather than a sum to assume. Claims can be backdated up to four tax years.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Chaplain pay outside England follows the same Agenda for Change framework with different awards and, in Scotland, a different working week. Scotland agreed a two-year deal worth 3.75% from 1 April 2026, with a 36-hour week from April 2026, which changes the overtime threshold for Scottish chaplains to 36 hours. The data file holds a Scotland Band 5 range of £34,494 to £42,977, but not the full Scotland chaplain scale, so this guide quotes no Scotland Band 6 chaplain figures and no Scotland hourly rates. Wales implemented the 3.3% award from 1 April 2026, paid on time, and the data file holds a Wales Band 5 example of £32,557 at entry, £35,114 at intermediate and £39,631 at top, which is slightly above the England figures at each point. Northern Ireland is different: the 3.3% award was recommended but had not been implemented at the time of writing, so Northern Ireland chaplains should not budget on the uplift until it is confirmed. For the national picture, see our guides to NHS Scotland pay and NHS Wales pay.

Annual leave follows the England Agenda for Change tiers: 27 days plus 8 bank holidays for up to 4 years of service, 29 plus 8 for 5 or more years, and 33 plus 8 for 10 or more years, pro rata for part-time chaplains. For the leave rules in full, see our annual leave guide. The wider staff benefits picture, including the pension, sick pay and salary-sacrifice schemes that sit alongside chaplain pay, is set out in our NHS staff benefits guide.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an NHS chaplain earn?

In 2026/27, an NHS chaplain in England typically earns £32,073 to £39,043 a year at Band 5, or £39,959 to £48,117 a year at Band 6, for a full-time 37.5-hour week under Agenda for Change. Most chaplains sit at Band 5, and lead chaplains and chaplaincy managers sit at Band 6. London weighting, unsocial-hours enhancements and overtime can lift pay above basic salary.

What band is an NHS chaplain?

Most NHS chaplain posts sit at Band 5, the registered-professional entry band, which has three pay points: entry, intermediate and top. Lead chaplains, deputy heads of chaplaincy and chaplaincy managers sit at Band 6. The band follows the job evaluation of the post, not the title alone, so a small trust may combine the lead role with a clinical caseload while a large trust splits it into separate posts.

What does an NHS chaplain do?

An NHS chaplain offers pastoral, spiritual and religious care to patients, families and staff, whatever their faith or belief. The work covers bedside visits, prayer and rituals, support at the end of life and after a death, bereavement support, staff debriefs after difficult shifts, and keeping the chapel and multi-faith rooms open as quiet spaces. Chaplaincy teams cover several faiths and beliefs, so a patient can ask for a chaplain of their own faith, and chaplains also support people with no religious faith who want someone to talk to.

What is the hourly rate for an NHS chaplain?

In 2026/27, the Band 5 hourly rates in England are £16.38 at entry, £17.67 at intermediate and £19.95 at top. At Band 6, the hourly rates are £20.41 at entry, £21.54 at intermediate and £24.58 at top. Hourly rates are annual salary divided by 52.2 weeks and 37.5 hours.

Do NHS chaplains get extra pay for nights and weekends?

Yes, when they work unsocial hours. Under Agenda for Change Section 2, Bands 5 and 6 receive time plus 30% for Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm to 6am) and time plus 60% for Sundays and bank holidays. At Band 5 entry, that is £21.29 and £26.21 an hour, and at Band 6 top, £31.95 and £39.33 an hour. Much chaplaincy on-call work is arranged locally, so the on-call payment itself is set by the trust rather than by a national rate on this page.

Do NHS chaplains get overtime pay?

Yes. Overtime above 37.5 hours a week is paid at time and a half for Bands 5 and 6, and at double time on bank holidays. A Band 5 chaplain at entry on £16.38 an hour therefore earns £24.57 an hour for weekday overtime and £32.76 an hour for bank holiday overtime. At Band 6 top, the rates are £36.87 and £49.16 an hour. Overtime and unsocial-hours enhancement cannot both be claimed for the same hours.

What is the chaplain salary in London with HCAS?

With High Cost Area Supplement, a Band 5 chaplain at entry in England earns £38,487.60 in inner London (£32,073 + £6,414.60), £36,943 in outer London (£32,073 + £4,870 minimum HCAS) and £33,676.65 in the fringe zone (£32,073 + £1,603.65). At Band 6 top, the totals are £56,863 inner, £54,254 outer and £50,387 fringe, because the percentage calculation is capped at the HCAS maximum in each zone.

Are NHS chaplains employed by the NHS or by a faith organisation?

Most hospital chaplains are directly employed by the NHS trust on Agenda for Change terms, and this guide quotes those rates. Chaplaincy teams work closely with local faith communities, and some provision is arranged with those communities, so the employer named in the job advert is the detail to check. A post advertised by a trust on Agenda for Change terms carries the pay, pension and leave on this page; a post advertised by another body follows that body's own terms.