Resident (Junior) Doctor Pay Scale 2026/27: FY1 to ST8
Basic pay for resident doctors in England runs from £41,226 (FY1) to £77,348 (ST7 and ST8) from 1 April 2026.
| Grade | Stage of training | Nodal point | Basic salary | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation Doctor Year 1 | FY1 | 1 | £41,226 | £33,202 | £2,767 |
| Foundation Doctor Year 2 | FY2 | 2 | £47,610 | £37,799 | £3,150 |
| Core training | CT1 and CT2 | 3a and 3b | £55,355 | £42,663 | £3,555 |
| Core training | CT3 | 4a | £67,325 | £49,606 | £4,134 |
| Core training | CT4 | 4b | £67,998 | £49,996 | £4,166 |
| Specialty registrar | ST1 and ST2 | 3a and 3b | £55,355 | £42,663 | £3,555 |
| Specialty registrar | ST3 | 4a | £67,325 | £49,606 | £4,134 |
| Specialty registrar | ST4 and ST5 | 4b and 4c | £67,998 | £49,996 | £4,166 |
| Specialty registrar | ST6 | 5a | £76,582 | £54,975 | £4,581 |
| Specialty registrar | ST7 and ST8 | 5b and 5c | £77,348 | £55,419 | £4,618 |
Figures are basic pay only, before any supplements, on-call or weekend allowances and flexible pay premia, which many doctors also receive. They are also before NHS pension contributions, which come out of pay. Take-home pay is after income tax and National Insurance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The nodal point structure
The 2026 pay agreement between the Government and the BMA restructured the nodal pay point system for doctors in training from five points to ten, aligned with stages of training, on top of a 3.5% rise to pay points. That is why foundation year doctors saw a larger increase than later grades.
Take-home pay and student loans
Many doctors also repay a student loan, which takes a further 9% of pay above the Plan 2 threshold of £29,385. Work out your own figure with the take-home pay calculator, or see the student loan repayment calculator.
Source: NHS Employers: Pay and Conditions Circular (M&D) 1/2026 R2, Annex A. Basic pay from 1 April 2026, England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own doctors’ pay.
Frequently asked questions
How much do resident doctors earn in England?
Basic pay for resident (junior) doctors in England runs from £41,226 for a first-year foundation doctor (FY1) to £77,348 for specialty registrars at ST7 and above, from 1 April 2026.
What is the FY1 doctor salary?
£41,226 basic pay, which is about £2,767 a month after tax and National Insurance, before pension and allowances.
What is the FY2 doctor salary?
£47,610 basic pay, or about £3,150 a month after tax and National Insurance.
Is this the total pay?
No. These are basic salaries. Doctors in training can also receive allowances for on-call work and weekends, flexible pay premia for some hard-to-fill programmes, and extra pay for hours worked above the standard.
Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year from official sources and are estimates for guidance only, not financial or legal advice. Printed from ukanswers.co.uk.