SCS Pay Bands
Senior Civil Service Pay Bands (2026/27)
| Pay band | Range | Take-home per month at the minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Pay Band 1 (Deputy Director) | £86,000 – £117,800 | £4,720 |
| Pay Band 1A | £86,000 – £128,900 | £4,720 |
| Pay Band 2 (Director) | £105,000 – £162,500 | £5,569 |
| Pay Band 3 (Director General) | £135,000 – £208,100 | £6,491 |
| SCS median (all bands) | £94,910 | £5,118 |
The Senior Civil Service is the one part of the Civil Service with published national pay ranges. For 2026/27 each band minimum rose by £5,000: Pay Band 1 runs from £86,000 to £117,800, Pay Band 1A to £128,900, Pay Band 2 from £105,000 to £162,500 and Pay Band 3 from £135,000 to £208,100.
The published SCS median is £94,910, which rose 3.2% in the year — the smallest increase of any grade. Anyone paid below their new band minimum must be moved up to it.
Take-home at these levels is shaped by the personal allowance taper: above £100,000 the allowance is withdrawn at £1 for every £2 of income, creating an effective 60% marginal rate between £100,000 and £125,140. A Deputy Director at the band minimum of £86,000 takes home about £4,720 a month; at the band maximum of £117,800 it is about £5,988 — a smaller jump than the gross difference suggests.