£62,215 – £72,293 a year
Heads of service and senior managers leading larger teams, budgets or clinical programmes. 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 8b you move up the pay points over time through annual increments, from £62,215 up to £72,293. The next step up is Band 8c (£74,290 – £85,601).
NHS Band 8b pays from £62,215 to £72,293 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.
Heads of service and senior managers leading larger teams, budgets or clinical programmes. Typical Band 8b roles include Consultant practitioner, Head of service, Senior operational manager, Principal pharmacist.
The next band up is Band 8c, paying £74,290 – £85,601 a year in 2025/26.