How Agenda for Change structures radiographer pay
Diagnostic radiographers in the NHS are governed by the Agenda for Change pay system. Newly qualified radiographers start at Band 5, which for 2026/27 runs from £32,073 at the entry step, through £34,592 at the intermediate step reached after two years, to £39,043 at the top step. Radiographers with specialist skills, cross-sectional imaging responsibilities or supervisory duties typically work at Band 6 (£39,959 to £48,117). Advanced practitioner and reporting radiographer roles, including those who report plain films or undertake image-guided procedures autonomously, sit at Band 7 (£49,387 to £56,515).
Your payslip will state your band and step, and the basic pay line should match the annual figure for that step divided by 12. Part-time staff receive basic pay pro-rated to their contracted weekly hours against the 37.5-hour full-time week. Increments are time-served rather than performance-dependent: you progress automatically on your increment date, which is generally your anniversary of joining the current band.
The pay landscape for radiographers is shaped by workforce shortages in several specialisms - MRI, CT, mammography and ultrasound in particular. Some NHS trusts have introduced a recruitment and retention premium (RRP) for specific modalities or hard-to-fill posts. An RRP is a flat cash amount or a percentage addition paid monthly on top of basic pay. It is set locally by the trust under AfC rules, not nationally, so it will not appear on the payslip of a radiographer at a trust that has not implemented one, even if they work in the same modality. If you joined under a contract that referenced an RRP, check that it is still appearing correctly after any change in pay band or post.
Radiographers based in or around London receive a High Cost Area Supplement on top of their basic pay: 20 percent of basic pay for inner London (subject to a floor of £5,794 and a ceiling of £8,746 for 2026/27), 15 percent for outer London and 5 percent for the fringe zone. HCAS is pensionable and counts toward your NHS Pension tier calculation. Outside those zones it does not apply.
What a diagnostic radiographer payslip looks like
The payments block on a diagnostic radiographer payslip produced by ESR typically shows: basic pay first; then one or more Section 2 enhancement lines for evenings, nights and weekends; then an on-call availability line if you are on a call rota; then possibly an RRP line; and finally any overtime or bank work. The order varies between trusts but the line items themselves are consistent. If you move from a general imaging department to an out-of-hours or on-call post, expect new lines to appear at the next pay run.
Section 2 enhancements are calculated in arrears from your rota. The scanning sessions you covered on a Sunday evening in one month will normally appear on the following month's payslip. This is the standard ESR processing cycle, not an error. Keep a note of your unsocial sessions - date, start time, end time and day of week - so you can match them against the enhancement lines when they arrive. Discrepancies are much easier to query when you have your own contemporaneous record.
The deductions block shows PAYE tax, National Insurance and your NHS Pension contribution as the three main items. Below those you may see a Society of Radiographers (SoR) subscription, an HCPC fee deduction if your trust handles it centrally, cycle-to-work or car scheme salary sacrifice deductions, or other voluntary items you have signed up to. Each should be an amount you recognise and authorised.
Use the year-to-date column on the right to assess your overall tax position. Cumulative gross pay divided by months elapsed gives you an average monthly rate that smooths out the enhancement variability. If the cumulative tax figure looks high relative to what you expect on your annual income, checking your tax code should be the first step.
Diagnostic Radiographer pay bands (UK 2026/27)
Gross figures reflect typical national pay-scale and ONS ASHE 2024 levels. Net figures are a simplified estimate using 2026/27 PAYE bands and a 5% pension assumption. Your real pension rate and tax code may differ - see the pension section below.
| Band | Gross / year | Net / year | Net / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower (25th percentile) | £34,000 | £26,612 | £2,218 |
| Median | £40,000 | £30,632 | £2,553 |
| Upper (75th percentile) | £48,000 | £35,992 | £2,999 |
Pay and additions on a diagnostic radiographer payslip
- Basic payYour AfC annual salary for your band and step, divided by 12. Verify it against the published 2026/27 scale for your exact step. If you are part-time, confirm the pro-rata calculation is based on your actual contracted hours divided by 37.5.
- Unsocial hours enhancement (Section 2)Additional pay for imaging sessions outside Monday-to-Friday 7am-7pm. Under AfC terms, Bands 5, 6 and 7 receive 30 percent of their hourly basic rate for weekday evenings and nights and for Saturdays, and 60 percent for Sundays and bank holidays. If you work in a department that runs 24/7 with evening CT or night MRI sessions, these lines can add meaningfully to your monthly gross - and they change every month.
- On-call availability paymentRadiographers covering out-of-hours on-call rotas receive an availability payment calculated as a percentage of basic pay. The rate reflects how restrictive the commitment is on personal life: roughly 9.5 percent for a 1-in-3 rota, 4.5 percent for 1-in-6, 3 percent for 1-in-9 and 2 percent for 1-in-12, within the principles set by the AfC handbook. Confirm your rate and the rota frequency match your on-call agreement.
- Recruitment and retention premiumNot every radiographer has one, and it can disappear without warning. Trusts set RRPs locally for specific hard-to-fill posts or modalities; the premium is reviewed periodically and can be withdrawn if the labour market shifts. If your job offer referenced an RRP, check that it appears on your payslip as a named line each month. Written notice should accompany any withdrawal; if the line vanishes without explanation, query it with payroll and your line manager immediately.
- Call-out payThe availability payment and the call-out payment are separate lines and must not be confused. Call-out pay covers the hours you actually worked when called in - normally at basic hourly rate with Section 2 enhancements if the hours fall during an unsocial period. Some trusts guarantee a minimum per-call-out payment regardless of duration; check your local on-call policy to know the minimum. Every call-out you responded to should appear as an entry; a missing call-out is worth chasing.
- High Cost Area SupplementInner London: 20 percent of basic pay (floor £5,794, ceiling £8,746 for 2026/27). Outer London: 15 percent. Fringe: 5 percent. The supplement is pensionable and affects your NHS Pension tier. If you transfer to a post inside or outside a HCAS zone, your payslip should change in the month after the transfer takes effect.
- OvertimeHours beyond your contracted full-time week are paid as overtime under the AfC terms. AfC overtime is paid at plain time for the first hours in the period, then at an enhanced rate for subsequent hours; the exact thresholds are set out in the AfC handbook - check it or your trust policy to confirm the current rates for your band. Overtime is a separate payslip line from Section 2 enhancements, and you can receive both if the extra hours fall during an unsocial period.
NHS Pension deductions for diagnostic radiographers
Diagnostic radiographers directly employed by an NHS trust are enrolled in the NHS Pension Scheme. It is a career-average arrangement: the pension you build in each year reflects that year's pensionable pay, revalued annually by the relevant statutory index. The employee contribution deducted from your payslip funds part of that benefit; the employer also contributes on top of your salary at a rate set by the scheme. Employer contribution rates are subject to periodic review by the NHSBSA - check nhsbsa.nhs.uk for the rate that applies in the current scheme year.
The 2026/27 employee contribution tiers are: 5.2 percent on pensionable pay up to £13,259 per year; 6.5 percent from £13,260 to £28,854; 8.3 percent from £28,855 to £35,155; 9.8 percent from £35,156 to £52,778; 10.7 percent from £52,779 to £67,668; and 12.5 percent on £67,669 and above. A Band 5 radiographer at the top step on £39,043 - or a Band 6 at any step - will typically sit in the 9.8 percent tier. A Band 7 advanced practitioner approaching the top step at £56,515 would also remain in the 9.8 percent tier unless enhancements and RRP push their total pensionable pay above £52,779, in which case the 10.7 percent tier applies.
The tier is applied to all pensionable pay. For radiographers on AfC that means basic pay, Section 2 enhancements and HCAS where applicable - confirm the pensionable pay figure shown on your payslip includes all three if they apply to your post. A consistent pattern of weekend and evening work can push total pensionable pay across a tier boundary. Because the new higher percentage applies to the whole pensionable figure rather than just the slice above the threshold, the pension deduction jump can be several hundred pounds a year more than expected. This is correct under the scheme rules. Pension contributions reduce your taxable income, so the effective net cost is lower than the headline deduction suggests. Verify your tier with the NHSBSA or your employer if you are unsure.
Deductions on a diagnostic radiographer payslip
- PAYE income tax. Calculated cumulatively against your tax code. The standard code for a single-job employee is 1257L, reflecting the 2026/27 personal allowance of £12,570. Because tax is cumulative, a month with high on-call pay and RRP may produce a larger tax charge, but a quieter month could trigger a small refund. The year-to-date column tells you whether your cumulative tax is correct.
- National Insurance. Class 1 NI at 8 percent on earnings between the primary threshold and the upper earnings limit, then 2 percent above. Unlike income tax, NI is not cumulative across the year - it is recalculated fresh each pay period. A month with heavy on-call and enhancement pay therefore costs more NI, and that NI is not returned later.
- NHS Pension contribution. Your tiered percentage of pensionable pay, taken before tax. The deduction line should show both the percentage and the amount. If the percentage looks wrong, compare it to the current tier thresholds and your pensionable pay as shown on the payslip.
- HCPC registration fee. £123.34 per year (effective 29 April 2025; check hcpc-uk.org for the current rate). Most radiographers pay this directly. If your employer deducts it, verify the amount is correct and that you are not also paying separately. Tax relief is available on this fee from HMRC if you bear the cost yourself.
- Society of Radiographers subscription. The full Society of Radiographers annual subscription is £327 for 2025/26, equivalent to about £27.25 per month by direct debit. This figure typically rises slightly each year. If you pay via payroll, confirm the monthly deduction reflects the current year's rate. SoR subscriptions qualify for HMRC tax relief as an approved professional subscription.
- Salary sacrifice. Cycle-to-work schemes, NHS car leasing and additional pension contributions (AVCs) all reduce gross pay before tax and NI. Each should appear as a named negative line. If an unfamiliar salary sacrifice line appears, query it with payroll before assuming it is correct.
Common diagnostic radiographer payslip errors
The mistakes that genuinely show up on this role's payslips, and how to spot them.
Your diagnostic radiographer payslip checklist
- 1.Confirm your band, step and basic pay against the published 2026/27 AfC scale
- 2.Check your on-call availability payment uses your current monthly basic pay as the base
- 3.Reconcile Section 2 enhancement lines against your own record of evening, night, Saturday, Sunday and bank-holiday sessions - they appear a month in arrears
- 4.Verify any recruitment and retention premium is still present and at the correct amount
- 5.Confirm your NHS Pension tier percentage matches your total pensionable pay for the year
- 6.Check your tax code and contact HMRC if it shows an emergency suffix
- 7.Confirm HCAS reflects your current base location if you have recently moved sites
- 8.Claim tax relief on your HCPC fee and SoR subscription if not reimbursed by your employer
- 9.Review the year-to-date column to check cumulative gross and tax are tracking as expected
A worked example for a Band 6 diagnostic radiographer
Consider a Band 6 diagnostic radiographer at the intermediate step, on £42,170 annual basic pay for 2026/27. Monthly basic pay is approximately £3,514. This radiographer is on a 1-in-6 on-call rota, attracting an illustrative availability payment of about £158 per month (4.5 percent of monthly basic). In a month with two Saturday sessions and one Sunday session, Section 2 enhancements might add around £280 to £350 depending on hours. Suppose also that this trust pays an RRP of £1,200 a year (£100 per month) for MRI-trained staff. Illustrative gross for this month: roughly £4,052 to £4,122.
The NHS Pension deduction at 9.8 percent of pensionable pay comes to around £390 to £400 in this illustration. PAYE tax at the cumulative 1257L code and Class 1 NI at 8 percent between the primary threshold and the upper earnings limit reduce net pay further. An SoR subscription of about £27.25 per month sits in the deductions block. Illustrative net pay for this month would be somewhere in the range of £2,750 to £2,950.
These figures are illustrative only. They are rounded and do not account for every individual variable - your exact step, your rota pattern, whether an RRP applies at your trust, your tax code history, any salary sacrifice arrangements and your precise HCAS zone all affect the real result. Use the PayslipIQ checker for a line-by-line breakdown of your own payslip, and take any discrepancies to your payroll team, HMRC or the NHSBSA. PayslipIQ provides educational estimates only and is not a substitute for professional payroll or pension advice.
Diagnostic Radiographer payslip questions
What is a recruitment and retention premium and should I get one?
An RRP is a locally determined payment that a trust can add to the AfC salary for specific posts it finds hard to fill or retain. Not every radiographer or every trust will have one. Eligibility depends on your specific post and the trust's current RRP policy, not just your modality or band. If your job offer mentioned an RRP, check that it appears on your payslip. If it does not, query it with payroll and your line manager in writing.
Why does my Section 2 pay look different every month?
Because it depends on how many evening, night, Saturday, Sunday and bank-holiday sessions you actually worked in the preceding month. ESR processes enhancements in arrears, so December sessions appear on the January payslip. A month with several weekend or overnight lists generates more enhancement pay than a month of mainly daytime work. The variation is normal.
I moved from Band 5 to Band 6. Why is my basic pay only slightly higher?
When you are promoted to Band 6, you typically start at the Band 6 entry step (£39,959 for 2026/27). If you were at the top of Band 5 (£39,043), the difference on day one is only about £916 a year. The gain becomes more significant as you progress up the Band 6 steps. The increment clock resets to the entry step of the new band on your promotion date.
Are my on-call payments included in my pensionable pay?
On-call availability payments are generally included in pensionable pay under the NHS Pension Scheme. Call-out hours paid as additional time may also be pensionable depending on their nature. This means a heavy on-call commitment can push your total pensionable pay into a higher contribution tier. Check your pension contribution tier each April against the current NHSBSA thresholds.
My HCPC renewal has come in but my employer does not pay it. Can I claim tax relief?
Yes. HMRC treats HCPC registration as an allowable professional expense under section 344 ITEPA 2003. The current annual fee is £123.34 (effective from 29 April 2025; verify the current rate at hcpc-uk.org). Claim relief via your self-assessment return or form P87. You can also claim back up to four years if you have not previously claimed.
How do I check if my on-call rate is correct?
Divide your monthly on-call availability payment by your monthly basic pay and multiply by 100. The result should match the percentage set in your on-call agreement: roughly 2 percent for 1-in-12, 3 percent for 1-in-9, 4.5 percent for 1-in-6 and 9.5 percent for 1-in-3. If the result is lower than expected, payroll may be using an outdated basic-pay figure as the base.
What happens to my pension if I opt out of the NHS Pension Scheme?
Your employer will enrol you into a qualifying auto-enrolment pension instead, with minimum contributions under the auto-enrolment rules. You lose the defined-benefit career-average NHS Pension for the period you are opted out. The NHS Pension is generally considered valuable for long-career NHS workers, but the decision depends on personal circumstances. Speak to an independent financial adviser before opting out, and check the rules with the NHSBSA. PayslipIQ does not provide pension advice.
What tax code should a Band 5 radiographer have on their first post?
Normally 1257L in cumulative mode, reflecting the 2026/27 personal allowance. If your P45 from your training programme has not reached payroll, the code may start as 1257L W1 (week-1 basis) or 0T, both of which overtax you initially. The correct cumulative code is usually issued by HMRC within a month or two, and overpaid tax is refunded automatically. Log into your HMRC online account to check the code status.
The bottom line
The recruitment and retention premium is the one line on a radiographer payslip that is easy to lose track of: it is locally set, periodically reviewed, and tied to a specific post rather than to you personally. If it disappears and you receive no written notice, that is the first conversation to have with payroll. The AfC salary, on-call rates and Section 2 enhancements are all nationally structured and more straightforward to verify once you have the handbook figures in front of you.
Run your own numbers through the free PayslipIQ checker to map each line against what your contract and rota would predict. PayslipIQ gives educational estimates only and is not a substitute for payroll, NHSBSA or HMRC advice. Anything that cannot be resolved by checking should go to your payroll department in writing so there is a record.
Payslip checkers
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. PayslipIQ provides educational information and estimated calculations only. It does not provide tax, legal, financial, payroll, pension or employment advice, and is not affiliated with HMRC, the NHS or any employer. Always verify your pay, tax code, deductions and pension with your employer's payroll team, HMRC or your pension provider before acting.