How much you take home on a £28,000 salary in the UK for 2026-27. Full income tax, NI and pension breakdown.
| Component | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £28,000 | £2,333 |
| Income Tax (20%) | −£2,806 | −£234 |
| National Insurance (8%) | −£1,234 | −£103 |
| Pension (5%) | −£1,400 | −£117 |
| Take-home pay | £22,560 | £1,880 |
With a 5% pension contribution, taxable income is £26,600. The first £12,570 is covered by the personal allowance. Tax is 20% on £14,030 — giving £2,806 per year or £234 per month. You are comfortably in the basic rate band.
NI is 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270. On £28,000 that is 8% on £15,430, giving £1,234 per year or £103 per month. Your combined income tax and NI effective rate is 14.4% of gross salary.
Each extra 1% pension via salary sacrifice costs approximately 72p in take-home at basic rate. On £28,000, increasing pension from 5% to 6% reduces take-home by £200/year while putting £280 into your pension. Salary sacrifice also saves NI — every £1 sacrificed saves an additional 8p in NI.
£28,000 is below the UK median salary of approximately £35,000. Your take-home of £1,880/month represents 80.6% of gross monthly pay. Adding a Plan 5 student loan (9% on £3,000) reduces take-home by £22.50/month to £1,857.
What is the take-home pay on £28,000 in the UK?
On a £28,000 salary with 5% pension and no student loan, your take-home pay is £22,560 per year (£1,880 per month) after £2,806 income tax and £1,234 NI in 2026-27.
How much income tax on £28,000?
On £28,000 you pay £2,806 in income tax for 2026-27. After your 5% pension reduces taxable income to £26,600, tax is 20% on £14,030 above the personal allowance.
Does a Plan 5 student loan affect take-home on £28,000?
Yes. Plan 5 has a £25,000 threshold so on £28,000 you repay 9% on £3,000 — £270 per year or £22.50 per month. Plan 2 threshold is £27,295 so repayments are 9% on £705 — just £63 per year.
Free, accurate, 2026-27 rates. Scotland and tax code supported.