NHS Mental Health Salaries 2026/27: Pay Bands Explained by Role

The 2026/27 NHS pay award gives Agenda for Change staff in England a 3.3% uplift from 1 April 2026, confirmed by NHS Employers and paid in April salaries. Scotland agreed 3.75% through its own two-year deal. Here's what that means for the main mental health roles.

How Agenda for Change works

Agenda for Change covers all NHS staff except doctors, dentists and very senior managers. Roles are placed in bands (2 to 9, with Band 8 split into 8a to 8d) through job evaluation. Within each band you move up pay points after set periods, subject to appraisal.

2026/27 pay bands (England, basic annual pay)

• Band 2: £25,272
• Band 3: £25,760 to £27,476
• Band 4: £28,392 to £31,157
• Band 5: £32,073 to £39,043
• Band 6: £39,959 to £48,117
• Band 7: £49,387 to £56,515
• Band 8a: £57,528 to £64,750
• Band 8b: £66,582 to £77,368
• Bands 8c to 8d: £79,504 to £108,814
• Band 9: £112,782 to £129,783

Pay by mental health role (typical NHS bands)

• Mental health support worker or HCA: Band 2 to 3
• Peer support worker: Band 3 to 4
• Trainee PWP: Band 4. Qualified PWP: Band 5. Senior PWP: Band 6 (NHS Psychological Professions Network)
• Newly qualified RMN or OT: Band 5
• Care coordinator or community RMN: Band 6
• Trainee CBT therapist: commonly Band 6. Qualified CBT therapist: Band 7
• Newly qualified clinical psychologist: Band 7. Senior to consultant psychologist: 8a to 8d
• Team leader or ward manager: Band 7. Service manager: 8a to 8c

Bands vary between trusts for similar job titles, so always check the advert.

London and other additions

High Cost Area Supplements add 20% of basic pay in Inner London (minimum £5,794, maximum £8,746), 15% in Outer London and 5% in the Fringe. Unsocial hours payments apply to night, weekend and bank holiday work, which is significant on inpatient wards. Some trusts pay recruitment and retention premia for hard-to-fill posts.

What about psychiatrists?

Doctors are paid on separate national medical pay scales, and locum rates vary. We'll cover psychiatry pay in a dedicated guide.

What's next

NHS Employers says the government has committed to talks on structural reform of Agenda for Change, prioritising the lowest bands and graduate pay, with any agreed changes backdated to 1 April 2026. We'll update this guide when the outcome is confirmed.

Pay transparency helps you compare offers across NHS, independent and charity employers. On Mental Health Jobs you can set a minimum salary when you search, and our salary guide lists typical NHS pay for the main roles.