Pay Rise Calculator (2026/27)
Enter your current salary and the rise as a percentage or an amount — see the new gross salary and the real after-tax difference per month.
How it works
The headline rise and the take-home rise are different numbers: the extra pay sits on top of your existing salary, so it is taxed at your MARGINAL rate. The calculator runs the full 2026/27 tax and NI computation on both salaries and shows the true monthly difference.
A basic-rate earner keeps roughly 72p of each extra £1 (20% tax + 8% NI); a higher-rate earner about 58p (40% + 2%). Between £100,000 and £125,140 the personal-allowance taper cuts this to about 38p per £1 — some rises in that zone feel invisible.
To compare a rise against inflation, check the percentage: a 3% rise when prices grew 5% is a real-terms pay CUT even though the payslip number went up. The calculator shows the rise as both an amount and a percentage so you can negotiate with the right figure.
FAQ
How much of a pay rise do I actually take home?
It depends on the tax band the extra income lands in: up to £50,270 total salary you keep about 72% of the rise (after 20% tax and 8% NI); between £50,270 and £100,000 about 58%; in the £100,000–£125,140 personal-allowance taper about 38%; above £125,140 about 53%. A rise that crosses a threshold is split across bands — the calculator computes the exact figure rather than a flat rate.
Is a 5% pay rise good?
Measure it against two things: inflation and your market rate. If CPI inflation is running at 3%, a 5% rise is roughly a 2% real-terms gain; if inflation is 6%, the same rise is a real-terms cut. Separately, if your market value has moved (new skills, market shortage), the benchmark is what your role pays elsewhere — job movers historically out-earn stayers. Bring both numbers to the negotiation, not just the percentage.
Can a pay rise push me into a higher tax bracket and leave me worse off?
No — UK tax bands are marginal, so only the slice ABOVE a threshold is taxed at the higher rate; the rise can never shrink your net pay by itself. What CAN genuinely bite are cliff-edges attached to income: crossing £50,270 starts the child benefit charge taper, £100,000 starts the personal-allowance taper and can end free childcare hours eligibility. If a rise nudges you just over one of these, a pension contribution can bring your adjusted income back under the line.