Are the midwife presets official salary statistics?

No. Unless a particular source and effective date are explicitly identified, role labels and prefilled amounts are editable planning examples, not verified market medians, an employer pay award or an individual entitlement. Use your current contract, pay statement or actual business records.

Why might the result differ from my payslip or tax return?

This is an annual estimate. Actual results depend on your UK jurisdiction, tax code, pension method, pensionable earnings, loan notices, other income and the timing of payments. Payroll rounding, arrears, benefits and irregular pay can change the result. A self-employed or partnership arrangement also needs its own profit and National Insurance treatment.

Does a professional fee or expense always reduce my tax?

No. Check the applicable HMRC conditions, the amount you actually paid and whether your employer reimbursed it. A deduction normally reduces taxable income rather than producing a pound-for-pound repayment. Do not claim the same cost twice.

2026/27 role-specific pay planning

Midwife salary and take-home pay

NHS band, unsocial hours and pensionable pay. Use the specialist inputs below to compare your actual contract or working arrangement.

By AfterTaxUK Editorial Team · Method and source guidance reviewed 26 October 2026

Use your own figures. Presets are planning examples unless a specific published scale and effective date are cited. They are not a verified salary survey. Confirm current pay, allowances, expense eligibility and pension deductions with your employer, scheme or records.

NHS AfC 2026/27 Midwifery Pay Engine

NHS Midwife Take-Home Pay Calculator (2026/27)

Calculate your exact net payslip across Agenda for Change Bands 5 to 8b, Section 2 unsocial hours (+30%/+60%), London HCAS weighting, NMC & RCM tax relief, and CARE pension tiers.

1. Select AfC Midwifery Pay Band & Progression Step

Substantive rotational midwife practicing autonomously in delivery suite, birth centre, or community caseload. Basic hourly rate: £20.44/hr (based on 37.5 hr contracted week).

2. Trust Location / London HCAS Weighting3. Student Loan Repayment Plan

NMC & RCM Professional Fees Tax ReliefClaims Section 344/367 relief: NMC (£120) + RCM (£270) + Uniform laundry (£125)

✓ Saves approx £103/year in PAYE tax via HMRC P87 or tax code adjustment.

4. Shift Patterns & Unsocial Hours (AfC Section 2)Contracted enhancements

AfC Section 2 pays +30% for weekday night shifts (20:00–06:00) & Saturdays; +60% for Sundays & Bank Holidays.

Saturday & Night hours: 28 hrs / month+£6.13/hr (+30%)

0 hrsAdds £172/mo gross90 hrs

Sunday & Bank Holiday hours: 14 hrs / month+£12.26/hr (+60%)

0 hrsAdds £172/mo gross50 hrs

NHS Pension Scheme (CARE):

Auto-tier: 9.8% Tier deduction

Estimated Net Take-Home Pay

£2,659/ month

Annual Net:£31,904/yr

Total Gross Earnings

£3,673/ month

Basic + HCAS + Enhancements£44,079/yr

Total Deductions

£1,015/ month

Effective deduction rate:27.6%

NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Payslip Breakdown (Band 6 — Entry)

Itemised accounting of basic pay, unsocial enhancements, London HCAS, and statutory statutory deductions.

Gross Earnings Elements

Basic Contractual Pay(Band 6 AfC)

£3,329.92

Unsocial Hours (Nights & Saturdays)(+30% enhancement)

+£171.66

Unsocial Hours (Sundays & Bank Holidays)(+60% enhancement)

+£171.66

Total Gross Pay£3,673.24

Statutory & Pension Deductions

NHS Pension Scheme (CARE)Tier rate: 9.8% under net-pay arrangement (s.193 FA 2004)

-£359.98

PAYE Income TaxStandard 1257L code (20% basic, 40% higher) • s.344/367 relief applied

-£444.57

Class 1 National Insurance8% (£12,570–£50,270) & 2% thereafter

-£210.06

Net Take-Home Pay (Paid into Bank)Disbursed monthly via NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR)

£2,658.63

Statutory NHS Midwifery Pay Rules for 2026/27

• Fast-Track Band 6 Uplift: In most NHS hospital trusts in England, newly qualified midwives (Band 5) undergo a 12-to-24 month preceptorship. Upon successful completion of core competencies (e.g. suturing, cannulation, high-risk intrapartum care), midwives are promoted directly to Band 6 Entry (£39,959), resulting in an immediate gross uplift of +£7,886/year (+£490/month net).

• NHS Pension CARE Scheme: Midwives accrue a guaranteed annual pension of 1/54th of each year's pensionable earnings, revalued annually in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) + 1.5%. For an established Band 6 midwife on £42,170 basic, one year of service secures an index-linked annual retirement pension of approximately £781/year payable for life from state pension age.

• Section 344 ITEPA Expense Claims: Midwives should claim tax relief for the annual £120 NMC fee, £270 RCM union dues, and the standard £125 uniform laundry allowance. Submitting HMRC form P87 or claiming online via the Government Gateway amends your tax code from 1257L to approx 1308L, boosting take-home pay by ~£103/year automatically.

What matters in this pay comparison?

NHS band, unsocial hours and pensionable pay

Check the band and step on your offer, the NHS nation and any applicable HCAS. Include night, weekend and bank-holiday work using the actual paid hours and contract terms.

Confirm which enhancements are pensionable and the applicable NHS pension contribution. The annualised result can differ from a payslip with a particular month’s shifts or arrears.

Check the basis before comparing offers

Use the same year, working hours and paid weeks. An hourly rate, full-time equivalent salary, day rate and actual annual receipts are different inputs.
Check pension method and pensionable pay. Net-pay pensions generally reduce Income Tax but do not reduce employee NI or student-loan earnings; salary sacrifice can affect all three.
Separate cash received from non-cash benefits, reimbursements and deferred awards. Eligibility for a tax deduction is a separate question from whether a payment is taxable.

A reproducible reference calculation

This is an illustrative annual employment salary of £40,000.00, not a typical salary for this occupation or the specialist calculator’s default. It assumes England, Wales or Northern Ireland, the standard Personal Allowance, no other income, no pension contribution and no student loan.

Annual gross salary: £40,000.00
Income Tax: £5,486.00
Employee National Insurance: £2,194.40
Annual net estimate: £32,319.60
Monthly average: £2,693.30

Increasing the annual salary by £1,000 in this reference case increases annual net income by £720.00. This change is calculated from both complete estimates, so it captures any allowance taper or tax-band crossing.

The reference uses annualised employee NI thresholds. Your actual pay-period NI and payroll rounding can differ. Scotland requires its devolved Income Tax calculation.

Sources and checks for your own contract

Use the tax sources for the calculation rules and the role or scheme authority for the applicable working arrangement. A link to tax guidance does not verify an employer salary, a market median or every preset.

Rates are labelled for 2026/27; pay awards and scheme rules can have different effective dates. For a discrepancy, send the page and calculation assumptions to our corrections contact.

Midwife pay questions

Check the pay structure, not just the headline number.

Check the band and step on your offer, the NHS nation and any applicable HCAS. Include night, weekend and bank-holiday work using the actual paid hours and contract terms. Confirm which enhancements are pensionable and the applicable NHS pension contribution. The annualised result can differ from a payslip with a particular month’s shifts or arrears.

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