Workplace Pension (Auto-Enrolment) Calculator 2026/27
Enter your annual salary — see the minimum pension contributions on qualifying earnings: what comes out of your pay, what your employer adds, and the annual total. Because the minimums are charged on a band of earnings rather than your whole salary, the real percentages are lower than the headline 8% suggests.
How it works
Auto-enrolment minimums total 8% of QUALIFYING EARNINGS — the slice of pay between £6,240 and £50,270 a year (2026/27). Your employer must pay at least 3% of that band; the remaining 5% comes from you (part of which is covered by tax relief). Earnings below £6,240 and above £50,270 attract no minimum contribution.
Example: on a £30,000 salary, qualifying earnings are £23,760 → total minimum £1,900.80/year, split £712.80 employer + £1,188 you. Note the band effect: a £60,000 earner's minimum is calculated on £44,030, not the full salary — many schemes contribute on full salary instead, which is better than the legal minimum.
A second worked example at £25,000: qualifying earnings are £25,000 − £6,240 = £18,760, so the total minimum is £1,500.80 a year (£125.07 a month), of which your employer pays £562.80 and you pay £938. In a relief-at-source scheme, basic-rate tax relief means your £938 share actually costs about £750 of take-home pay.
Who is covered: you are automatically enrolled if you earn over £10,000, are aged 22 to State Pension age and work in the UK. Below £10,000, or outside that age range, enrolment does not happen automatically — so lower earners and younger or older workers should not assume contributions are being made on their behalf.
The most common misunderstanding is expecting 8% of your whole salary. The legal minimum is 8% of the band only: on £30,000 that is £1,900.80 — about 6.3% of full salary — and the effective percentage falls further above £50,270, where additional earnings attract no minimum at all. If your scheme uses full-salary "pensionable pay", you are getting more than the law requires.
What the result shows: the legal minimum contributions for your salary — employer share, your share and the total. It is a floor, not a plan. HONEST NOTE: most advisers regard 8% as too little for a comfortable retirement; the common rule of thumb is to aim for a total contribution rate of at least half your age when you start (e.g. start at 30 → 15%).
Two details worth checking in your own scheme paperwork: which pay definition it uses (qualifying earnings band, or full salary from the first pound — the latter is more generous), and how your tax relief is delivered, since that changes what your 5% share truly costs you. Both are stated in the scheme booklet and on your payslip.
FAQ
How much goes into my workplace pension by law?
At least 8% of your qualifying earnings (the £6,240–£50,270 band): minimum 3% from your employer, and 5% from you — though basic-rate tax relief means £1 of your contribution costs you 80p in a relief-at-source scheme. On £25,000 that is roughly £125/month total. Your employer can choose to pay more than 3% or calculate on full salary; check your scheme rules, as many do.
Can I opt out of auto-enrolment, and is it wise?
You can opt out within one month of enrolment for a full refund, and stop contributions any time after — but you then lose the employer's 3% (free money) and the tax relief, and your employer must re-enrol you roughly every three years. Opting out is rarely sensible except in short-term financial crisis; even then, rejoining as soon as possible matters, because early contributions do the most compounding work.
Why is my pension contribution not 8% of my whole salary?
Because the legal minimum applies to qualifying earnings only — the band between £6,240 and £50,270. On a £30,000 salary the band is £23,760, so the 8% minimum is £1,900.80, about 6.3% of full salary. Some employers use "pensionable pay" definitions that cover the full salary from £1 (self-certification tiers) — that is more generous. Your payslip and scheme booklet state which definition applies to you.
What are the minimum contributions on a £60,000 salary?
The band is capped, so qualifying earnings are £50,270 − £6,240 = £44,030 whatever you earn above the cap. The 8% minimum is £3,522.40 a year — £1,320.90 from your employer and £2,201.50 from you — and earning more than £60,000 would not raise it. Schemes that contribute on full salary go beyond this legal floor.
What does my 5% contribution actually cost me?
Less than it looks, because of tax relief: in a relief-at-source scheme each £1 you contribute costs 80p of take-home pay at the basic rate. On a £30,000 salary the £1,188 employee minimum therefore costs about £950 net — while £1,900.80, including the employer's £712.80, lands in your pension. That gap is the core argument for staying enrolled.
Who gets auto-enrolled into a workplace pension?
Workers in the UK aged 22 to State Pension age who earn over £10,000 a year. Earn less, or fall outside that age range, and enrolment is not automatic — no contributions flow unless something is arranged. If that describes you, it is worth checking your position rather than assuming a pension is quietly building in the background.
Is the 8% minimum enough to retire on?
Most advisers say no — 8% of a band of earnings is a legal floor designed to get everyone saving something, not a target for a comfortable retirement. A common rule of thumb is a total contribution rate of at least half your age when you start: begin at 30 and the suggestion is 15%. The calculator shows the floor; treat anything above it as the real plan.
Does my employer have to match anything I pay above the minimum?
No — the legal requirement on the employer is 3% of qualifying earnings, however much you choose to contribute. Many schemes do pay more voluntarily, calculate on full salary, or offer matching above the floor, and those terms are set by the scheme rather than the law. The scheme booklet states what your employer actually offers.