Need the Scotland versions? Use these pages when Scottish Income Tax applies or when you are comparing Scotland with the rest of the UK.
Use this UK salary calculator to estimate take-home pay for the 2025/26 tax year. It shows how gross salary becomes net pay after Income Tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and student loan deductions, with Scottish tax support where relevant.
Use these benchmark pages to see what income is needed to reach the top 10%, top 5% and top 1% of UK taxpayers, then compare that with take-home pay and real work costs.
What this salary calculator does
Use this UK salary calculator to estimate take-home pay for the 2025/26 tax year. It turns gross salary into an indicative net-pay view after Income Tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and student loan deductions, with Scottish tax support where relevant.
This page is designed for UK PAYE employees who want a clearer answer to practical questions such as: What will I actually keep? Why does my pay rise feel smaller than expected? and how do tax, NI, pension and student loans combine on the same payslip?
What is included in the estimate
The calculator is built to give a concise but useful view of the deductions that most often shape take-home pay. That includes annual, monthly and weekly net-pay estimates, a breakdown of Income Tax and employee National Insurance, pension contribution handling, student loan deduction support and Scottish tax treatment where it applies.
It also links into the wider PayPrecise tools when you want to go beyond a headline payslip estimate. You can compare roles, look at True Wage for real hourly earnings after commute time and work costs, or use salary-specific examples to sense-check what a given income can look like in practice.
Why people use this page
Most readers come here for one of four reasons: to check an after tax salary, compare two job offers, understand the impact of deductions, or sense-check the value of a pay rise. A higher salary does not always turn into an equally large increase in spending power once payroll deductions, student loans, pension contributions and frozen thresholds have taken effect.
For percentile context beyond a payslip estimate, compare your result with top 10% salary UK, top 5% salary UK and top 1% salary UK.
Popular salary and tax topics
| Topic | What it helps explain |
|---|---|
| Income Tax bands 2025/26 | How progressive tax bands and the Personal Allowance shape the amount of salary you keep. |
| National Insurance rates | Why NI is calculated differently from Income Tax and why it changes your payslip in a different way. |
| Student loan deductions | How plan thresholds and repayment rates affect net pay on top of tax and NI. |
| Scottish Income Tax | Why Scottish taxpayers can see a different income tax outcome from the rest of the UK. |
| Salary vs hourly pay | How to compare annual salary with the real value of your time. |
| The £100k tax trap calculator | Check how the Personal Allowance taper and marginal deductions can make an income rise feel smaller than expected. |
| Adjusted net income calculator | Estimate ANI when pension contributions, Gift Aid or salary sacrifice affect key tax and benefit thresholds. |
| ANI, childcare and Child Benefit | See how adjusted net income can affect Tax-Free Childcare, funded hours and the High Income Child Benefit Charge. |
Popular salary examples
For salary-specific examples, see £25,000 take-home pay, £30,000 take-home pay, £35,000 take-home pay, £45,000 take-home pay, £50,000 take-home pay, £55,000 take-home pay, £65,000 take-home pay, £75,000 take-home pay, £80,000 take-home pay, £100,000 take-home pay, £110,000 take-home pay and £150,000 take-home pay. These pages are useful when you want a quicker reference point before testing your own assumptions in the calculator. For a judgement call around the higher-rate threshold, see is £60k a good salary in the UK?
Salary calculator FAQs
How is take-home pay calculated?
Take-home pay starts with gross salary, then payroll subtracts Income Tax, employee National Insurance, pension deductions and any student loan repayments that apply. The exact result depends on tax year, tax treatment, region and payroll settings.
Does this calculator include pension contributions?
Yes. Pension contributions are part of the estimate because they change how much net pay you receive and, in some arrangements, can affect taxable pay as well.
Does it support Scottish tax?
Yes. The calculator supports Scottish tax treatment so readers can estimate take-home pay using the relevant Scottish income tax bands where appropriate.
Why does a pay rise sometimes feel disappointing?
A pay rise can feel smaller than expected because extra earnings may be taxed at higher marginal rates, may trigger more student loan deductions, and may be weakened by frozen thresholds or tapered allowances.
Is the result exact?
No. The output is an illustrative estimate built from published rates and thresholds. Final payroll figures can vary because of tax codes, salary sacrifice, benefits, pension settings and other personal circumstances.
About PayPrecise
PayPrecise is an independent UK pay tools site built to make salary decisions clearer. Alongside the salary calculator, it includes True Wage analysis, bonus after tax calculations, salary comparisons and practical guides that help readers understand what a salary is really worth once deductions, time and work costs are taken into account.
| Primary source | How PayPrecise uses it | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Income Tax rates and allowances (2025 to 2026) | Used for Personal Allowance and main UK tax bands in calculator/editorial explanations. | View source |
| National Insurance rates and category letters | Used for NI examples and take-home calculations. | View source |
| ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 | Primary benchmark source for UK earnings, pay percentiles and regional comparisons cited across salary pages. | View source |
Calculator outputs remain illustrative because tax codes, salary sacrifice, pension settings, benefits, commuting patterns and local costs vary by person.