Salary Calculator
Calculate your UK take-home pay
Your Details
Standard UK tax code for 2026/27
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Take Home Pay
Monthly Net Income
£0
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your annual gross salary in the "Your Details" section and the calculator will instantly show your estimated take-home pay — broken down by year, month, week and day.
- Enter your gross salary — this is the figure on your contract or job offer, before any deductions.
- Select your region — England/Northern Ireland, Wales, or Scotland. Scottish income tax bands differ from the rest of the UK.
- Add pension contributions — choose between salary sacrifice, net pay, or relief at source, and set your contribution percentage.
- Select your student loan plan — if applicable, choose Plan 1, 2, 4, 5 or Postgraduate. Repayments are calculated automatically.
- Add salary sacrifice items — if you sacrifice salary for a company car, cycle-to-work scheme, or childcare vouchers, add these to see the full picture.
Results update automatically as you change any input. No button to press.
What the Calculator Includes
Income Tax
All UK bands including the Personal Allowance taper above £100,000 and the 60% effective rate trap.
National Insurance
Employee Class 1 NI — 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above the Upper Earnings Limit.
Pension Contributions
Net pay, salary sacrifice, and relief-at-source schemes. Salary sacrifice correctly reduces NI as well as tax.
Student Loans
All five repayment plans: Plan 1, 2, 4 (Scotland), 5, and Postgraduate. Multiple plans calculated simultaneously.
Scottish Income Tax
Scotland's five-band structure — starter (19%), basic (20%), intermediate (21%), higher (42%), top (48%).
Salary Sacrifice
Add any benefit-in-kind sacrifice (car, cycle, childcare) to reduce your taxable income further.
What People Use It For
- Comparing job offers — two offers with different gross salaries, pension contributions, and locations can result in surprisingly different take-home pay. The calculator lets you model each scenario side-by-side in seconds.
- Negotiating a pay rise — knowing the exact after-tax value of an extra £2,000 or £5,000 in salary helps you negotiate with confidence. Above £50,270 you'll only keep 58p of every extra £1 (after income tax and NI).
- Deciding whether salary sacrifice is worth it — by comparing your take-home with and without a salary sacrifice pension, you can see exactly how much a pension contribution really costs you in take-home pay (usually significantly less than the headline figure).
- Understanding your first payslip — if you've just started a new job, this calculator helps you reconcile the numbers you see on your payslip and understand where the deductions come from.
- Planning around the £100,000 threshold — above £100,000 your Personal Allowance is tapered, creating an effective 60% marginal tax rate. Salary sacrifice pension contributions can bring your adjusted income back below this threshold.
Welsh Income Tax Rates 2025/26
| Band | Taxable Income | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | Up to £12,570 | 0% |
| Basic Rate | £12,571 – £50,270 | 20% |
| Higher Rate | £50,271 – £125,140 | 40% |
| Additional Rate | Above £125,140 | 45% |
Welsh rates mirror UK rates for 2025/26. Personal Allowance tapers above £100,000 — reduced by £1 for every £2 earned, creating a 60% effective marginal rate between £100,000 and £125,140. NI: 8% on £12,570–£50,270, 2% above.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this calculator?
The calculator closely matches standard PAYE payslips for employees on a 1257L tax code with straightforward income. It may not perfectly reflect non-standard tax codes, benefits in kind (e.g. company car), or self-assessment adjustments. For complex situations, treat the results as a guide and verify with HMRC or an accountant.
What is the difference between gross and net salary?
Gross salary is your total earnings before any deductions — the figure on your contract. Net salary (take-home pay) is what you actually receive after income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, and any student loan repayments are deducted.
Why does my take-home pay differ from the calculator?
Common reasons include a non-standard tax code (anything other than 1257L), untaxed benefits in kind, a tax underpayment being collected through PAYE, or a different pay frequency (some monthly figures differ slightly due to rounding). Check your payslip tax code — if it's not 1257L, update the tax code field in the calculator.
Does salary sacrifice really save National Insurance?
Yes. Salary sacrifice formally reduces your contractual gross salary, so National Insurance is calculated on the lower figure. A basic rate taxpayer sacrificing £200/month saves 20% income tax (£40) and 8% NI (£16), meaning the £200 pension contribution costs just £144 in take-home pay. The calculator models this correctly when you select "Salary Sacrifice" under the pension section.
What tax year does this calculator use?
By default the calculator uses the current 2025/26 tax year rates. You can switch to a previous tax year using the tax year selector to compare your pay across years — useful for understanding the effect of rate and threshold changes.