# NHS Head of Nursing Salary 2026/27 (Band 8c) — Pay Scale, Hourly Rate & Take-Home Pay

> Official 2026/27 NHS Head of Nursing (Band 8c) salary UK: £79,504 to £91,609 gross per year (£40.66/hr). Monthly net take-home pay is £4,226/mo at entry and £4,735/mo at top step after PAYE tax, NI, and 12.5% CARE pension.

Canonical: https://netpayscale.uk/roles/head-of-nursing/
Last updated: 2026-10-26

## 1. Key 2026/27 Pay Facts for NHS Head of Nursing (Band 8c)
- **Agenda for Change Band:** Band 8c
- **Starting Gross Salary:** £79,504/yr (£40.66/hr)
- **Top Step Gross Salary:** £91,609/yr (£46.85/hr)
- **Basic Daytime Hourly Rate:** £40.66/hr | **Night/Saturday Rate:** £52.86/hr | **Sunday/BH Rate:** £65.06/hr
- **Monthly Net Take-Home (National):** **£4,226/mo** (Entry) to **£4,735/mo** (Top Step)
- **Regional Entry Net Pay:** Inner London (+20%): **£4,594/mo** | Outer London (+15%): **£4,484/mo** | Fringe (+5%): **£4,321/mo** | Scotland: **£4,060/mo**

## 2. Head of Nursing (Band 8c) Pay Step Progression Table (2026/27)

| Experience Step | Annual Gross | Hourly Rate | 2015 CARE Pension | Monthly Net Take-Home |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Entry (0 yrs) | £79,504 | £40.66/hr | 12.5% (£828/mo) | **£4,226/mo** (£50,707/yr) |
| After 2 years (Mid) (2 yrs) | £84,346 | £43.14/hr | 12.5% (£879/mo) | **£4,429/mo** (£53,152/yr) |
| After 5 years (Top) (5 yrs) | £91,609 | £46.85/hr | 12.5% (£954/mo) | **£4,735/mo** (£56,820/yr) |

## 3. Related Links
- [NHS Head of Nursing Interactive Salary Calculator (HTML)](https://netpayscale.uk/roles/head-of-nursing/)
- [All 41 NHS Job Roles Directory](https://netpayscale.uk/roles/)
- [NHS Band 8c Pay Scale Guide](https://netpayscale.uk/bands/band-8c/)