£24,937 – £26,598 a year
Experienced support workers taking on extra responsibility or a defined specialism. The figure above is the England national base pay for 2025/26; London and high-cost areas add a High Cost Area Supplement, and clinical roles often earn more through unsocial-hours and on-call enhancements.
Indicative only — each employer maps roles to bands through job evaluation, so the same job title can sit on different bands at different trusts.
Within Band 3 you move up the pay points over time through annual increments, from £24,937 up to £26,598. The next step up is Band 4 (£26,530 – £29,114).
NHS Band 3 pays from £24,937 to £26,598 a year in 2025/26 (England). You start near the bottom of the band and move up the pay points through annual increments; London and high-cost areas add a supplement on top.
Experienced support workers taking on extra responsibility or a defined specialism. Typical Band 3 roles include Senior healthcare assistant, Emergency care assistant, Pharmacy assistant, Phlebotomist.
The next band up is Band 4, paying £26,530 – £29,114 a year in 2025/26.