Example result based on the prefilled values.
Higher Spendable Offer
Offer A
Annual Spendable Difference A minus B
£1,936.00
Offer A Monthly Spendable
£3,070.62
Offer B Monthly Spendable
£2,909.28
Package Proxy Difference A minus B
£2,780.00
Employer Pension A
£2,500.00
Employer Pension B
£1,620.00
Paid Leave Difference A minus B
3.00 days
Continue your plan
Useful next calculations
Rates & sources2026/27
2026/27 annual PAYE illustration for comparing two offers. Non-cash benefits use only the personal value entered and are not treated as a taxable-benefit calculation.
Source: HMRC — 2026/27 employer rates and thresholds — source checked for 2026/27.
When to use this calculator
- Before accepting a pay change, bonus, pension contribution, or salary-sacrifice option.
- When you want to compare employed, self-employed, or dividend-based income scenarios.
- When you need a simple take-home estimate before running payroll or filing returns.
- When you are approaching the £100,000 income level and want to understand the personal allowance taper effect.
- When you are planning a salary sacrifice arrangement and need to see the net pay impact before agreeing terms.
A realistic UK planning example
Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.
Offer A salary (£)
£35,000
Offer A expected cash bonus (£)
3000
Offer A pension salary sacrifice (%)
£35,000
Offer A employer pension (%)
Enter your own figure
After entering these figures, review higher spendable offer, annual spendable difference a minus b and offer a monthly spendable together rather than in isolation — each metric tells a different part of the story. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted to see which variable has the biggest effect on all three outputs before you settle on a plan.
How to read your results
Higher Spendable Offer
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Annual Spendable Difference A minus B
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Offer A Monthly Spendable
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Offer B Monthly Spendable
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Package Proxy Difference A minus B
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Employer Pension A
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Employer Pension B
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Paid Leave Difference A minus B
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources
This comparator estimates the spendable annual and monthly cash from two UK job offers using 2026/27 Income Tax, Category A employee NI and the selected student-loan plan. Pension contributions are treated as salary sacrifice, and the recurring commuting and work costs entered are deducted after tax.
Employer pension, your own stated value for non-cash benefits and paid leave are kept visible rather than folded into take-home pay. The package proxy adds salary, expected cash bonus, employer pension and your personal benefits value, then subtracts work costs. It is not an accounting or taxable-benefit value.
Expected bonuses are not guaranteed. Tax codes, payroll timing, benefits in kind, postgraduate loans, share awards, multiple jobs and contract conditions are not modelled. Compare the written terms and use an HMRC or payroll estimate before relying on the result.
Common mistakes
- !Entering gross income when you really want take-home pay, or vice versa.
- !Ignoring pension contributions, deductions, or local tax rules that change the result.
- !Comparing monthly and annual figures without standardising them first.
- !Overlooking the National Insurance threshold changes that apply mid-year when rates or bands are adjusted in a Budget.
- !Assuming a salary sacrifice benefit reduces take-home pay by the full gross amount, rather than only the after-tax cost.
What to do next
- Check the same scenario with related pay or deduction calculators to see the full picture.
- Keep a copy of the assumptions you used so you can compare next tax year or pay period accurately.
- Read the related guides below if you are choosing between multiple income or deduction options.
- If you are self-employed, run the self-employment tax calculator alongside this result to compare the net position against employed income.
- Check whether increasing your pension contribution by even one or two percent changes the take-home significantly — use the pension calculator next.
Frequently asked
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