Graduate Salary Calculator
Free & Accurate UK Tax Year 2026/27 Income Tax • National Insurance • Student Loan • Pension
Enter the gross annual salary from your offer letter or payslip. All figures use the 2026/27 UK tax year — personal allowance frozen at £12,570, student loan thresholds updated for April 2026.
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See how your take-home compares to typical 2026 graduate starting salaries. Click a sector to compare.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the income tax bands for 2026/27?
For 2026/27, the personal allowance remains frozen at £12,570. You pay 20% on earnings from £12,571 to £50,270, 40% from £50,271 to £125,140, and 45% above that. These thresholds are frozen until at least April 2031. If you earn over £100,000, your personal allowance tapers by £1 for every £2 above, disappearing entirely at £125,140.
What are the student loan repayment thresholds for 2026/27?
The 2026/27 thresholds (updated from April 2026) are: Plan 1 — £26,900, Plan 2 — £29,385, Plan 4 (Scotland) — £33,795, Plan 5 — £25,000, and Postgraduate — £21,000. All plans except Postgraduate charge 9% on earnings above the threshold; Postgraduate charges 6%.
Have National Insurance rates changed for 2026/27?
Employee NI rates are unchanged for 2026/27: you pay 8% on earnings between the primary threshold (£12,570) and the upper earnings limit (£50,270), and 2% on anything above. The lower earnings limit increased slightly to £6,708. Employer NI, however, rose to 15% from April 2025 — this affects employer costs but not your take-home pay.
Which student loan plan am I on?
Plan 1: started before September 2012 in England/Wales, or any time in Northern Ireland. Plan 2: started September 2012–July 2023 in England/Wales. Plan 4: studied in Scotland. Plan 5: started in England from August 2023 onwards. Postgraduate: Master’s or PhD loan. You can have both an undergraduate and postgraduate loan simultaneously — repayments are collected separately.
Should I opt into my workplace pension as a graduate?
Absolutely. Under auto-enrolment, your employer must contribute at least 3% on top of your contribution. Salary-sacrifice pensions also reduce your taxable income, so a basic-rate taxpayer effectively pays only 80p for every £1 contributed. Starting early means decades of compound growth — even a 5% contribution at 22 makes a substantial difference by retirement.
Why might my payslip differ from this calculator?
Common reasons include: a non-standard tax code (e.g. emergency tax, company benefits in kind), Scottish income tax if you live in Scotland (different bands apply), bonus or commission payments processed differently, or employer-specific deductions like company car or private healthcare. Always verify your tax code on your payslip or via your HMRC Personal Tax Account.