NHS Wales Pay 2026/27: Bands, Salaries & the Living Wage Floor
Last updated: 26 September 2026 · Figures verified against the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay circular.
The 2026/27 award in Wales
The Welsh Government accepted the NHS Pay Review Body's recommendation in full, awarding Agenda for Change staff in Wales a 3.3% consolidated uplift effective 1 April 2026 — the same percentage as England, and likewise paid on time in April salaries, with no backpay needed. The announcement came on 12 February 2026 alongside the English award. For the UK-wide picture, see our guide to the NHS pay rise 2026/27.
Wales publishes its own Agenda for Change pay circular (AfC(W) 02/2026), and while the headline percentage matches England, the Welsh scale has its own distinct figures — particularly at the bottom of the bands, where Wales went further than a straight 3.3%.
The £13.45 Real Living Wage floor
In a separate January 2026 pay circular, Wales applied the Real Living Wage Foundation rate of £13.45 an hour as a floor to the lowest-paid staff:
- Band 1 and the Band 2 spot rate were lifted to £26,300 — a 5.9% rise for the lowest-paid staff, well above the 3.3% headline.
- The Band 3 minimum was also lifted to £26,300 (a 3.9% rise at that point).
- This means the bottom of the Welsh Agenda for Change scale is materially higher than England's: Welsh Band 2 pays £26,300 against England's £25,272 — a £1,028 difference for healthcare assistants and support workers.
NHS Wales pay scale 2026/27
The full Welsh Agenda for Change scale for 2026/27 (full-time equivalent, 37.5-hour week; hourly = annual ÷ 52.2 ÷ 37.5):
| Band | Wales entry | Wales intermediate | Wales top | Hourly (entry → top) | England entry → top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £26,300 (spot) | — | £26,300 | £13.43 | £25,272 |
| Band 3 | £26,300 | — | £27,890 | £13.43 → £14.25 | £25,760 → £27,476 |
| Band 4 | £28,819 | — | £31,626 | £14.72 → £16.16 | £28,392 → £31,157 |
| Band 5 | £32,557 | £35,114 | £39,631 | £16.63 → £20.24 | £32,073 → £39,043 |
| Band 6 | £40,559 | £42,805 | £48,841 | £20.72 → £24.95 | £39,959 → £48,117 |
| Band 7 | £50,129 | £52,712 | £57,365 | £25.61 → £29.31 | £49,387 → £56,515 |
| Band 8a | £58,379 | £61,317 | £65,723 | £29.82 → £33.57 | £57,528 → £64,750 |
| Band 8b | £67,583 | £71,952 | £78,530 | £34.52 → £40.12 | £66,582 → £77,368 |
| Band 8c | £80,698 | £85,611 | £92,984 | £41.22 → £47.50 | £79,504 → £91,609 |
| Band 8d | £95,773 | £101,643 | £110,448 | £48.93 → £56.42 | £94,356 → £108,814 |
| Band 9 | £114,475 | £121,377 | £131,732 | £58.48 → £67.30 | £112,782 → £129,783 |
As the table shows, Wales runs slightly ahead of England at almost every pay point — typically by 1–2% — with the largest gaps at Bands 2 and 3 where the living-wage floor bites. For the English figures used for comparison, see how Agenda for Change in England is structured.
Annual leave in Wales
Wales follows the Agenda for Change leave structure, but Welsh staff report one extra day of annual leave at each tier compared with England: 28 days on appointment, 30 after five years' service, and 34 after ten years (plus 8 bank holidays in each case). If you work in Wales, confirm your exact entitlement with your health board, as local implementation should be checked against the Welsh handbook.
Pensions and take-home
NHS Wales uses the same pension contribution tiers as England: six tiers from 5.2% to 12.5% for 2025/26 (2026/27 thresholds provisional, expected to rise with inflation). Income tax in Wales follows UK rates — unlike Scotland, Wales does not set its own bands — so a Welsh salary and an English salary at the same gross produce the same take-home before pension differences.
Frequently asked questions
Is NHS Wales pay higher than NHS England pay?
Slightly, yes. Wales awarded the same 3.3% headline rise for 2026/27, but the £13.45-an-hour Real Living Wage floor lifted the bottom of the scale further — Band 2 pays £26,300 in Wales versus £25,272 in England. Higher bands run roughly 1–2% ahead of England.
When was the 2026/27 NHS Wales pay rise paid?
The 3.3% uplift was effective from 1 April 2026 and paid on time in April salaries — no backpay was needed.
What is the Real Living Wage floor in NHS Wales?
From January 2026, Wales applied the Living Wage Foundation rate of £13.45 an hour as a minimum to Band 1, the Band 2 spot rate and the Band 3 minimum, setting them at £26,300 a year.
What is the Band 2 salary in NHS Wales for 2026/27?
Band 2 in Wales is a £26,300 spot rate (full-time equivalent), which works out at £13.43 an hour on a 37.5-hour week.
Do NHS staff in Wales get more holiday than in England?
Wales is reported to grant one extra day of annual leave at each Agenda for Change tier (28/30/34 days plus 8 bank holidays). Confirm with your health board, as this should be checked against the Welsh handbook.
Where is the official Welsh NHS pay circular?
Wales publishes Agenda for Change pay in its own circulars — the 2026/27 scale is in AfC(W) 02/2026, with the living-wage floor applied in a January 2026 circular. Ask your health board payroll team for the current circular.
Sources
- NHS Wales pay circular AfC(W) 02/2026 — Agenda for Change pay 2026/27
- NHS Wales January 2026 pay circular — Real Living Wage floor (£13.45/hr)
- Nursing Times — NHS pay award reporting, 12 February 2026
- NHS Pay Review Body 39th Report 2026
- RCN — pay award announcements for England and Wales