Where the money goes
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | £55,000 | £4,583 | £1,058 |
| Income Tax | £9,432 | £786 | £181 |
| National Insurance | £3,111 | £259 | £60 |
| Take-home pay | £42,457 | £3,538 | £816 |
Out of every £100 you earn, you keep about £77. Your payslip may differ by a few pounds because payroll works each pay period separately.
Income Tax band by band
The first £12,570 is your tax-free Personal Allowance. Income Tax is charged on the remaining £42,430.
| Band | Rate | Income in band | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax-free allowance | 0% | £12,570 | £0 |
| Basic rate | 20% | £37,700 | £7,540 |
| Higher rate | 40% | £4,730 | £1,892 |
National Insurance
Employees pay Class 1 National Insurance of 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 a year, and 2% above that. On £55,000 that comes to £3,111 a year, or £259 a month. National Insurance is the same in every part of the UK, and you stop paying it once you reach State Pension age.
£55,000 after tax in Scotland
Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands. On £55,000 a Scottish taxpayer pays £11,082 Income Tax and takes home £40,807 a year (£3,401 a month), £1,650 less than in the rest of the UK.
| Band | Rate | Income in band | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax-free allowance | 0% | £12,570 | £0 |
| Starter rate | 19% | £3,967 | £754 |
| Basic rate | 20% | £12,989 | £2,598 |
| Intermediate rate | 21% | £14,136 | £2,969 |
| Higher rate | 42% | £11,338 | £4,762 |
With a pension or student loan
Most employees pay into a workplace pension, and many repay a student loan. This is how they change take-home pay on £55,000. A salary sacrifice pension is taken before tax and National Insurance, so it costs you less than its face value.
| Pension | Student loan | Take-home a year | A month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No pension or student loan | £0 | £0 | £42,457 | £3,538 |
| 5% pension by salary sacrifice | £2,750 | £0 | £40,862 | £3,405 |
| Plan 2 student loan | £0 | £2,305 | £40,152 | £3,346 |
| Plan 5 student loan | £0 | £2,700 | £39,757 | £3,313 |
| 5% pension and Plan 2 loan | £2,750 | £2,058 | £38,805 | £3,234 |
Your tax rates
Part of your salary is above £50,270, so it is taxed at the 40% higher rate, but National Insurance drops to 2% there. Each extra £100 costs 42%, leaving about £58. Paying more into a pension saves 40% tax on that slice.
Per hour, day and week
| Before tax | After tax | |
|---|---|---|
| Per hour (37.5 hours a week) | £28.21 | £21.77 |
| Per day (5 days a week) | £211.54 | £163.30 |
| Per week | £1,058 | £816 |
| Per month | £4,583 | £3,538 |
Nearby salaries
| Salary | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|
| £52,000 after tax | £40,717 | £3,393 |
| £53,000 after tax | £41,297 | £3,441 |
| £54,000 after tax | £41,877 | £3,490 |
| £55,000 | £42,457 | £3,538 |
| £56,000 after tax | £43,037 | £3,586 |
| £57,000 after tax | £43,617 | £3,635 |
| £58,000 after tax | £44,197 | £3,683 |
See every salary from £15,000 to £250,000, or work out any figure with the salary calculator.