Oncology Nurse Salary 2026/27

Last updated: 1 November 2026 · Figures verified against the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay circular.

By the NHS Bands Pay editorial team

Oncology nurse pay 2026/27: the Band 5 and Band 6 scales

England awarded Agenda for Change staff 3.3% from 1 April 2026, and that award is already in these figures. An oncology nurse in England in 2026/27 earns £32,073 to £39,043 at Band 5 and £39,959 to £48,117 at Band 6, for a full-time 37.5-hour week. The step from the top of Band 5 to Band 6 entry is only £916, which surprises nurses who expect a bigger jump on promotion, but the full Band 6 range runs £8,158 above its entry point, so the promotion pays off over the following years rather than on day one. For the wider picture at each band, see the Band 5 salary guide and the Band 6 salary guide.

The 2026/27 England scales for a full-time 37.5-hour week. Hourly rates are annual pay divided by 52.2 weeks and then by 37.5 hours, rounded to the nearest penny, and enhancement and overtime rates on this page are calculated from that rounded hourly rate. Monthly pay is annual pay divided by 12. Weekly pay is annual pay divided by 52.2.

For comparison, the 2025/26 ranges before the 3.3% award were £31,049 to £37,796 at Band 5 and £38,682 to £46,580 at Band 6. The award lifted every step, and no back pay was due in England because the increase was paid on time in April salaries.

What an oncology nurse actually does

Oncology nursing covers the whole cancer pathway, and the day looks very different depending on where the nurse works. On an inpatient oncology ward, the nurse admits patients for treatment cycles, manages symptoms between cycles, looks after patients with complications such as infection or low blood counts, and supports people through difficult news and decisions about further treatment. In a day unit, the work is planned and clinic-like: patients arrive for a scheduled treatment or review, spend hours rather than days in the department, and go home the same day. In outpatient clinics, oncology nurses run follow-up and review clinics, assess patients between cycles, and act as the point of contact patients ring when something changes at home.

Three threads run through all three settings. The first is treatment safety: checking blood results before a cycle, confirming doses and prescriptions, watching for reactions during treatment, and knowing when a treatment must be delayed. The second is symptom work: pain, nausea, fatigue, breathlessness and anxiety are everyday problems in this specialty, and managing them well is skilled clinical work, not background care. The third is continuity: a patient on a course of treatment may be under the same team for months or years, so the nurse-patient relationship in oncology runs far longer than on a general ward, and families come to know the nurses by name. That continuity is what many oncology nurses name as the best part of the job, and it is also what makes the losses hard when treatment stops working.

Oncology nursing is not the same as chemotherapy nursing, though the two overlap heavily. Chemotherapy nurses specialise in giving systemic anti-cancer therapy, known as SACT, and need SACT competency training and sign-off before working unsupervised. An oncology nurse can work on wards and in clinics without holding SACT competencies, and SACT nurses also work in haematology and other services. If the post you are looking at involves giving SACT, ask at interview what the local SACT pathway looks like and how long sign-off takes, because it varies by trust. Our chemotherapy nurse salary guide covers the SACT role, its training and its on-call patterns in detail.

Band 5 versus Band 6: what actually changes

At Band 5, the oncology nurse is the staff nurse: delivering care planned by others, administering treatments within competency, monitoring patients during and after treatment, and escalating problems to senior colleagues. A newly qualified nurse starts at the bottom of Band 5 and moves through the steps on annual progression, subject to the usual appraisal and performance requirements. The work is demanding from the start, because cancer patients are often acutely unwell even on a planned ward, but the accountability sits with the nurse in charge.

At Band 6, the nurse takes charge of a ward or day unit on a shift, coordinates the team, mentors Band 5 nurses and students, and holds the more complex caseloads: patients with unstable symptoms, complicated treatment regimens, or difficult family situations. Band 6 oncology nurses often run nurse-led clinics, take referrals, and act as the key worker for a group of patients, coordinating their care across the hospital and community. The pay difference at the point of promotion is small, £916 from the top of Band 5 to Band 6 entry, but Band 6 also opens the route to Band 7 clinical nurse specialist posts, at £49,387 to £56,515, where the nurse carries a defined specialist caseload and shapes the service itself.

Unsocial hours: ward rotas pay more than day-unit hours

Unsocial hours are where two oncology nurses at the same band can take home noticeably different pay. Section 2 of Agenda for Change pays time plus 30% for Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm to 6am) and time plus 60% for Sundays and bank holidays, for Bands 4 to 9. Day-unit and clinic nurses, working mostly weekday daytime hours, earn little of this. Ward nurses on 24-hour rotas earn it every week, and it is the main reason a ward-based Band 5 nurse can out-earn a day-unit Band 6 nurse on plain-time comparisons alone. Enhancement and overtime cannot both be claimed for the same hours.

A Band 5 nurse at entry working a Sunday shift earns £26.21 an hour against £16.38 in plain time, so a single 7.5-hour Sunday shift adds £73.73 before tax. That is the arithmetic to run when comparing a ward post with a day-unit post: ask for the rota pattern, count the unsocial hours in a typical month, and price them from this table. For the full rules, see our unsocial hours and overtime guide.

Overtime: time and a half, double on bank holidays

At Bands 5 and 6, overtime above 37.5 hours a week is paid at time and a half, and double time on bank holidays. From the rounded hourly rates, time and a half is £24.57 at Band 5 entry, £29.93 at the top of Band 5, £30.62 at Band 6 entry and £36.87 at the top of Band 6. Double time on a bank holiday is £32.76 at Band 5 entry and £49.16 at the top of Band 6. Part-time nurses are paid at plain time, plus any unsocial enhancement that applies, for hours above their contracted hours up to 37.5; the overtime rates only start above 37.5. Staff may elect time off in lieu instead of pay, and many oncology teams use TOIL to manage the peaks around treatment lists.

London weighting: what HCAS adds

Oncology nurses in London trusts receive the High Cost Area Supplement on top of basic pay: 20% of basic 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). The minimums matter at Band 5 entry, where 15% of £32,073 is £4,810.95, below the outer London minimum, so the nurse receives £4,870 and a total of £36,943. The maximums matter at the top of Band 6, where 20% of £48,117 is £9,623.40, above the inner London cap, so the nurse receives £8,746 and a total of £56,863. For the full zone rules, see our London weighting guide.

Pension: what comes off the payslip

Oncology nurses are in the NHS Pension Scheme, and the member contribution is the largest regular deduction after tax. On the provisional 2026/27 England and Wales tiers, Band 5 entry at £32,073 sits in the 8.3% tier, paying £2,662.06 a year or £221.84 a month. Band 5 intermediate at £34,592 is also in the 8.3% tier, paying £2,871.14 a year or £239.26 a month. From the top of Band 5 upward the rate is 9.8%: £3,826.21 a year or £318.85 a month at £39,043, £3,915.98 a year or £326.33 a month at Band 6 entry, £4,132.66 a year or £344.39 a month at Band 6 intermediate, and £4,715.47 a year or £392.96 a month at the top of Band 6. The employer contributes 23.7% on top, which is £11,403.73 a year at the top of Band 6. The 2026/27 tiers are provisional, calculated from the published 2025/26 tiers, so treat the tier boundaries as subject to confirmation. For the full tier table, see our pension contributions guide.

Part-time work, annual leave and uniform relief

Part-time oncology work is common, especially in day units and clinics, and part-time pay is pro rata of the full-time equivalent salary. A 0.8 WTE Band 5 nurse at entry earns 80% of £32,073, which is £25,658.40 a year, and a 0.6 WTE Band 6 nurse at the top earns 60% of £48,117, which is £28,870.20 a year, before any enhancements. Part-time nurses accrue annual leave pro rata as well, and hours above contracted hours up to 37.5 are paid at plain time plus any unsocial enhancement, as explained above. For the leave rules in full, see our annual leave guide and our part-time pay guide.

Annual leave in England follows the Agenda for Change tiers: 27 days plus 8 bank holidays for up to 4 years of service, 29 plus 8 from 5 years, and 33 plus 8 from 10 years. Uniform tax relief is a small but real extra: nurses can claim HMRC flat-rate expenses of £125 a year for laundering a uniform where the employer provides no laundry service or allowance, worth £25 a year at the basic tax rate and £50 at the higher rate, backdatable up to 4 tax years on form P87.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scotland has its own Agenda for Change scale and a 36-hour week from April 2026, after a 3.75% award from 1 April 2026. The Scotland Band 5 range is £34,494 to £42,977, which works out at £18.36 to £22.87 an hour on the 36-hour week. Scotland Band 6 steps are not quoted here because the full Scotland Band 6 scale is not in the verified data file, and this page does not guess at it. Wales awarded 3.3% from 1 April 2026, and the Wales Band 5 steps are £32,557, £35,114 and £39,631, slightly above the England steps at entry and intermediate. Northern Ireland is different: the 3.3% award was recommended but had not been implemented at the time of writing, so Northern Ireland oncology nurses should not budget on the new rates until implementation is confirmed. For the nation guides, see NHS Scotland pay, NHS Wales pay and NHS Northern Ireland pay.

The honest picture: what oncology nurse pay does and does not do

Oncology nurse pay in 2026/27 is solid, nationally set, and transparent: anyone can look up the band, find the step, and know the basic salary to the penny. It does not reward the specialty itself. There is no oncology supplement, no SACT premium in the national scale, and no extra pay for the emotional weight of the work. What varies is the rota, the setting, and the location: a ward nurse on nights and Sundays, a London nurse with HCAS, and a day-unit nurse on plain time can sit at the same band and take home quite different amounts. When comparing oncology posts, price the rota from the unsocial table, check whether SACT competencies are required or trained in post, ask about on-call arrangements, and confirm the HCAS zone. Those four answers tell you more about the real pay of a post than the band alone ever will.

Frequently asked questions

What band is an oncology nurse in the NHS?

In England in 2026/27, oncology nurse posts sit at Band 5 or Band 6. Band 5 pays £32,073 at entry, £34,592 at the intermediate step and £39,043 at the top, and Band 6 pays £39,959 at entry, £42,170 at the intermediate step and £48,117 at the top, for a full-time 37.5-hour week. Band 5 is the staff nurse grade on oncology wards and in day units, while Band 6 is the senior grade, coordinating a ward or day unit, mentoring junior staff and holding the more complex caseloads. Lead oncology nurse and clinical nurse specialist posts sit at Band 7, at £49,387 to £56,515.

How much does an oncology nurse earn a month?

In England in 2026/27, a Band 5 oncology nurse earns £2,672.75 a month at entry, £2,882.67 at the intermediate step and £3,253.58 at the top, before tax, National Insurance and pension deductions. A Band 6 oncology nurse earns £3,329.92 a month at entry, £3,514.17 at the intermediate step and £4,009.75 at the top. Those are gross figures for a full-time 37.5-hour week, before any unsocial-hours enhancement, overtime or London weighting.

What is the difference between an oncology nurse and a chemotherapy nurse?

Oncology nursing is the wider specialty and chemotherapy nursing sits inside it. An oncology nurse looks after people with cancer across wards, day units and clinics: admissions, symptom management, treatment support and follow-up care. A chemotherapy nurse specialises in giving systemic anti-cancer therapy, known as SACT, and needs SACT competency training and sign-off before working unsupervised. Many oncology nurses give SACT as part of their job, but a nurse can work in oncology without being a SACT nurse, and SACT nurses also work in haematology and other services. Our chemotherapy nurse salary guide covers the SACT role in detail.

Do oncology nurses work nights and weekends?

It depends on the setting. Oncology day units and clinics are mostly daytime and weekday, while inpatient oncology wards run 24-hour rotas like any other ward, so ward nurses work nights, weekends and bank holidays. Where hours fall in the unsocial windows, Section 2 enhancements apply at Bands 5 and 6: time plus 30% for Saturdays and weekday nights, and time plus 60% for Sundays and bank holidays. At Band 5 entry that is £21.29 an hour on Saturdays and weekday nights and £26.21 on Sundays and bank holidays; at the top of Band 6 it is £31.95 and £39.33.

Do oncology nurses get London weighting?

Yes. Oncology nurses 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 oncology nurse at entry in inner London earns £32,073 + £6,414.60 = £38,487.60 a year; at the top of Band 6 in inner London the supplement is capped at £8,746, giving £56,863 a year.

How much pension does an oncology nurse pay?

On the provisional 2026/27 England and Wales tiers, a Band 5 oncology nurse at entry pays 8.3% of pensionable pay, which is £221.84 a month on £32,073. At the top of Band 5 the rate is 9.8%, or £318.85 a month on £39,043, and at the top of Band 6 it is also 9.8%, or £392.96 a month on £48,117. The employer contributes 23.7% on top, which is £11,403.73 a year at the top of Band 6. The 2026/27 tiers are provisional, calculated from the published 2025/26 tiers, not yet published as final.

How do I become an oncology nurse?

Oncology nurse posts require NMC registration as a registered nurse, usually with clinical experience first. Most nurses enter through ward nursing, often on medical, surgical or oncology wards, building experience with cancer patients before applying for a Band 5 oncology post. Postgraduate modules in cancer care strengthen applications for Band 6 posts, and SACT competency training in post is the route into giving systemic anti-cancer therapy. The trust provides that training, with supervised practice and sign-off before unsupervised work.

Is oncology nursing paid more than general ward nursing?

No, not on basic pay. An oncology nurse and a general ward nurse at the same band and step earn exactly the same basic salary, because both are paid on the Agenda for Change scale. Any difference in take-home pay comes from the rota: ward-based oncology nurses on 24-hour rotas pick up unsocial-hours enhancements that day-unit nurses mostly do not, and on-call or overtime patterns vary by trust. The specialty difference is in the work itself, not in a separate oncology pay rate, and no national oncology supplement exists.