Salary Calculator UK 2026/27
Comparing two salaries — a new job offer, a pay rise, or two roles? Enter both and see the real difference in take-home pay, not just the headline gap. Your salary never leaves your browser.
- Rates: GOV.UK — checked 5 Nov 2026
- Tested against HMRC worked examples
- Your salary never leaves your browser
Auto-enrolment uses 5% of qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270).
Both salaries use the same settings above, so the difference is the salary itself — not a change of plan or pension. Tax code 1257L, tax year 2026/27.
We could not load the 2026/27 rates. Please check your connection and refresh the page.
Take-home pay — the real difference
— / year more
- Per month more
- —
- Per week more
- —
- Of the rise kept
- —
| Salary A | Salary B | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | — | — | — |
| Pension | — | — | — |
| Income tax | — | — | — |
| National Insurance | — | — | — |
| Student loan | — | — | — |
| Take-home pay | — | — | — |
Rates checked 5 November 2026.
Every figure checked against HMRC's own examples.
Your salary never leaves your browser.
Rates re-checked by hand after every Budget.
Rates: GOV.UK — last checked 5 November 2026 See the official rates
How this is calculated
Both salaries are run through the same engine as the take-home pay calculator, using the 2026/27 rates, last checked against GOV.UK on 5 November 2026. Income tax uses your personal allowance (£12,570, tapered above £100,000) and the 20% / 40% / 45% bands — or Scotland's six bands (19% to 48%) if you tick Scottish taxpayer. National Insurance is 8% of pay between £12,570 and £50,270 a year, then 2% above. Student loan is charged above your plan's threshold. See the full method on How we calculate.
Examples
| Comparison | Take-home A / year | Take-home B / year | Real difference / year | Real difference / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £35,000 vs £40,000 | £27,569.20 | £30,969.20 | £3,400.00 | £283.33 |
| £30,000 vs £50,000 | £24,169.20 | £37,769.20 | £13,600.00 | £1,133.33 |
| £50,000 vs £60,000 | £37,769.20 | £44,036.50 | £6,267.30 | £522.28 |
Examples use tax code 1257L, auto-enrolment pension at 5% of qualifying earnings, and no student loan. All figures are computed by the engine — the £35,000 row is checked against HMRC's worked example, reproduced to the penny.
Related calculators & reading
- Take-home pay calculator — the full breakdown for one salary, with Scotland, pension modes and salary sacrifice.
- Student loan calculator — what each plan takes from your pay, and how a rise changes it.
- Pension & salary sacrifice calculator — what a pension contribution really costs in take-home pay.
- Scottish income tax calculator — the same salary in Scotland vs England, side by side.
- The £100,000 tax trap — why a rise across £100,000 keeps far less than you expect.
- 1257L: what your tax code means — check the code on your payslip before you compare offers.
- UK tax rates 2026/27 — every band, threshold and allowance behind these figures.
Questions
How does the salary comparison work?
Enter your current salary and the salary you are comparing it with — a new job offer, a pay rise, or a different role. Both are run through the same 2026/27 engine (income tax, National Insurance, student loan and auto-enrolment pension), so the difference shown is the real difference in take-home pay, not the difference in headline salary.
Why is the take-home difference smaller than the salary difference?
Because the extra pay is taxed at your marginal rate. A £5,000 rise from £35,000 to £40,000 adds £3,400 a year to your take-home pay (£283.33 a month), not £5,000 — the rest goes to income tax at 20% and National Insurance at 8%, plus 9% student loan if you have one. The comparison table shows exactly where the rest goes.
What pension is assumed in the comparison?
By default, auto-enrolment at 5% of qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270) — the same default as the take-home calculator. Choose "No pension" to compare salaries without any pension deduction. The pension figure is shown separately for each salary so you can see its effect.
Does the comparison include student loan repayments?
Yes — pick your undergraduate plan (Plan 1, 2, 4 or 5) and tick Postgraduate if you have one too. Each plan is charged at 9% above its own threshold (6% for Postgraduate), and the Postgraduate loan stacks with an undergraduate plan. The loan is charged on each salary separately, so a rise that crosses your plan threshold shows up in the difference.
Is my salary sent anywhere?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. No salary figure is sent to a server, stored, or shared.
The rates behind this calculator: 2026/27 rates, sourced from GOV.UK.