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Salary calculator

Take-Home Pay Calculator UK (2026/27)

Enter your salary to see what lands in your account after income tax, National Insurance, student loan and pension, broken down yearly, monthly or weekly. Whether you need a salary calculator or an income tax calculator, it uses 2026/27 rates. Free, no signup.

Free, no signup2026/27 ratesVerify at gov.uk
Your salary
Your salary before tax, National Insurance and pension
£
Salary sacrifice, comes out before tax and NI
%
Take-home pay
£28,720
a year · £28,720 a year
Gross salary£35,000
Income tax−£4,486
National Insurance−£1,794
Take-home a year£28,720
Where your pay goes
Take-home 82%Tax 13%NI 5%
2026/27 estimate, verify current figures at gov.uk; not tax advice.
Simon Chadwick
Simon Chadwick
Founder, Orbit Money
Method: HMRC 2026/27 income tax, NI, student loanUpdated: 11 July 2026Sources: gov.uk

What comes out of your pay

The salary you’re offered is rarely what hits your bank account. In the UK, several things come out before you’re paid: income tax, National Insurance, a student loan repayment if you have one, and any pension contribution. Salary-sacrifice pension is taken from your pay before tax and National Insurance are worked out, so it lowers both, which is why paying more into a pension can cost your take-home less than you’d expect.

How your income tax is calculated (2026/27 bands)

Taxable incomeBandRate
Up to £12,570Personal Allowance, tax-free0%
£12,571 – £50,270Basic rate20%
£50,271 – £125,140Higher rate40%
Over £125,140Additional rate45%

These are the 2026/27 bands for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Your £12,570 Personal Allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 you earn over £100,000, and is gone entirely at £125,140. Scotland sets its own income tax bands. Verify the current figures at gov.uk, this tool is a guide, not tax advice.

How National Insurance works

National Insurance is a separate deduction from income tax. As an employee in 2026/27, you pay 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% on anything above £50,270. There’s no NI on the first £12,570 you earn. It funds the state pension and some benefits, and because the 8% band ends at £50,270, your marginal NI rate falls once you cross into the higher-rate income tax band.

Student loan plans

Student loan repayments are income-contingent: you only repay on the part of your income above your plan’s threshold, at the rate for that plan. Here are the 2026/27 thresholds this calculator uses.

PlanAnnual thresholdRate above threshold
Plan 1£26,9009%
Plan 2£29,3859%
Plan 4 (Scotland)£33,7959%
Plan 5£25,0009%
Postgraduate£21,0006%

Thresholds are reviewed annually. Confirm your plan and current threshold on gov.uk or in your student loan account.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter your annual gross salary, the figure before tax, National Insurance and pension.
  2. Choose your student loan plan, or leave it on None if you don't have one.
  3. Add your pension contribution as a percentage if you pay into a salary-sacrifice scheme.
  4. Switch between yearly, monthly and weekly to see your take-home for each period.
  5. Read your net pay, with income tax, National Insurance, student loan and pension broken out.

Frequently asked questions

How is take-home pay calculated in the UK?
Your take-home (net) pay is your gross salary minus income tax, National Insurance, any student loan repayment, and pension contributions. If your pension is salary sacrifice, it comes off your pay before tax and NI are worked out, which lowers both. This calculator applies the 2026/27 income tax bands, National Insurance rates and student loan thresholds to estimate each deduction and show what lands in your account.
What are the 2026/27 UK tax bands?
For 2026/27 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: the first £12,570 is your tax-free Personal Allowance; £12,571–£50,270 is taxed at the 20% basic rate; £50,271–£125,140 at the 40% higher rate; and anything above £125,140 at the 45% additional rate. Your Personal Allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 you earn over £100,000, disappearing entirely at £125,140. Scotland uses different income tax bands.
How much National Insurance do I pay?
As an employee in 2026/27, you pay Class 1 National Insurance at 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% on everything above £50,270. There is no NI on the first £12,570 you earn. National Insurance is separate from income tax and helps fund the state pension and certain benefits.
How do student loan repayments work?
You only repay once your income passes your plan's threshold, and you repay a percentage of the income above it, not your whole salary. Plan 1 starts at £26,900, Plan 2 at £29,385, Plan 4 (Scotland) at £33,795 and Plan 5 at £25,000, each at 9%. Postgraduate loans repay 6% above £21,000. If you have both an undergraduate and a postgraduate loan, you can repay both at once. Thresholds are reviewed each year, so confirm yours on gov.uk.
Does salary sacrifice pension save tax?
Yes. With salary sacrifice, your pension contribution is taken from your gross pay before income tax and National Insurance are calculated. That reduces the income both are charged on, so you pay less tax and less NI than if you contributed from your take-home pay. It's one of the most tax-efficient ways to save for retirement, though it can affect things like mortgage affordability calculations, check with your provider.
What is the difference between gross and net salary?
Your gross salary is your pay before deductions. Your net salary, also called take-home pay, is what lands in your account after income tax, National Insurance, any student loan repayment and pension come off.
What is a PAYE calculator?
PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is how employers deduct income tax and National Insurance from your wages before you are paid. This calculator shows the same figures, so you can check what should be landing in your account each month.

Take-home pay by salary

£20,000£21,000£22,000£23,000£24,000£25,000£26,000£27,000£28,000£29,000£30,000£31,000£32,000£33,000£34,000£35,000£36,000£37,000£38,000£39,000£40,000£41,000£42,000£43,000£44,000£45,000£46,000£47,000£48,000£49,000£50,000£51,000£52,000£53,000£54,000£55,000£56,000£57,000£58,000£59,000£60,000£61,000£62,000£63,000£64,000£65,000£66,000£67,000£68,000£69,000£70,000£71,000£72,000£73,000£74,000£75,000£76,000£77,000£78,000£79,000£80,000£81,000£82,000£83,000£84,000£85,000£86,000£87,000£88,000£89,000£90,000£91,000£92,000£93,000£94,000£95,000£96,000£97,000£98,000£99,000£100,000

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Simon Chadwick
About the author
Simon Chadwick
Founder of Orbit Money

Simon is the founder of Orbit Money, a tool that helps people track subscriptions and recurring spend. He builds Orbit's free money calculators and writes about personal finance for UK and Australian readers.

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This tool is a guide, not tax advice.