What a Healthcare Assistant payslip looks like
A typical UK healthcare assistant payslip is paid monthly and shows a basic pay line at the top. Frontline NHS support staff who deliver hands-on personal and clinical care under the supervision of registered nurses. The line items below depend on grade, shift pattern and contractual additions, but the structure usually mirrors HMRC's recommended payslip layout: a payments block, a deductions block, a year-to-date column, and a net pay summary.
Common employers in this occupation include NHS acute trusts, NHS community trusts, mental health trusts. Each employer runs payroll slightly differently, but the underlying PAYE computation against tax code 1257L and Class 1 National Insurance is identical across the UK (excluding Scotland for income tax). The biggest variability between two healthcare assistant payslips at the same gross will be in the additions block: Pay is on NHS Agenda for Change Band 2 to 3, so unsocial-hours enhancements under Section 2 (+30% nights and Saturdays, +60% Sundays and bank holidays) can add 15 to 25% to gross. NHS Pension is deducted before tax, and second bank posts are usually coded BR.
Year-to-date columns are critical to verify on this role because the additions and salary sacrifice items change month to month. If your YTD gross divided by months elapsed in the tax year does not match your expected annual run-rate, that is the single best signal that something is mis-coded.
Applies to some of this work
Sleep-in shifts, on-call time and the minimum wage and healthcare assistant pay
A ward night is not a sleep-in and has never been one. The carve-out needs two things present at the same time: you are permitted to sleep, and the employer has provided facilities suitable for it. A Band 2 or Band 3 night on an acute or mental health ward gives you neither, so the shift is working time from start to finish and the Section 2 unsocial hours enhancement is calculated on top of hours that already count in full. The question only opens where the same job title is worked for one of the independent care providers in the sector, on a roster that puts you in a bed instead of on the floor. What settles it is the roster and the sleeping arrangement, not the job title on the contract.
- The rate your awake hours are measured against, 21 and over
- £12.71 an hour
- The rates below 21
- £10.85 at 18 to 20, £8.00 under 18, £8.00 apprentice
Educational only. Whether this reaches your own pay turns on your contract and how you are engaged, and tribunal and claim time limits are short. Check the limit that applies to you before relying on a date.
Sleep-in shifts, on-call time and the minimum wage: the rates, the payslip lines, what goes wrong and the 40 primary sources. National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/621), regulations 27 and 32, as interpreted by Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake and Shannon v Rampersad [2021] UKSC 8, in force 6 April 2015 for the Regulations, with judgment in Mencap given 19 March 2021.
Healthcare Assistant salary bands (UK 2024)
ONS ASHE 2024 full-time gross pay. Net figures use 2026/27 PAYE bands and assume 5% of qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270) under a net-pay arrangement — before income tax, but not before National Insurance.
| Band | Gross / year | Net / year | Net / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | £25,272 | £20,954 | £1,746 |
| Median | £25,272 | £20,954 | £1,746 |
| 75th percentile | £27,476 | £22,453 | £1,871 |
Common deductions for a Healthcare Assistant
- PAYE income tax.Calculated against tax code 1257L. Cumulative coding means refunds can appear if you start mid-year.
- National Insurance (Class 1).8% between £12,570 and £50,270 of annual earnings, then 2% above. Period-by-period method is standard.
- Pension.Auto-enrolment minimum 5% employee on qualifying earnings (£6,240 - £50,270), unless your employer runs a more generous scheme such as the NHS, Teachers Pension or Civil Service alpha.
- Salary sacrifice patterns.Common in this occupation: cycle-to-work, electric-car salary sacrifice, additional pension contributions, and where applicable workplace nursery vouchers (still tax-efficient via pre-existing schemes).
- Union or professional body.Tax-deductible for HMRC-listed bodies. Healthcare Assistants commonly hold subscriptions covered by section 344 ITEPA 2003 (List 3).
Healthcare Assistant payslip FAQ
What is the average Healthcare Assistant salary in the UK in 2024?
According to ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024 for SOC code 6141, the median full-time gross annual salary for a Healthcare Assistant in the UK is approximately £25,272. The 25th percentile sits at £25,272 and the 75th at £27,476.
What is take-home pay on a median Healthcare Assistant salary?
On £25,272 gross with the standard 1257L tax code and 5% of qualifying earnings into a net-pay pension, monthly take-home is approximately £1,746 after PAYE income tax, Class 1 employee National Insurance and auto-enrolment pension. Actual figures vary if you have student loan, salary sacrifice or a non-cumulative tax code.
What is unusual about a Healthcare Assistant payslip?
Pay is on NHS Agenda for Change Band 2 to 3, so unsocial-hours enhancements under Section 2 (+30% nights and Saturdays, +60% Sundays and bank holidays) can add 15 to 25% to gross. NHS Pension is deducted before tax, and second bank posts are usually coded BR.
Which tax code should a Healthcare Assistant typically be on?
Most people in this role on standard PAYE will see 1257L. Check the prefix and suffix carefully: a K-prefix means deductions exceed your allowance (often after a bonus or P11D benefit), 0T means you have no allowance left at this employer, and BR means basic rate on the whole job (common in second jobs).
Related roles
Salary estimates: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024, full-time gross annual pay by SOC 2020 occupation. Figures rounded to nearest £100.