£74,290 – £85,601 a year
Department heads and senior clinical / managerial leaders accountable for whole services. 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 8c you move up the pay points over time through annual increments, from £74,290 up to £85,601. The next step up is Band 8d (£88,168 – £101,677).
NHS Band 8c pays from £74,290 to £85,601 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.
Department heads and senior clinical / managerial leaders accountable for whole services. Typical Band 8c roles include Head of department, Non-medical clinical director, Senior service manager, Lead scientist.
The next band up is Band 8d, paying £88,168 – £101,677 a year in 2025/26.