NHS overtime pay calculator 2026/27
Agenda for Change pays bands 1–7 time and a half for overtime, double on bank holidays. Enter your salary and hours to see the gross and what you keep after tax.
Band 5 entry is £32,073 for 2026/27. Use your own band/point.
Overtime rate
England, 2026/27. Bands 1–7 only; bands 8a–9 take time off in lieu. Excludes London HCAS.
£24.67 an overtime hour
2026/27- Overtime a year
- £6,415
- Income Tax
- −£1,283
- National Insurance
- −£513
You keep
from overtime, a year
£4,619
About £385 a month. Overtime is not pensionable, so no pension is deducted.
Verified · 2026/2721 June 2026
How this was calculated
We take your basic NHS salary, work out the hourly rate (salary ÷ 1,950, i.e. 37.5 hours × 52 weeks), and pay your overtime at time and a half (1.5×) or double time (2×) per Agenda for Change for bands 1–7. The overtime is then taxed at your marginal rate — Income Tax and employee National Insurance for 2026/27. Overtime is normally not pensionable, so no pension contribution is taken.
The full method and every source is on our methodology page.
Built & maintained by the Pay Packet team · methodology sourced from HMRC · last reviewed 21 June 2026. About our figures →
How NHS overtime works
Under Agenda for Change, full time is 37.5 hours a week. For staff in bands 1–7, any hours beyond that are overtime, paid at time and a half — a single harmonised rate. Work on a general public (bank) holiday is paid at double time. Staff in bands 8a–9 do not receive paid overtime; they take time off in lieu instead.
Overtime is taxed like any extra earnings — at your marginal rate, not a special "overtime tax" (see is overtime taxed more?). It is normally not pensionable, so no NHS pension contribution comes off it. For your standard pay, use the NHS take-home calculator.
Overtime vs unsocial hours
Do not confuse overtime with unsocial hours. Unsocial hours enhancements (Section 2 of Agenda for Change) pay you a percentage uplift for rostered hours worked at night, at weekends or on public holidays — extra pay for when you work, not for working longer. The percentages vary by band; the current rates are published by NHS Employers.
NHS overtime questions
- What is the NHS overtime rate?
- Under Agenda for Change, staff in bands 1–7 are paid time and a half (1.5×) for hours worked beyond 37.5 a week, and double time (2×) for work on general public (bank) holidays. It is a single harmonised rate across those bands. Staff in bands 8a–9 receive time off in lieu rather than paid overtime.
- How is the overtime hourly rate worked out?
- It is based on your basic annual salary divided by 1,950 hours (37.5 hours × 52 weeks), then multiplied by 1.5 or 2. High Cost Area Supplements and the overtime rate detail can vary, so always check your payslip.
- Is NHS overtime taxed differently?
- No — overtime is taxed at your marginal rate like any extra pay: 28% for a basic-rate earner (20% tax + 8% NI), 42% above £50,270. It is not a special tax. Your NHS pension usually does not apply to overtime, as overtime is not pensionable pay.
- What about unsocial hours — nights and weekends?
- Unsocial hours enhancements are a separate system (Section 2 of Agenda for Change): percentage uplifts on your rostered hours worked at night, weekends or on public holidays — you are paid more for when you work, not for extra hours. The percentages vary by band; see NHS Employers for the current rates.
Guidance for 2026/27, not pay or tax advice. Overtime rules follow the NHS Staff Council Agenda for Change handbook; local arrangements, High Cost Area Supplements and your exact pay point may change the figure. Always check your payslip and ESR.