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UK Salary & Take-Home Pay Calculator

Work out exactly what you'll take home each month after income tax, National Insurance, pension and student loan deductions. Built for the 2026/27 UK tax year.

Showing example figures. Edit any field with your own.

Your salary

£
£
£

Your bonus is taxed at your marginal rate — currently . Net cash from the bonus: .

£

Tax & region

Pension

%
%

Salary sacrifice can't take you below the National Minimum Wage — your employer will refuse a contribution that would. The 30%+ ceiling is a soft warning.

Student loans

Tick all that apply. Check your plan on gov.uk →

Your take-home pay

2026/27
Yearly
Monthly
Weekly
Gross income
Income tax
National Insurance
Student loan
Pension (you)
Take home
Effective tax + NI rate: · Personal allowance used:

Your marginal tax rate

60% trap
on your next £1

£0 £50k £100k

Where your salary goes

Income tax bands hit

National Insurance

Monthly breakdown

ItemYearlyMonthlyWeekly
Gross pay
Income tax
National Insurance
Student loan
Your pension
Take-home

Plus your employer pays in to your pension – not part of your take-home but boosts your retirement pot.

"What if?" — pay rise sensitivity

See how a salary change affects your monthly take-home.

-20%+50%
New gross
New monthly net
Difference / mo

How this calculator works

For 2026/27, your take-home pay is calculated by deducting income tax, National Insurance and any student loan and pension contributions from your gross salary.

  • Personal allowance — £12,570 of income is tax-free. This tapers by £1 for every £2 earned over £100,000, fully gone at £125,140.
  • Income tax (rUK) — 20% basic rate, 40% higher rate above £50,270, 45% additional rate above £125,140.
  • Income tax (Scotland) — six bands from 19% to 48%, set by the Scottish Government.
  • National Insurance Class 1 — 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% above.
  • Student loans — 9% above your plan threshold (6% for Postgrad above £21,000). To save, many people use a for emergency funds.
  • Pension type — salary sacrifice can cut both your income tax and NI bill. A lets you top up pension contributions outside your employer's scheme.

Sources: gov.uk/income-tax-rates, National Insurance rates, student loan thresholds.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my take-home pay lower than my colleague's on the same salary?
The most common reasons are: a different tax code (1257L is standard but K-codes, BR, D0 all change the calc), a Scottish vs rest-of-UK residency, pension scheme type (salary sacrifice cuts both income tax AND NI; relief-at-source only cuts tax via your provider's top-up), student loan plans, and benefit-in-kind values (company car, private medical) which add to your taxable income via PAYE.
What is the 60% tax trap and how does it work?
Between £100,000 and £125,140 your personal allowance tapers away at £1 for every £2 earned. That means every extra £1 of salary in that band is taxed at the 40% higher rate and triggers an extra 40p of tax on previously-tax-free income, plus 2% NI above the upper earnings limit — an effective marginal rate of about 62%. Pension contributions or salary sacrifice are the main way to dodge it: reducing your taxable income back below £100,000 restores the personal allowance.
How does Scottish income tax differ from the rest of the UK?
Scotland has six income tax bands (starter, basic, intermediate, higher, advanced, top) ranging from 19% to 48%, all set by the Scottish Government. The personal allowance (£12,570) and National Insurance rates are the same UK-wide because they're reserved to Westminster. So a Scottish higher-rate taxpayer pays more income tax than a rest-of-UK one on the same gross, but the same NI.
Does salary sacrifice always save me money?
It saves income tax and National Insurance (unlike relief-at-source, which only refunds income tax). For a basic-rate worker that's 28% relief; higher-rate is 42%; in the £100k-£125k trap it can hit 62%; additional-rate is 47%. But it reduces your gross salary on paper, which lenders use for mortgage affordability and which some workplace benefits (statutory sick/maternity, life cover) are calculated against. It also can't take you below the National Minimum Wage. Full guide with the four catches →
What does my tax code mean?
Most workers are on 1257L, which gives the standard £12,570 personal allowance (number × 10). K-codes (e.g. K500) work the other way — they add £5,000 to your taxable income, typically because of unpaid tax or large benefits-in-kind. Special codes: BR (everything taxed at basic rate, often a second job), D0 (everything at higher rate), D1 (everything at additional rate), NT (no tax), 0T (no personal allowance). If yours is unfamiliar, HMRC's personal tax account explains the breakdown.
How much should I be saving from my take-home pay?
The 50/30/20 rule is a common starting point: 50% of take-home on needs (rent, bills, food), 30% on wants, 20% on savings and debt repayment. UK financial guidance generally recommends building an emergency fund of 3-6 months of essential outgoings first, then targeting at least 15% of gross income into pensions (workplace contributions count toward this). The budget planner on this site tracks yours line-by-line.
Read more
How UK income tax works in 2026/27
Bands, the £100k tax trap, Scotland, NI, and tax codes — plain English.
8 min read
Salary sacrifice: is it worth it? 2026/27
How sacrificing salary into your pension cuts income tax and NI — up to 62% relief in the £100k trap.
9 min read
Cash ISA vs Stocks & Shares ISA 2026/27
Where to put your take-home so HMRC can't tax the interest. Splits the £20k allowance.
7 min read
All resources & guides
Long-form articles on UK tax, pensions, ISAs, mortgages and more.