Job adverts quote gross salary; rent and bills come out of take-home. This page works the sum backwards: pick the monthly take-home you want and read off the salary that delivers it in 2026/27, after income tax and employee National Insurance. Figures assume a standard 1257L tax code, no pension contributions and no student loan — the second table shows what those do.
| Take-home a month | Take-home a year | Salary needed (England, Wales, NI) | Salary needed (Scotland) |
|---|
| £1,200 | £14,400 | £15,112: see £15,000 after tax UK | £15,077: see £15,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £1,300 | £15,600 | £16,779: see £17,000 after tax UK | £16,724: see £17,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £1,400 | £16,800 | £18,445: see £18,000 after tax UK | £18,390: see £18,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £1,500 | £18,000 | £20,112: see £20,000 after tax UK | £20,057: see £20,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £1,600 | £19,200 | £21,779: see £22,000 after tax UK | £21,724: see £22,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £1,700 | £20,400 | £23,445: see £23,000 after tax UK | £23,390: see £23,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £1,800 | £21,600 | £25,112: see £25,000 after tax UK | £25,057: see £25,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £1,900 | £22,800 | £26,779: see £27,000 after tax UK | £26,724: see £27,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £2,000 | £24,000 | £28,445: see £28,000 after tax UK | £28,390: see £28,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £2,100 | £25,200 | £30,112: see £30,000 after tax UK | £30,065: see £30,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £2,200 | £26,400 | £31,779: see £32,000 after tax UK | £31,755: see £32,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £2,300 | £27,600 | £33,445: see £33,000 after tax UK | £33,445: see £33,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £2,400 | £28,800 | £35,112: see £35,000 after tax UK | £35,135: see £35,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £2,500 | £30,000 | £36,779: see £37,000 after tax UK | £36,825: see £37,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £2,600 | £31,200 | £38,445: see £38,000 after tax UK | £38,515: see £39,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £2,700 | £32,400 | £40,112: see £40,000 after tax UK | £40,205: see £40,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £2,800 | £33,600 | £41,779: see £42,000 after tax UK | £41,896: see £42,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £2,900 | £34,800 | £43,445: see £43,000 after tax UK | £43,586: see £44,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £3,000 | £36,000 | £45,112: see £45,000 after tax UK | £45,953: see £46,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £3,100 | £37,200 | £46,779: see £47,000 after tax UK | £48,353: see £48,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £3,200 | £38,400 | £48,445: see £48,000 after tax UK | £50,702: see £51,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £3,300 | £39,600 | £50,112: see £50,000 after tax UK | £52,845: see £53,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £3,400 | £40,800 | £52,143: see £52,000 after tax UK | £54,987: see £55,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £3,500 | £42,000 | £54,212: see £54,000 after tax UK | £57,130: see £57,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £3,600 | £43,200 | £56,281: see £56,000 after tax UK | £59,273: see £59,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £3,700 | £44,400 | £58,350: see £58,000 after tax UK | £61,416: see £61,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £3,800 | £45,600 | £60,419: see £60,000 after tax UK | £63,559: see £64,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £3,900 | £46,800 | £62,488: see £62,000 after tax UK | £65,702: see £66,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £4,000 | £48,000 | £64,557: see £65,000 after tax UK | £67,845: see £68,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £4,100 | £49,200 | £66,626: see £67,000 after tax UK | £69,987: see £70,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £4,200 | £50,400 | £68,695: see £69,000 after tax UK | £72,130: see £72,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £4,300 | £51,600 | £70,764: see £71,000 after tax UK | £74,273: see £74,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £4,400 | £52,800 | £72,833: see £73,000 after tax UK | £76,496: see £76,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £4,500 | £54,000 | £74,902: see £75,000 after tax UK | £78,760: see £79,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £4,600 | £55,200 | £76,970: see £77,000 after tax UK | £81,024: see £81,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £4,700 | £56,400 | £79,039: see £79,000 after tax UK | £83,289: see £83,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £4,800 | £57,600 | £81,108: see £81,000 after tax UK | £85,553: see £86,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £4,900 | £58,800 | £83,177: see £83,000 after tax UK | £87,817: see £88,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £5,000 | £60,000 | £85,246: see £85,000 after tax UK | £90,081: see £90,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £5,500 | £66,000 | £95,591: see £96,000 after tax UK | £102,435: see £102,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £6,000 | £72,000 | £109,060: see £109,000 after tax UK | £122,108: see £122,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £6,500 | £78,000 | £124,849: see £125,000 after tax UK | £135,290: see £135,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £7,000 | £84,000 | £136,253: see £136,000 after tax UK | £147,290: see £147,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £8,000 | £96,000 | £158,894: see £159,000 after tax UK | £171,290: see £171,000 after tax in Scotland |
| £10,000 | £120,000 | £204,177: see £200,000 after tax UK | £219,290: see £200,000 after tax in Scotland |
Links go to the nearest £1,000 salary page. Salaries are the exact gross figure at which monthly take-home first reaches the target; a real payslip may differ by a few pounds because PAYE is worked out per pay period.
Why each extra £100 a month costs more and more salary
Tax is charged in slices. Up to £50,270 of salary you keep 72p of every extra £1 (20% tax and 8% NI), so £100 more a month needs about £139 of salary. From £50,271 you keep 58p (40% tax and 2% NI) — about £172 of salary per £100. Between £100,000 and £125,140 your personal allowance is being withdrawn as well, leaving 38p in the pound, so the same £100 a month needs roughly £263. That is why the salary column climbs faster than the take-home column as you go down the table. More on the £100k taper.
With a pension or a student loan
Both come out before you see your pay, so the salary needed rises. Six common targets, England/Wales/NI, 2026/27:
| Take-home a month | No deductions | 5% pension | Plan 2 loan | Both |
|---|
| £1,500 | £20,112 | £21,295 | £20,112 | £21,295 |
| £2,000 | £28,445 | £30,119 | £28,445 | £30,231 |
| £2,500 | £36,779 | £38,942 | £37,835 | £40,400 |
| £3,000 | £45,112 | £47,766 | £47,359 | £50,542 |
| £4,000 | £64,557 | £68,078 | £71,017 | £75,648 |
| £5,000 | £85,246 | £89,896 | £95,507 | £101,735 |
The pension column assumes a net-pay workplace scheme (the contribution comes off before tax, so it costs you less than its face value). A Plan 2 loan takes 9% of pay above £29,385. To test your own numbers — a different pension rate, Plan 1/4/5, Scotland, a tax code — put the salary from the table into the calculator and adjust.
Quick answers
How much do I need to earn to take home £2,000 a month?
In 2026/27, a salary of about £28,445 in England, Wales or Northern Ireland (£28,390 in Scotland) gives £2,000 a month after income tax and National Insurance, with a standard 1257L tax code and no pension or student loan deductions.
How much do I need to earn to take home £3,000 a month?
About £45,112 a year (£45,953 in Scotland). Above £50,270 every extra £1 is taxed at 42% (40% tax + 2% NI), so each additional £100 of take-home needs roughly £172 of salary.
Why does a higher take-home target need disproportionately more salary?
Because tax is marginal. Below £50,270 you keep 72p of each extra £1 (20% tax + 8% NI); from £50,271 you keep 58p; between £100,000 and £125,140 only 38p, because the personal allowance is withdrawn as well. So the salary needed for each extra £100 a month rises from about £139 to £172 to £263 of gross pay.
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