Job adverts quote gross salaries, but rent is paid from net pay. Here's what three common UK salaries actually look like in your bank account under 2025/26 rules — using the same maths as our UK salary calculator.
How UK tax is calculated
Every worker gets a personal allowance of £12,570 tax-free. Above that, the basic rate of 20% applies up to £37,700 of taxable income, then 40% (higher rate) and 45% (additional rate) above £125,140. On top sits employee National Insurance: 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% on the rest.
Three salaries, side by side
| Gross salary | Take-home / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | £25,120 | £2,093 |
| £40,000 | £32,298 | £2,692 |
| £50,000 | £39,444 | £3,287 |
Notice the pattern: a £10,000 raise between £30k and £40k adds roughly £7,200 net, because about 28% disappears to tax and NI.
What changes your number
- Workplace pension — a typical 5% employee contribution reduces net pay but is tax-efficient.
- Student loan (Plan 2) — 9% of earnings above £27,295, roughly £244/year at £30k.
- Tax code — most people are on 1257L; a wrong code can cost (or overpay) hundreds of pounds.
Check your own salary
Rare round numbers in real life — enter your exact salary (and student loan status) into the salary calculator to see your precise take-home, or use the VAT rates guide if you're invoicing clients as a freelancer.