NHS Porter Pay 2026/27
Last updated: 20 October 2026 · Figures verified against the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay circular.
What band is an NHS porter?
NHS porters are banded at Band 2 under Agenda for Change. The banding is decided by the AfC job evaluation scheme, which scores each post on factors such as effort, skill, responsibility and working conditions (see how NHS jobs are banded). Portering scores consistently at Band 2 because the role is physically demanding and requires reliability, communication and awareness of infection control, but not the professional qualifications of higher bands.
Band 2 has no pay steps: it is a single spot rate. Everyone on Band 2, from a first-day porter to a porter with twenty years of service, earns the same basic salary full-time. Band 1 was closed to new entrants, so Band 2 is the effective entry point to NHS employment. Read NHS Band 2 pay for the full picture of the band.
NHS porter salary 2026/27
Porter pay follows the national AfC award in each nation, but the award is implemented differently across the UK:
| Nation | 2026/27 position | Porter annual (FTE) | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 3.3% award, paid from 1 April 2026 | £25,272 | £12.91 |
| Wales | 3.3% award, Real Living Wage floor of £13.45/hr applied to Band 2 | £26,300 | £13.44 |
| Scotland | Own pay scale; 3.75% from 1 April 2026 under the two-year deal; 36-hour week from April 2026 | Own scale | See NHS Scotland pay |
| Northern Ireland | 3.3% recommended but not yet implemented (as of late August 2026) | Do not budget on the 3.3% until confirmed | See NHS Northern Ireland pay |
Hourly rates are calculated as annual salary divided by 52.2 weeks and 37.5 hours, the standard AfC method (Wales: £26,300 / 52.2 / 37.5 = £13.44). In Scotland the 36-hour week changes the hourly conversion, so use the Scottish figures on our Scotland page.
Porter pay breakdown: hourly, weekly and monthly
| Measure | England porter pay |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | £12.91 |
| Weekly (37.5h) | £484.14 |
| Monthly (gross) | £2,106 |
| Annual (FTE) | £25,272 |
These are full-time equivalent figures. Part-time porters are paid pro rata for their contracted hours, and unsocial-hours enhancements are calculated on the same £12.91 base (see NHS part-time pay for how pro-rata pay works).
The 2026/27 pay rise for porters
The 3.3% award for 2026/27 took effect on 1 April 2026 and was accepted in full (see the 2026/27 pay rise). For porters in England it moved the Band 2 spot rate from £24,465 to £25,272, an increase of £807 a year - roughly £67 a month gross before deductions. Wales applied the same 3.3% alongside its £13.45 Real Living Wage floor for Band 2.
Unsocial hours pay for porters
Portering is a 24-hour service, so unsocial-hours pay makes up a meaningful part of many porters' earnings. Under AfC Section 2, Band 2 enhancements are:
- Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm to 6am): time plus 41% - £12.91 × 1.41 = £18.20 an hour
- Sundays and public holidays: time plus 83% - £12.91 × 1.83 = £23.63 an hour
Worked example: a full 7.5-hour Saturday shift is worth £96.83 at plain time, but £136.52 with the Saturday enhancement. The same 7.5 hours on a Sunday or bank holiday is worth £177.19. These are the 2026/27 verified Section 2 rates - older figures sometimes quoted online (such as 44% and 88%) were superseded by the 2018 AfC framework agreement and are wrong. See unsocial hours and overtime for the full rules.
Do NHS porters get overtime?
Yes. Overtime is any hours worked above 37.5 a week (36 hours in Scotland from April 2026). For Bands 1 to 7, AfC Section 3 sets overtime at time-and-a-half, rising to double time on bank and public holidays. For a porter on £12.91 an hour, that means:
- Weekday overtime: £12.91 × 1.5 = £19.37 an hour - five extra weekday hours add £96.83 to the payslip
- Bank holiday overtime: £12.91 × 2 = £25.82 an hour
Two limits apply: overtime and unsocial-hours enhancement cannot both be claimed for the same hours, and staff in Bands 8 and 9 get time off in lieu rather than overtime pay. Staff may elect TOIL instead of overtime pay at any band. Full detail: NHS unsocial hours and overtime.
Porter pay in London: HCAS
Porters in London get High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) on top of the Band 2 salary. Because 20%, 15% and 5% of £25,272 all fall below the HCAS minimums, porters receive the minimum payment in each zone:
| HCAS zone | HCAS paid | Total porter salary |
|---|---|---|
| Inner London | £5,794 (minimum; 20% of £25,272 = £5,054) | £31,066 |
| Outer London | £4,870 (minimum; 15% of £25,272 = £3,791) | £30,142 |
| Fringe | £1,346 (minimum; 5% of £25,272 = £1,264) | £26,618 |
HCAS counts as basic pay for pension and enhancement calculations. See London weighting (HCAS) for zone boundaries and the full rates.
NHS pension contributions for porters
Porters are automatically enrolled in the NHS Pension Scheme. For 2026/27 the provisional contribution tiers put a £25,272 salary in the 6.5% tier (£13,260 to £28,854), which is £136.89 a month deducted from gross pay (£25,272 × 6.5% / 12). The employer pays 23.7% on top at no cost to the porter. These are provisional tiers - the official 2026/27 tiers have not yet been published. See NHS pension contributions for the full table.
Bank porter shifts
Many porters top up their earnings with bank shifts through their trust's staff bank. Bank shifts are paid at the hourly rate for the grade - for porters that is the £12.91 Band 2 rate in England - with unsocial-hours enhancements applying to hours worked at unsocial times. Bank staff do not get overtime premiums on top of unsocial enhancements for the same hours. Whether bank or agency pays better depends on shift patterns, availability of unsocial hours and agency fees - we compare the two in agency vs bank pay.
In-house vs contracted-out porters
Not every porter is directly employed by an NHS trust. Some trusts contract facilities services - including portering, cleaning and catering - to private facilities-management companies. Contracted-out porters are employed by the contractor, so their pay and terms follow that employer's contract and are not necessarily the AfC rates on this page. When applying, check which employer is named in the job advert. TUPE rules protect pay and conditions for staff transferred between contractors, but new starters join on the contractor's own terms.
What does an NHS porter do?
Porters keep the hospital moving: transferring patients between wards and departments, moving equipment, specimens, samples, medical records, post and supplies around the site, and supporting waste, linen and stores movements. The service runs 24 hours a day, which is why rotas include early starts, late finishes, nights and weekends - and why the unsocial-hours enhancements above matter so much to take-home pay. Portering needs physical fitness, reliability and clear communication rather than clinical qualifications, which is what makes it one of the most open entry points into NHS employment.
Career progression from porter
Pay progression
There is no progression within Band 2: as a single spot rate, every Band 2 employee earns £25,272 full-time. Real progression means moving to a Band 3 post (£25,760 to £27,476 in 2026/27, England), such as a senior porter or portering team leader. See NHS Band 3 pay for what comes next. Other routes porters commonly take include healthcare assistant (Band 2, with clinical experience), ambulance care assistant, and facilities or estates supervision roles. In-house training such as the Care Certificate supports applications for clinical-facing posts.
Annual leave
Porters get the standard AfC leave: 27 days plus 8 bank holidays (35 total) with under five years of service, rising to 29 plus 8 (37) at five years and 33 plus 8 (41) at ten years. Part-time staff get pro-rata leave.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an NHS porter earn per hour?
In England, an NHS porter earns £12.91 an hour in 2026/27 (£25,272 a year full-time, 37.5 hours a week). In Wales the Band 2 rate is £13.44 an hour (£26,300 a year) under the Real Living Wage floor. Shift work attracts unsocial-hours enhancements of 41% (Saturdays and weekday nights) or 83% (Sundays and bank holidays) for Band 2.
Is an NHS porter always Band 2?
Portering posts evaluated under Agenda for Change are Band 2. Senior porter and portering team-leader posts are typically evaluated at Band 3 (£25,760 to £27,476 in 2026/27). Porters employed by private facilities contractors are not on AfC bands at all - check the employer named in the advert.
Do NHS porters get paid extra for nights and weekends?
Yes. Under AfC Section 2, Band 2 porters get time plus 41% for Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm to 6am), and time plus 83% for Sundays and public holidays. On a £12.91 base rate that is £18.20 an hour on Saturdays and nights, and £23.63 an hour on Sundays and bank holidays.
Do NHS porters get overtime pay?
Yes. Overtime above 37.5 hours a week is paid at time-and-a-half for Bands 1 to 7, and double time on bank and public holidays. For a porter that is £19.37 an hour weekday overtime and £25.82 an hour on bank holidays. Overtime and unsocial-hours enhancement cannot both be claimed for the same hours.
What is the porter salary in London with HCAS?
With High Cost Area Supplement, an England porter in 2026/27 earns £31,066 in inner London (£25,272 + £5,794 minimum HCAS), £30,142 in outer London (£25,272 + £4,870) and £26,618 in the fringe zone (£25,272 + £1,346). The percentage-based calculation falls below the HCAS minimums, so porters get the minimum payment in each zone.
Can NHS porters work bank shifts?
Yes. Bank porters are paid at the Band 2 hourly rate (£12.91 in England), with unsocial-hours enhancements applying to hours worked at unsocial times. Bank work is a common way to top up earnings; see our agency vs bank pay comparison for how it stacks up against agency work.
How do you progress from a Band 2 porter to Band 3?
By securing a Band 3 post - progression is not automatic, because Band 2 is a single spot rate with no pay steps. Typical routes are senior porter or portering team leader (£25,760 to £27,476 in 2026/27), or sideways into clinical-facing Band 2 and 3 roles such as healthcare assistant posts with in-house training such as the Care Certificate.
Was there a pay rise for porters in 2026/27?
Yes. The 3.3% AfC award from 1 April 2026 moved the Band 2 spot rate from £24,465 to £25,272 - an increase of £807 a year. In Wales the same award applied alongside the £13.45 Real Living Wage floor. In Northern Ireland the 3.3% has been recommended but not yet implemented, so staff there should not budget on it until confirmed.
Source: NHS Employers 2026/27 pay award announcement.
Source: NHS Employers unsocial hours payments.
Source: Health Careers NHS pay rates.