Doctors' pay in the NHS

Doctors in England got a 3.5% rise from 1 April 2026, on the advice of the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body (DDRB), accepted by the government on 25 March 2026. It applies to the pay ranges for resident doctors, specialty and specialist (SAS) doctors, consultants and salaried GPs. Resident doctors’ basic pay now starts at £41,226 for a foundation year 1 doctor, and a consultant on the 2003 contract starts at £113,565.

Resident doctors’ basic pay

Resident doctors (previously called junior doctors) in England are paid on the 2016 contract, which uses nodal points linked to stage of training. The British Medical Association lists these basic salaries, citing pay circular MD 1-2026 R2:

Grade	Basic salary
Foundation year 1 (FY1)	£41,226
Foundation year 2 (FY2)	£47,610
Specialty training years 1 to 2 (ST1 to ST2)	£55,355
Specialty training years 3 to 5 (ST3 to ST5)	£67,325 or £67,998
Specialty training years 6 to 8 (ST6 to ST8)	£76,582 or £77,348

These figures come from the BMA’s page, which does not state an effective date and had not been checked against the NHS Employers circular. Treat them as a guide and confirm with your employing trust or lead employer.

Basic pay is for a 40-hour week. On top, the 2016 contract pays for additional rostered hours, an enhancement for night hours, and a weekend allowance based on how often you work weekends. Doctors in some specialties get a flexible pay premium. The resident doctors guide explains the grades and training path.

The 2026 resident doctors’ deal

On top of the 3.5% DDRB award, BMA members in England accepted a government offer made in June 2026, with 53% voting yes on a 57% turnout. The offer adds reform of the pay scale itself, worth between 3.5% and 7.1% depending on the nodal point. That means doctors at different stages of training see different overall increases. Check with the BMA or NHS Employers for the timetable and the final scale values once they are published.

Consultants’ pay

Consultants on the 2003 contract in England are paid on a seniority scale. The BMA lists these points, which equal the 2025/26 values plus 3.5%:

Years as a consultant	Basic salary
Start	£113,565
3 years	£120,249
4 years	£123,672
8 years	£135,645
14 years	£150,569

The BMA marked its page as being updated when Rozile checked it. A separate 2023 contract scale exists for some consultants, but Rozile has not found verified 2026/27 figures for it. The becoming an NHS consultant guide covers the route to consultant posts.

Consultants can also earn National Clinical Impact Awards (NCIAs). Their values have risen to £21,000, £31,500 or £42,000 a year, backdated to 1 April 2025. Older consultant award schemes that are now closed have been frozen.

SAS doctors and salaried GPs

SAS doctors (specialty doctors and specialists) and salaried GPs also got 3.5% on their pay ranges from 1 April 2026. Rozile does not list the cash values for these ranges because we have not verified them. Salaried GPs are employed by practices that are mostly independent contractors, so actual salaries vary within the national range, and partners are not salaried at all. The how to become a GP guide covers the career side.

Pension contributions

Doctors in England and Wales pay into the NHS Pension Scheme on their whole actual pensionable pay. From 1 April 2026 the member tiers include:

• 8.3% on pay from £28,855 to £35,155
• 9.8% from £35,156 to £52,778
• 10.7% from £52,779 to £67,668
• 12.5% on £67,669 and above

So an FY1 on £41,226 basic pays 9.8%, and every consultant pays 12.5%. Employers pay 23.7% on top, split between the employer and NHS England. The NHS Pension Scheme guide covers how benefits build up, and Scotland’s scheme has different tiers.

Tax at doctors’ salaries

Every resident doctor from ST1 upwards pays 40% income tax on part of their basic pay, since the higher rate starts at £50,270 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (and 42% starts above £43,662 in Scotland). For consultants there is a second threshold: the personal allowance falls by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000 and is gone at £125,140. Pension contributions reduce adjusted net income. The £100,000 tax trap guide explains the effect, and the take-home pay calculator works out monthly net pay. For questions about pension tax charges, the NHS Business Services Authority and HMRC are the places to ask, along with a regulated financial adviser.

These figures are for England. Doctors in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are paid under each nation’s own pay decisions, which Rozile has not covered here. Doctors’ vacancies are on the doctors jobs board.