Take-Home Pay Calculator UK: What You Actually Earn
The salary on your offer letter is a fiction. Four deductions chew it down before the money lands. Budgeting from the headline is why so many UK households feel poor on good pay.
UK combined marginal rate by gross income, 2025/26
| Gross earnings | Income tax | Employee NI | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| £0 - £12,570 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| £12,570 - £50,270 | 20% | 8% | 28% |
| £50,270 - £100,000 | 40% | 2% | 42% |
| £100,000 - £125,140 | 60% | 2% | 62% |
| Above £125,140 | 45% | 2% | 47% |
The £100k-£125,140 spike is the personal allowance taper. Salary sacrifice is the only legal exit.
Key takeaways
Take-home pay is what lands in your account after income tax, National Insurance, student loan, and pension contributions are deducted.
The calculator breaks down each deduction so you can see exactly where your gross salary goes every month.
Pension contributions reduce your taxable income, often saving more in tax than they cost in net pay.
Use the net figure as your real budget baseline rather than the headline salary you see on a job offer.