How much is £28,000 a year after tax in the UK?
| Pay period | Take-home pay |
|---|---|
| Per year | £23,679.60 |
| Per month | £1,973.30 |
| Every 4 weeks | £1,821.51 |
| Per week | £455.38 |
| Per day (260 working days) | £91.08 |
| Per hour (37.5-hour week) | £12.14 |
Try it: what would you take home on £28,000?
Adjust the salary or student loan option below — every figure uses the same 2026/27 tax and National Insurance model as this page.
From £28,000 gross, you keep £23,679.60 — about 85% of everything you earn. The rest goes to income tax (£3,086) and National Insurance (£1,234).
Where does the money go — tax, NI and take-home?
| Deduction | Amount per year |
|---|---|
| Gross salary | £28,000.00 |
| Personal allowance | £12,570.00 tax-free |
| Income tax (20% above £12,570) | −£3,086.00 |
| National Insurance (8% above £12,570) | −£1,234.40 |
| Take-home pay | £23,679.60 |
You are inside the basic-rate band, so every extra pound you earn between now and £50,270 is taxed at 20% plus 8% National Insurance — a combined 28% marginal rate.
Student loan deductions on 28k: all five plans
On top of tax and NI, student loan repayments reduce your pay further. Your plan determines how much less you take home at this salary:
| Plan | Repayment threshold | Rate | Annual deduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,900.00 | 9% | £99.00 |
| Plan 2 | £29,385.00 | 9% | £0.00 |
| Plan 4 | £33,795.00 | 9% | £0 — you earn below this threshold |
| Plan 5 | £25,000.00 | 9% | £270.00 |
| Postgraduate | £21,000.00 | 6% | £420.00 |
Plan 5 and postgraduate loans bite earliest (thresholds £25,000 and £21,000). If you are on Plan 4 (Scottish loans) your threshold is £33,795. Borrowers with both Plan 1 and Plan 2 loans repay both plans once they pass the Plan 1 threshold.
What a pay rise actually pays you
Here is what typical raises actually leave in your pocket at this salary, calculated with the 2026/27 bands, the allowance taper and both NI rates:
| Pay rise | Tax + NI on the rise | Extra take-home |
|---|---|---|
| +£1,000 (to £29,000) | −£280.00 | +£720.00 net |
| +£2,500 (to £30,500) | −£700.00 | +£1,800.00 net |
| +£5,000 (to £33,000) | −£1,400.00 | +£3,600.00 net |
| +£10,000 (to £38,000) | −£2,800.00 | +£7,200.00 net |
A £2,500 rise is worth about £150.00 extra a month. Remember the marginal rate on your next pound is 28%.
Monthly budget on 28k: the 50/30/20 rule
A common budgeting split for a take-home of £1,973.30 a month:
| Category | Share | Monthly amount | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needs | 50% | £986.65 | Rent, utilities, food, transport, minimum debt payments |
| Wants | 30% | £591.99 | Dining out, streaming, gym, hobbies, travel |
| Savings & debt payoff | 20% | £394.66 | Emergency fund, pension top-ups, overpaying debt |
Mortgage lenders typically cap borrowing near 4.5× gross salary, so a 28k income supports roughly a £126,000 mortgage — enough for a first flat in most regional cities with a 10% deposit.
What about Scotland?
Scottish rates differ: a 19% starter band, then 20% and a 21% intermediate band, with 42% and 45% higher rates (48% above £75,000). At this salary the difference is only a few pounds a week. National Insurance stays the same across the UK.
Does a pension change this?
The figures above assume no pension contributions. Auto-enrolment takes a minimum 5% of your salary pre-tax, but because contributions reduce taxable pay the hit to take-home is only about £84.00 a month at the 5% minimum — and your employer adds at least 3% on top.
Is 28k a good salary in the UK?
£28,000 is about £9,400 below the UK median full-time salary of £37,430 (ONS, 2026) — around the 40th percentile of full-time earners, typical of second-job salaries outside London.
£1,973 a month funds a comfortable single life in most regional cities and a frugal-but-fine one in London. Flat-share in the capital, one-bed flat further north — the classic £28k split.
Frequently asked questions
Is £28,000 a year a good salary in the UK in 2026?
£28,000 is about £9,400 below the UK median full-time salary of £37,430 (ONS, 2026) — around the 40th percentile of full-time earners, typical of second-job salaries outside London. Against a median of about £37,430, this is a middle-of-the-road salary: above most entry-level pay, below typical senior professional pay.
How much is £28,000 a year per month after tax?
Take-home pay is £23,679.60 a year, which is £1,973.30 per month after income tax and National Insurance. With a student loan the figure is lower — see the student loan table above.
How much is £28,000 a year per hour after tax?
On a standard 37.5-hour week (1,950 paid hours a year), £28,000 gross is £14.36 an hour, and your take-home works out at about £12.14 an hour.
Do I pay National Insurance on £28,000?
Yes — employee National Insurance is 8% on everything above the £12,570 primary threshold, which is £1,234 a year on this salary. Employer NI is paid on top by your employer, not you.
How much student loan comes out of a £28,000 salary?
It depends on your plan. On Plan 1 (threshold £26,900) you repay 9% of earnings above it; on Plan 2 (threshold £29,385) the same rate applies above a higher bar. The table above shows the exact deduction for all five plans, including the 6% postgraduate rate.
Is £28,000 after tax different in Scotland?
A little, yes. Scotland's bands (19% starter, 20% basic, 21% intermediate) are separate from the rest of the UK. At this salary level expect the gap to sit within roughly £5 a week — check HMRC's Scottish rate table for exact figures.
What happens to my take-home if I get a pay rise from £28,000?
You are inside the basic-rate band, so every extra pound you earn between now and £50,270 is taxed at 20% plus 8% National Insurance — a combined 28% marginal rate. The pay-rise table above shows the exact net gain for £1,000, £2,500, £5,000 and £10,000 increases.
Does a workplace pension change these figures?
Yes. The figures on this page assume no pension contributions. Auto-enrolment pension contributions come out of pre-tax pay, so paying the minimum 5% cuts your take-home by less than 5% because you save income tax and NI on the sacrifice. Use the UK salary calculator to model your exact contribution.
Every figure here is built on the 2026/27 HMRC framework: a £12,570 tax-free personal allowance (tapered away above £100,000), income tax at 20/40/45%, and employee NI at 8% up to £50,270, then 2%. Student loan thresholds match the 2026/27 plan rates. For financial decisions, double-check with a qualified professional.
Related pages
UK salary calculator · £27,000 After Tax UK · £30,000 After Tax UK · Student loan repayments · US take-home pay by state · Average salary Ireland