UK Take Home Pay Calculator 2025/26

Calculate your exact UK take-home pay after income tax, National Insurance, student loan repayments and pension contributions. Monthly and weekly breakdown included.

£
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% of salary (salary sacrifice / before tax)
Common salaries:
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Annual Take-Home
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Monthly Take-Home
£0
Weekly Take-Home
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Overall Deduction Rate

Deduction Breakdown

ItemAnnualMonthlyWeekly

How to Use This UK Take-Home Pay Calculator

Enter your annual gross salary, select your NI category (Category A for most people), choose a student loan plan if applicable, and enter your pension contribution percentage. The results show your take-home pay annually, monthly and weekly.

Pension contributions entered here are treated as salary sacrifice (taken before income tax and NI), which is the most common workplace pension arrangement and gives the maximum tax benefit.

The Formula

Pension deduction = Gross × pension%
Taxable income = Gross − Pension − Personal Allowance (£12,570)
Income Tax = 20% basic + 40% higher + 45% additional rate tax
NI (Cat A) = 8% on £12,570–£50,270 + 2% above £50,270
Student loan = 9% above threshold (plan dependent)
Take-Home = Gross − Tax − NI − Student Loan − Pension

Example

Emma, £45,000 salary, Plan 2 student loan, 5% pension:
Pension: £2,250 (5% of £45,000)
Adjusted gross for tax: £42,750
Taxable income: £42,750 − £12,570 = £30,180
Income tax: £30,180 × 20% = £6,036
NI: (£45,000 − £12,570) × 8% = £2,594 (simplified, below UEL)
Student loan (Plan 2): (£45,000 − £27,295) × 9% = £1,593
Take-home: £45,000 − £6,036 − £2,594 − £1,593 − £2,250 = £32,527/year (£2,711/month)
Extended

Pay Breakdown Analyser

See exactly where each pound goes, with salary sacrifice and pension benefit analysis

Where each pound of your salary goes.

How increasing your pension contribution affects your take-home pay.

Pension %Pension AmountTax SavedNet CostTake-Home

Frequently Asked Questions

How is UK take-home pay calculated?
UK take-home pay = Gross salary − Income Tax − National Insurance − Student Loan repayments − Pension contributions. Income tax uses the PAYE system with a Personal Allowance of £12,570. NI is charged at 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% above. Pension contributions are made before tax, reducing your taxable income.
What are the student loan repayment thresholds for 2025/26?
Plan 1: repay 9% above £24,990/year. Plan 2: repay 9% above £27,295/year. Plan 4 (Scotland): repay 9% above £31,395/year. Plan 5 (new 2023 starters): repay 9% above £25,000/year. Postgraduate loans: repay 6% above £21,000/year. Repayments are made through PAYE alongside your tax.
How do pension contributions reduce my tax bill?
Workplace pension contributions are typically taken before income tax (salary sacrifice), reducing your taxable income. If you contribute 5% of a £50,000 salary (£2,500), your taxable income becomes £47,500. At 20% basic rate this saves £500 in tax. At 40% higher rate it saves £1,000. Employer contributions are additional and do not count as your income.
What National Insurance category should I use?
Category A is the most common — it applies to most employees. Category B applies to married women/widows with a valid election certificate. Category C applies to employees above State Pension age (who pay no NI). Category H applies to apprentices under 25. Category M applies to employees under 21. Most people should use Category A.
What is the difference between gross and net pay?
Gross pay is your total salary before any deductions. Net pay (take-home pay) is what actually lands in your bank account after income tax, National Insurance, student loan and pension deductions. Your payslip shows both figures along with each individual deduction.