£30,000 Salary After Tax — Exact Take-Home Pay UK 2026/27
On a salary of £30,000, do you know exactly what lands in your bank account each month? The answer might surprise you — and it changes significantly depending on your student loan, pension and tax code.
This page breaks down every deduction for the 2026/27 tax year so you can see exactly where your money goes.
The headline figures
On a £30,000 salary in 2026/27, using the standard 1257L tax code with no student loan or pension:
| Take-home pay | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £30,000 | £2,500 |
| Income tax | £3,486 | £290.50 |
| National Insurance | £1,394.40 | £116.20 |
| Take-home pay | £25,119.60 | £2,093.30 |
How income tax is calculated
Everyone receives a personal allowance of £12,570 — the amount you earn completely tax-free. Your taxable income on £30,000 is £17,430 (£30,000 minus £12,570). You pay 20% on that, giving an income tax bill of £3,486 a year.
Note: for earnings above £100,000, the personal allowance tapers away at £1 for every £2 earned over that threshold, disappearing entirely at £125,140.
Income tax bands 2026/27
| Band | Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Personal allowance | Up to £12,570 | 0% |
| Basic rate | £12,571 – £50,270 | 20% |
| Higher rate | £50,271 – £125,140 | 40% |
| Additional rate | Over £125,140 | 45% |
England, Wales and Northern Ireland only. Scottish rates differ — the calculator covers these too.
National Insurance
Employees pay 8% National Insurance on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270. On a £30,000 salary that's £1,394.40 a year — £116.20 a month.
Student loan repayments
On £30,000 you're above the Plan 2 threshold of £27,295 — so repayments have started. You repay 9% on earnings above the threshold only, not your full salary.
| Plan | Threshold | Rate | Monthly on £30k |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £24,990 | 9% | £37.51 |
| Plan 2 | £27,295 | 9% | £20.29 |
| Plan 4 (Scotland) | £31,395 | 9% | £0 (below threshold) |
| Postgraduate | £21,000 | 6% | £45 |
With Plan 2 added, your take-home drops to £2,073.01 a month.
Pension contributions
A 5% auto-enrolment pension contribution on £30,000 is £125 a month. With both Plan 2 student loan and a 5% pension, your real take-home is approximately £1,948.01 a month.
Pension contributions through salary sacrifice also reduce your National Insurance liability — so the true cost to your take-home is slightly less than the headline figure.
What is a tax code?
The figures above use the standard 1257L tax code. If your code is different — due to a company car, second job, or an HMRC adjustment — your take-home will vary. Enter your exact code in the calculator to get a personalised figure.
Scottish Income Tax
If you live in Scotland, you pay Scottish Income Tax rates which differ from the rest of the UK. Select Scotland in the calculator and it switches automatically.
Calculate your exact take-home
The figures above use standard assumptions. Use the free calculator to personalise them for your tax code, student loan plan, pension contribution and region.
→ Try the free calculator at os-payroll.co.uk/pay-calculator
Figures based on 2026/27 HMRC rates. Standard tax code 1257L assumed unless otherwise stated. For general information only — not financial or tax advice.
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Our free UK salary calculator covers Income Tax, National Insurance, pensions, student loans and more. Updated for 2026/27.