Salary after tax in 2026/27
A headline salary is only the starting point. This page is for checking what a UK salary is likely to pay after Income Tax, National Insurance and the deductions you choose to include.
Use the calculator first for the take-home figure. The notes below explain the main payroll settings, when the estimate may differ from a payslip, and which related guide to use when you need a deeper answer.
How to use the salary calculator
Start with your gross salary — the amount before tax. For most people, that is the annual salary shown in a contract or job advert. The calculator then estimates what lands in your bank account after PAYE deductions.
Leave the optional fields blank if they do not apply. Add pension contributions, student loan plan, Scottish tax or salary-sacrifice details only when you want the estimate to sit closer to your own payslip.
| Step | What to enter | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gross annual salary | This is the starting point for the take-home pay calculation. |
| 2 | Tax year and tax region | England, Wales and Northern Ireland use the main UK rates; Scotland has different income tax bands. |
| 3 | Pension and student loan, if relevant | These deductions can noticeably change monthly net pay. |
| 4 | Working pattern and costs, if you want True Wage | This helps compare the real value of jobs with different hours, commutes or work costs. |
What the 2026/27 estimate includes
The estimate is based on published UK rates for the 2026/27 tax year. It is built for normal PAYE salary checks, not complex payroll cases.
| Part of pay | How this page handles it |
|---|---|
| Income Tax | Uses the selected UK tax region and the standard Personal Allowance setting unless you choose a custom allowance. |
| National Insurance | Estimates employee Class 1 NI on annualised earnings above the primary threshold. |
| Pension contributions | Lets you test employee pension deductions and salary-sacrifice treatment. |
| Student loans | Supports the main student loan plan settings so you can see the effect on net pay. |
| Scottish tax | Lets Scottish taxpayers estimate take-home pay using Scottish income tax treatment. |
| Bonus and pay-rise checks | Includes separate tabs for bonus after tax, comparing two salaries and working backwards from a target take-home amount. |
Gross pay, net pay and salary after tax
Gross pay is the headline salary. Net pay is what is left after Income Tax, National Insurance and any deductions you choose to include. That difference is why a £5,000 pay rise never means £5,000 extra in your bank account.
For a quick salary-after-tax check, enter the gross annual salary and leave everything else on the default settings. For a more payslip-like result, add your pension percentage, student loan plan and tax region before reading the monthly and annual figures.
Common salary checks
These are the most common reasons to use the salary calculator after you have entered your gross pay.
| If you want to know… | Use this |
|---|---|
| How much a salary pays after tax each month | Use the main take-home pay tab, then check the monthly net-pay result. |
| Whether a new offer is meaningfully better | Use the compare salaries tab and look at the monthly net difference, not just the gross rise. |
| How much of a bonus you will keep | Use the bonus after tax tab, especially if the bonus pushes some income into a higher band. |
| What salary you need for a target monthly amount | Use the target take-home tab to work backwards from net pay. |
| Whether a job is worth the commute or hours | Use True Wage after you have checked the basic salary-after-tax figure. |
When your payslip may differ
This page is intended to be a sensible estimate. Your final payslip can differ because payroll works with your tax code, pay period, employer pension setup, benefits, deductions and rounding rules.
- A different tax code can change how much tax is taken in the year.
- Salary sacrifice can reduce taxable pay and National Insurance in a different way from a normal pension deduction.
- Student loan deductions depend on plan type and pay-period earnings.
- Bonuses can look messy because payroll may withhold tax based on annualised pay.
- Benefits in kind, expenses and one-off payroll adjustments are not fully modelled here.
Related tax and salary guides
These are supporting guides for the salary calculator. The homepage is still the broader PayPrecise hub; this page stays focused on salary after tax and PAYE take-home pay.
| Guide | Use it when… |
|---|---|
| Income Tax bands 2026/27 | You want to understand which parts of salary are taxed at each rate. |
| National Insurance rates | You want to see why NI is separate from Income Tax on a payslip. |
| Student loan deductions | You have a Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 4, Plan 5 or postgraduate loan. |
| Salary calculator Scotland | You pay Scottish Income Tax and want the dedicated Scotland version. |
| Take-home pay Scotland | You want a fuller Scottish take-home pay guide and examples. |
| Moving to Scotland tax | You are comparing Scottish tax with the rest of the UK. |
| UK minimum wage 2026 | You want to convert the National Living Wage into annual salary and take-home pay. |
| The £100k tax trap calculator | You are near the Personal Allowance taper and want a closer look at marginal deductions. |
| Adjusted net income calculator | You need to test pension contributions, Gift Aid or salary sacrifice against key thresholds. |
Popular after-tax salary breakdowns
Use these pages when you want a quick fixed-salary example before changing the assumptions in the calculator.
| Salary | After-tax breakdown | Extra context |
|---|---|---|
| £25,000 | £25,000 take-home pay | Useful near entry-level and lower full-time salary comparisons. |
| £30,000 | £30,000 after tax UK | A common benchmark for early-career and regional salary checks. |
| £40,000 | £40,000 after tax UK | Useful for comparing against UK full-time median earnings. |
| £50,000 | £50,000 after tax UK | A common point for higher-rate tax questions. |
| £60,000 | £60,000 after tax UK | For lifestyle and percentile checks, see is £60k a good salary? |
| £80,000 | £80,000 after tax UK | Useful for higher-rate taxpayers comparing monthly net pay. |
| £100,000 | £100,000 after tax UK | Close to the Personal Allowance taper, so deductions can rise quickly. |
| £120,000 | £120,000 after tax UK | Useful for checking the effect of a mostly withdrawn Personal Allowance. |
Compare your salary with UK benchmarks
Once you have a take-home figure, these guides help put the gross salary in context. They cover average salary data and HMRC taxpayer-income thresholds, so they sit below the calculator rather than above it.
| Benchmark | Use it when… | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Average salary | You want to compare a salary with UK full-time earnings. | Average salary UK |
| Top 10% | You want to check the HMRC taxpayer-income threshold around £67,400. | Top 10% salary UK |
| Top 5% | You want to compare higher salaries with the current top 5% benchmark around £93,700. | Top 5% salary UK |
| Top 1% | You want to compare very high salaries with the current top 1% threshold around £207,000. | Top 1% salary UK |
Salary calculator FAQs
How is take-home pay calculated?
Take-home pay starts with gross salary. Payroll then subtracts Income Tax, employee National Insurance and any deductions that apply, such as pension contributions or student loan repayments.
Does this calculator include pension contributions?
Yes. You can include pension contributions because they often make a noticeable difference to monthly net pay. The result still depends on how your employer runs the pension scheme.
Does it support Scottish tax?
Yes. Choose Scotland in the tax region setting if Scottish Income Tax applies to you. If you want the dedicated Scottish version, use the Scotland salary calculator.
Why does a pay rise sometimes feel smaller than expected?
The extra salary may be taxed at a higher marginal rate. It can also increase student loan repayments, pension deductions or reduce your Personal Allowance if your income is above £100,000.
Is the result exact?
No. It is a planning estimate. Your payslip can differ because of tax codes, benefits, payroll timing, salary sacrifice, pension setup and employer rounding.
What is the difference between gross and net pay?
Gross pay is salary before deductions. Net pay is the amount left after Income Tax, National Insurance and any deductions you choose to include.
Why does my take-home pay change when I cross a tax band?
UK Income Tax is progressive. Only the income above a threshold is taxed at the higher rate, not the whole salary. The higher rate still matters because each extra pound above the threshold leaves you with less after tax.
What is salary sacrifice?
Salary sacrifice is when you give up part of your gross pay in exchange for a benefit, often pension contributions. Because it can reduce pay before tax and National Insurance are worked out, it may change take-home pay differently from a normal net-pay deduction.
| Primary source | How PayPrecise uses it | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Income Tax rates and allowances (2026 to 2027) | Used for the Personal Allowance and main UK Income Tax bands in calculator and editorial explanations. | View source |
| Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 | Used for PAYE threshold checks and employee National Insurance assumptions. | View source |
| Student and Postgraduate Loan deduction tables 2026 to 2027 | Used for student-loan plan threshold references in the calculator and guidance. | View source |
| ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 | Used for wider UK salary benchmark context across PayPrecise salary pages. | View source |
Calculator outputs remain illustrative because tax codes, salary sacrifice, pension settings, benefits, commuting patterns and local costs vary by person.