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TakeHomeFigures.co.uk

Tax year 2026/27

Compare two salaries in the UK

See how two gross salaries compare after Income Tax, Category A employee National Insurance, and any pension or Student Loan you select. The starting example is £30,000 beside £35,000, paid monthly in England, with no pension and no loan.

This is an estimate for one regular week or month. It is not exact PAYE withholding and it is not a payslip.

Salary comparison

Salary A

Uses the shared tax setup below.

Salary B

Only the gross salary differs. Nation, pay frequency, pension and Student Loan stay shared.

Estimated monthly take-home

One regular month. Income Tax in this figure is an annual-tax equivalent, not PAYE.

Salary A
£2,093.34
Salary B
£2,393.35
Difference, B minus A
+£300.01
Salary B is £300.01 more per month

Shared tax setup

These choices apply to both salaries. Turn on a different setup for Salary B if the offer uses another nation, pay frequency, pension or Student Loan.

How is this salary paid?
Which regular period should National Insurance use?
Tax nation
Pension for this salary
Method

No pension is deducted until you choose a method.

Estimated difference

2026/27 estimate for one regular period. Income Tax is an annual-tax equivalent, not PAYE. National Insurance is Category A for that period. This is not a payslip.

Salary B is £416.67 higher in gross pay for this period, and an estimated £300.01 more in take-home pay. A higher gross salary is not the same as the amount left after Income Tax, National Insurance, and any pension or loan on that extra pay.

Swipe sideways inside the table to see every column.

One month. Salary A, Salary B, and B minus A.
One monthSalary ASalary BB minus A
Gross pay£2,500.00£2,916.67+£416.67
Salary sacrifice£0.00£0.00£0.00
Income Tax equivalent£290.50£373.83+£83.33
Category A National Insurance£116.16£149.49+£33.33
Employee pension cash£0.00£0.00£0.00
Student Loan£0.00£0.00£0.00
Postgraduate Loan£0.00£0.00£0.00
Estimated take-home pay£2,093.34£2,393.35+£300.01
Take-home pay beside gross pay

Salary A take-home £2,093.34. Salary B take-home £2,393.35. Difference +£300.01. Bar length is the share of the higher gross pay.

Salary A£2,093.34
Salary B£2,393.35

12 estimated take-home months for Salary A come to £25,120.08. The same count for Salary B comes to £28,720.20. That repeats one rounded month. It is not a payslip for the year, and it is not an annual National Insurance bill. Repeating the Income Tax equivalent does not always equal the annual Income Tax.

The same salaries as one week

The week is the nearest penny of the annual salary divided by the weeks entered. Fifty-two weeks are not an annual National Insurance assessment.

Swipe sideways inside the table to see every column.

One week. Salary A, Salary B, and B minus A.
One weekSalary ASalary BB minus A
Gross pay£576.92£673.08+£96.16
Salary sacrifice£0.00£0.00£0.00
Income Tax equivalent£67.04£86.27+£19.23
Category A National Insurance£26.79£34.49+£7.70
Employee pension cash£0.00£0.00£0.00
Student Loan£0.00£0.00£0.00
Postgraduate Loan£0.00£0.00£0.00
Estimated take-home pay£483.09£552.32+£69.23

52 estimated take-home weeks for Salary A come to £25,120.68. The same count for Salary B comes to £28,720.64. That repeats one rounded week. It is not a payslip for the year, and it is not an annual National Insurance bill. Repeating the Income Tax equivalent does not always equal the annual Income Tax.

The tax year

Annual Income Tax uses the whole salary. Category A National Insurance is not turned into a yearly bill here.

Swipe sideways inside the table to see every column.

Tax year. Salary A, Salary B, and B minus A.
Tax yearSalary ASalary BB minus A
Annual pay charged to Income Tax£30,000.00£35,000.00+£5,000.00
Annual Income Tax£3,486.00£4,486.00+£1,000.00

A pay rise is taxed on the extra slice

Moving from £30,000 to £35,000 does not add £5,000 to the bank account. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland both salaries sit in the 20% band. Category A National Insurance on a regular month is 8% between the primary threshold and the upper earnings limit. The month of £35,000 is still below that upper limit, so the extra pay is charged at 8% as well. The estimated take-home gap for that month is £300.01, not £416.67.

A larger rise can cross £50,270, where the Income Tax rate becomes 40% and National Insurance becomes 2% above the upper earnings limit. Above £100,000 the Personal Allowance tapers. This page does not calculate Child Benefit or tax-free childcare. Scotland uses different Income Tax bands. The thresholds for Category A National Insurance stay UK-wide.

Questions

Why is the take-home gap smaller than the gross gap?

Income Tax and Category A National Insurance apply to the extra pay, and a pension or Student Loan can apply as well. The comparison shows the gross gap and the estimated take-home gap for the same week or month. The gross rise is not the amount left after those deductions.

Can I compare a salary in Scotland with one in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland?

Yes. Choose a different tax setup for Salary B, then pick the nation on each side. Scotland uses different Income Tax bands. Category A National Insurance thresholds do not change with the nation. Wales and Northern Ireland use the same employment bands as England, with their own standard tax-code labels on the main calculator.

Is this the difference I will see on two payslips?

No. Income Tax here is an annual liability shown as one week or one month. It is not PAYE withholding. National Insurance is Category A for that one period. A tax code, bonus, benefit, or a change of pay during the year can make a payslip differ.

Why might twelve months, or 52 weeks, not equal the year?

Each month or week is rounded to the nearest penny before it is repeated. Repeating that rounded take-home figure is a projection. It is not an annual National Insurance bill, and the repeated Income Tax equivalent does not always equal the annual Income Tax.

Do both salaries have to use the same pension and Student Loan?

No. The form starts with one shared setup, which suits a pay rise in the same job. Switch on a different tax setup for Salary B when the offer uses another nation, pay frequency, pension method, or Student Loan. Nothing is selected until you choose it.