Tax & Income

Salary Comparison Calculator

Compare two salaries or job offers side-by-side, including bonus, pension, income tax and exact take-home pay. See which package is really worth more.

Updated April 2026

A Current / Scenario A

£
£
%
%

Take-home

£2,573/mo

£30,880/yr

B New offer / Scenario B

£
£
%
%

Take-home

£3,143/mo

£37,720/yr

Shared settings

Take-home difference

+£6,840

B vs A · per year

Total package difference

+£10,300

Incl. bonus & employer pension

Full breakdown

2026/27 · Annual figures

ItemA £40,000 B £50,000 Diff

Gross salary

£40,000 £50,000 +£10,000

Bonus

Annual

£0 £0 +£0

Employer pension

3% / 3%

£1,200 £1,500 +£300

Total package

Gross + bonus + employer pension

£41,200 £51,500 +£10,300

Income tax

£5,086 £6,986 +£1,900

National Insurance

£2,034 £2,794 +£760

Employee pension

5% / 5%

£2,000 £2,500 +£500

Student loan

£0 £0 +£0

Take-home pay

£2,573/mo vs £3,143/mo

£30,880 £37,720 +£6,840

Effective tax rates

Scenario A

17.8%

Scenario B

19.6%

Difference

+1.8%

How much of a pay rise do you actually keep?

When you receive a pay rise, you don't keep 100% of the increase. The additional earnings are taxed at your marginal rate, the rate that applies to the top slice of your income. For most UK earners in 2026/27:

  • Basic rate (20% IT + 8% NI): earnings between £12,570 and £50,270. You keep roughly 72p of every extra £1.
  • Higher rate (40% IT + 2% NI): earnings between £50,270 and £125,140. You keep roughly 58p of every extra £1.
  • Additional rate (45% IT + 2% NI): earnings above £125,140. You keep roughly 53p of every extra £1.

Why total package matters more than salary

A job offering £48,000 with a £3,000 bonus, 5% employer pension and salary sacrifice may easily beat a £52,000 offer with no bonus, 3% employer pension and a relief-at-source scheme. The total package row adds gross salary, bonus and employer pension. This is the true cost to the employer and the fairest comparison between two offers.

Pension scheme differences

The pension scheme type affects your take-home pay even at the same contribution rate:

  • Salary sacrifice: contribution reduces taxable pay, saving income tax and NI. Most tax-efficient.
  • Net pay: contribution reduces taxable income but NI is paid on the full salary.
  • Relief at source: you contribute from net pay; the provider claims 20% basic rate relief. No NI saving.

Want a full salary breakdown?

Use the Income Tax Calculator for a detailed breakdown including tax bands, NI thresholds and pension details. Or the Salary Sacrifice Calculator to optimise your contributions.