Agenda for Change Calculator 2026/27: Pay and Band Guide

An Agenda for Change calculator for 2026/27 should estimate NHS staff pay from the relevant pay band, pay point and working pattern, using the official 2026/27 pay scales once they are confirmed. Enter your band, spine point and contracted hours to estimate basic gross pay; the result is not a guaranteed take-home figure, and it cannot be accurate until the applicable pay rates are published.

Formula

This simple calculator converts a full-time annual salary into an estimate for a part-time working pattern. The salary rate is an input because the correct 2026/27 amount depends on the published pay table and the employee’s exact pay point; the calculator does not look up rates or decide which point applies.

• Estimated annual basic salary (£/year) = full-time annual salary (£/year) × contracted weekly hours (hours) ÷ 37.5 hours.
• Estimated monthly basic pay (£/month) = estimated annual basic salary ÷ 12 months.
• Estimated basic hourly rate (£/hour) = estimated annual basic salary ÷ (contracted weekly hours × 52 weeks).

Here, 37.5 hours is the standard full-time weekly hours used in this calculation, and 52 is the number of weeks used for an annualised estimate. Band and spine point identify the rate you need to enter; they do not change the arithmetic. The hourly result is an estimate based on annual salary and hours, not a payslip calculation.

Worked Example

Using the exact defaults shown above: band 5, spine point 2, 37.5 contracted hours per week, and a full-time salary of £30,000 per year. The salary is an illustrative input for demonstrating the calculation, not a claim about the 2026/27 rate for that point.

1. Annual basic salary = £30,000 × 37.5 ÷ 37.5 = £30,000.00 per year.
2. Monthly basic pay = £30,000 ÷ 12 = £2,500.00 per month.
3. Estimated hourly rate = £30,000 ÷ (37.5 × 52) = £30,000 ÷ 1,950 = £15.38 per hour.

What Agenda for Change means

Agenda for Change (AfC) is the NHS pay and conditions framework covering many non-medical NHS roles in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It uses job evaluation to place posts into pay bands, with pay points or steps within bands where applicable. Scotland has its own NHS pay arrangements and published tables, so do not assume that one nation’s figures apply across the UK.

Pay scales can change between financial years. A calculator labelled 2026/27 is only useful for that year if it uses the pay rates that apply from the relevant date and clearly identifies the nation and agreement covered. An older scale, a proposed offer, or a previous year’s table is not a substitute for a confirmed current rate.

How to choose the right pay rate

Find your rate from a current official pay circular or employer information, rather than guessing from a job title. The number of points, entry rules and rates can depend on the year and the relevant national agreement. Check these items before entering a figure:

• Your employer and nation, and whether your post is covered by Agenda for Change.
• Your job’s band as confirmed by the employer. A job title alone does not establish a band.
• Your current pay point or step, including whether you are at an entry point or have progressed.
• The rate’s effective date and whether the table states full-time annual pay.
• Your contracted weekly hours. Use the hours in your contract, not the number you happen to work in a particular week.

If the official table gives a range rather than a specific point, do not choose the midpoint automatically. Ask payroll or your employer which point applies to your employment record. Separate arrangements may apply to some roles or circumstances.

What the estimate includes—and excludes

The result is pro-rata basic gross pay only. It is before deductions and does not calculate net pay. Actual take-home pay depends on individual circumstances and payroll deductions, so a basic-salary calculator cannot reliably predict it.

It also does not add enhancements or other payments. Depending on eligibility and working pattern, pay may involve additional components such as unsocial-hours enhancements, overtime, on-call payments, recruitment or retention arrangements, or allowances. These are governed by the applicable rules and employment details; do not add an assumed percentage to the basic estimate. Pensionable pay and taxable pay are also not necessarily identical to the basic figure shown here.

Common errors and limits

• Using the wrong year: make sure the rate is for 2026/27 and has the right effective date, not simply the latest table you found.
• Mixing full-time and part-time figures: the rate input must be the full-time annual salary. If you enter a part-time amount, the hours adjustment will reduce it a second time.
• Assuming every NHS employee uses AfC: some staff groups have different pay arrangements.
• Treating the estimate as a payslip: rounding, payroll dates, extra payments and deductions can all make actual payments differ.
• Confusing an hourly estimate with an hourly contract rate: this calculation spreads annual basic salary over 52 weeks and contracted hours; it does not model every payroll rule.

The calculation is deliberately limited to proportional salary arithmetic. It does not validate that a band, point, salary or weekly-hours figure is correct, and it cannot resolve back pay, pay protection, incremental progression or local contractual questions. For those, use your employer’s written information or contact payroll.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 2026/27 Agenda for Change pay scale confirmed?
Check the current official pay circular or your employer’s published information. A calculator cannot establish a rate from its label alone; confirm the relevant agreement, nation and effective date before using a figure.

How do I calculate part-time Agenda for Change pay?
Multiply the applicable full-time annual salary by your contracted weekly hours, then divide by 37.5. For example, 30 hours is 80% of 37.5 hours, so the basic annual estimate is 80% of the full-time rate.

Does the calculator show take-home pay?
No. It estimates gross basic pay before deductions and excludes enhancements and other payments. Take-home pay depends on individual payroll details.

Can I use the same pay figures across the UK?
No. Agenda for Change arrangements and published pay tables can differ between England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Use the scale that applies to your employer and nation.

Does my job title tell me my band?
Not reliably. Banding follows job evaluation and the employer’s role information; confirm your band and pay point with your employer or payroll rather than inferring them from a title.

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in band | Pay band (1-9) | - | 5 | 0
in point | Spine point | - | 2 | 0
in hours | Contracted hours per week | hours | 37.5 | 0
in rate | Annual full-time salary at your point | £/year | 30000 | 0
out salary | Estimated annual basic salary | £/year | rate * hours / 37.5 | 2
out monthly | Estimated monthly basic pay | £/month | salary / 12 | 2
out hourly | Estimated basic hourly rate | £/hour | salary / (hours * 52) | 2