How do I calculate my UK take-home pay?

Use our UK payroll calculator to compare PAYE, Umbrella, and Limited company take-home pay. Enter your gross income, tax code, student loans, and pension contributions to get an accurate calculation.

What is the difference between PAYE, Umbrella, and Limited company?

PAYE is standard employment with tax deducted at source. Umbrella companies act as your employer for contracting work. Limited companies offer the most tax efficiency but require more administration.

PAYE · 2026/27

£38,000 After Tax in the UK

Your deterministic 2026/27 PAYE breakdown for a £38,000 gross salary — Income Tax, National Insurance and the take-home you actually see on your payslip.

Annual take-home

£30,880

Monthly take-home

£2,573

Weekly take-home

£594

Income Tax

£5,086

National Insurance

£2,034

Effective rate

18.7%

You keep 81.3% of every pound.

Standard PAYE salary calculator

Use this tab if you're a UK employee paid through PAYE. If you contract via an umbrella or a limited company, use the dedicated Umbrella or Limited (Inside / Outside IR35) tabs instead.

Tax year

Primary job

Enter your main employment income details

Income

Annual: £72,000.00 | Hourly (est.): £36.92

Hours per week (optional)

Used to derive hourly breakdown from your results

Tax code

Standard code (L): personal allowance £12,570.

Undergraduate student loan plan

Postgraduate loan

You can have both an undergraduate plan and a postgraduate loan at the same time. Both will be deducted from your take-home pay.

Pension & SIPP

Pensions & SIPP

Salary sacrifice (%)Salary sacrifice (£)SIPP personal (net)

SIPP amounts are assumed to be paid personally (net of basic-rate relief). Extra relief is estimated based on your combined marginal band.

Additional jobs

No extra jobs added yet. Click "+ Add job" to include more employment.

Take-home pay breakdown

Main job – Primary job

Headline net take-home: £50,229.40 / year (£4,185.78 / month)

Gross pay (annual): £72,000.00
Gross pay (monthly): £6,000.00
PAYE income tax: £14,792.00
National Insurance: £3,378.60
Workplace pension (employee): £3,600.00
Student loans: Included in combined totals below
Net take-home (annual): £50,229.40

Combined across all jobs

Estimated PAYE take-home after income tax, NI, pension and SIPP.

Net take-home (monthly)

£4,185.78

Gross pay (annual): £72,000.00
PAYE income tax: £14,792.00
National Insurance: £3,378.60
Workplace pension (employee): £3,600.00
Net take-home (annual): £50,229.40

These figures are estimates based on current UK PAYE rules and your inputs. They're for guidance only and not an official HMRC calculation.

Compare with contracting

Same £72,000.00/year gross under all four engagement types.

If you were contracting at an equivalent day rate instead of being on PAYE payroll, this is how the same annual income would break down under an umbrella (Inside IR35), a limited company inside IR35, or a limited company outside IR35 — UK 2026/27 tax year. The Standard PAYE figure matches your combined take-home above.

Standard PAYE employment
PAYE
Annual take-home
£52,317.40
£4,359.78 / month
Effective tax rate
27.3%
vs. Standard PAYE
Baseline
As if you were on payroll with the same annualised salary.
Lowest net
Umbrella company
Inside IR35
Annual take-home
£46,512.38
£3,876.03 / month
Effective tax rate
35.4%
vs. Standard PAYE
−£5,805.02 vs PAYE
Includes £25/week margin, employer NI, apprenticeship levy — modelled like a real payslip.
Limited (Inside IR35)
Inside IR35
Annual take-home
£52,317.40
£4,359.78 / month
Effective tax rate
27.3%
vs. Standard PAYE
Baseline
PAYE-style deemed employment via the fee-payer.
Highest net
Limited (Outside IR35)
Outside IR35
Annual take-home
£52,324.58
£4,360.38 / month
Effective tax rate
27.3%
vs. Standard PAYE
+£7.18 vs PAYE
NI-optimal salary + dividends, with corporation-tax marginal relief.

Gap between the best and worst option: £5,812.20 / year on the same working assumptions.

Where your money goes

Income Tax: £5,086 (13.4%)
National Insurance: £2,034 (5.4%)
Take-home: £30,880 (81.3%)

What would £5,000 more give you?

A raise from £38,000 to £43,000 gives you an extra £3,600 per year — about £300 per month. You keep 72% of the raise.

See the full raise breakdown

Where does £38,000 rank in the UK?

A gross salary of £38,000 puts you at approximately the 54th percentile — above the UK median earner. That's calculated for Ages 35–39 against a median of £36,000.

See the full ranking

Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes / ONS ASHE — indicative, verify against latest release.

Explore nearby salaries

£35,000 £36,000 £37,000 £39,000 £40,000 £41,000

Landmark jumps:

£18k £20k £25k £50k £55k £60k £70k £75k

Compare with another salary

£38k vs £18k £38k vs £20k £38k vs £25k £38k vs £30k £38k vs £35k £38k vs £40k

Frequently asked

How much is £38,000 after tax in the UK?

£38,000 gross salary in the UK for the 2026/27 tax year means £30,880 annual take-home (£2,573 per month). You pay £5,086 in Income Tax and £2,034 in National Insurance, and keep 81.3% of your gross pay.

What is the monthly take-home for £38,000?

£38,000 per year is £2,573 per month after Income Tax and National Insurance (assuming the standard 1257L tax code, no student loan and no pension contribution).

What is the weekly take-home for £38,000?

£38,000 per year is £594 per week take-home.

How much would a £5,000 pay rise from £38,000 actually give me?

Going from £38,000 to £43,000 gives you an extra £3,600 per year net — £300 per month. You keep 72% of the raise.

Numbers are deterministic estimates from the UK PAYE engine for the 2026/27 tax year, using tax code 1257L and no student loan or pension. Use the calculator above to model your exact situation. Not financial advice.