Uses official pay-scale defaults
The NHS Band 5, 6 and 7 defaults are based on NHS Employers 2026/27 England Agenda for Change scales.
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Agency Nurse vs NHS Salary Calculator UK
Compare agency nurse hourly rates against NHS Band 5, Band 6 or Band 7 packages, including unsocial hours, pension value, estimated take-home pay, and the break-even agency rate.
Sample defaults are loaded: £35/hr agency nurse vs NHS Band 5 top pay, mixed shifts, 37.5 hours, and 46 agency working weeks.
Winner
Better package value
Agency
+£8,215.11
More annual package value using these assumptions
Why agency wins
The answer is driven by agency gross earnings versus NHS salary, unsocial hours and pension value.
Agency gross earnings+£60,375.00
NHS base salary-£39,043.00
NHS unsocial hours pay-£3,123.44
NHS employer pension value-£9,993.45
Final difference+£8,215.11
In this scenario
Agency work appears financially better on package value.
The agency hourly rate is high enough to outweigh the estimated NHS package value.
Break-even agency rate
£30.24/hr
Below this hourly rate, the NHS package value becomes higher using these assumptions.
Estimated take-home pay
What could land in your bank account?
Take-home is estimated with the Workmax payroll calculation engine using standard tax code 1257L and NI letter A. It does not include student loans, local tax-code changes or every agency arrangement.
Agency annual take-home
Calculating...
NHS annual take-home
Calculating...
Take-home difference
Calculating...
NHS employer pension value£9,993.45
NHS employee pension deducted£4,132.31
Agency pension deducted£0.00
Detailed Breakdown
Metric
Agency
NHS
Annual earnings
Agency
£60,375.00
NHS
£42,166.44
Package adjustments
NHS unsocial hours pay
N/A
+£3,123.44
NHS employer pension value
N/A
+£9,993.45
Agency hourly rate
£35.00
£20.02
Annual hours
1,725
1,950
Break-even agency rate
£30.24/hr
Estimate only. Agency contracts, umbrella arrangements, pensionable pay, tax code, location, overtime, student loans and local NHS policies can change the answer.
How it works
How the agency nurse vs NHS calculator works
Agency pay is usually judged by the hourly rate. NHS employment also includes unsocial hours, pension value, paid leave, predictable hours and payroll deductions. This calculator puts the decision in one place.
Shows the break-even rate
See the hourly agency rate needed to match the estimated NHS package value.
Separates cash and pension
Take-home pay and NHS employer pension value are shown separately so the comparison is easier to explain.
Uses editable assumptions
Agency weeks, shift pattern, unsocial hours, pension contributions and NHS hours can all be changed.
Sources used for defaults: NHS Employers pay scales for 2026/27 and NHSBSA pension contribution rates from 1 April 2026.
NURSE PAY FAQ
Agency Nurse vs NHS Salary Calculator FAQ
Common questions about comparing agency nurse hourly rates with NHS Band 5, Band 6 and Band 7 salary packages.
It compares agency nurse gross earnings with NHS Agenda for Change earnings, unsocial hours, NHS employer pension value, estimated take-home pay and the agency hourly rate needed to break even.
The default NHS band salaries use NHS Employers 2026/27 England Agenda for Change pay scales. You can change the band, pay point, hours and unsocial hours assumptions.
The NHS pension value uses the employer contribution as a package-value estimate. The employee pension contribution affects estimated take-home pay and can be edited.
Take-home pay is estimated using the Workmax payroll calculation engine with a standard tax code and NI letter. It does not include student loans, local tax code changes or every agency/umbrella arrangement.
