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Updated for 2025/26

£15,852 vs £21,352 Salary Comparison

Compare a £15,852 salary against £21,352. Find out exactly how much more (or less) you will take home after tax.

Gross Difference
+£5,500
per year
Take Home Extra
+£330.00
per month
You Keep
72%
of the raise
5-Year Gain
+£19,800
cumulative

Entry-Level Career Progression

This comparison is typical for early career moves or first promotions. At this salary range, most of your income is taxed at the basic rate (20%), so you keep a higher percentage of any raise.

  • Negotiate hard - you keep ~70-80% of any increase at this level
  • Consider employers offering good pension matching (often worth more than small salary differences)
  • Look for roles with clear progression paths to higher bands
  • Factor in benefits like free lunches, gym memberships, or transport subsidies

Compare Salaries

Enter multiple salaries to compare take-home pay for 2025/26

£
£

Comparison Results

Metric£15,852£21,352Difference
Gross Salary£15,852£21,352£5,500
Income Tax£656£1,756£1,100
National Insurance£263£703£440
Pension£0£0£0
Take-Home Pay (Yearly)
£14,933
£18,893
£3,960
Take-Home (Monthly)£1,244£1,574£330
Effective Tax Rate5.8%11.5%5.7%

£15,852

Gross£15,852
Take-Home£14,933
You Keep94.2%

£21,352

Gross£21,352
Take-Home£18,893
You Keep88.5%

Tax Band Analysis

Understanding where your money goes

£15,852

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£656.40
National Insurance£262.56
Take Home (Monthly)£1,244.42

£21,352

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£1,756.40
National Insurance£702.56
Take Home (Monthly)£1,574.42

What £330.00 Extra Buys You

Real-world value of the take-home difference

Monthly Subscriptions
Netflix, Spotify, gym - £100.00/mo
Weekend Breaks
1-2 UK getaways per month at this budget

Full Comparison: £15,852 vs £21,352

£15,852

  • Gross Pay£15,852.00
  • Take Home (Year)£14,933.04
  • Take Home (Month)£1,244.42
  • Effective Tax Rate5.8%

£21,352

  • Gross Pay£21,352.00
  • Take Home (Year)£18,893.04
  • Take Home (Month)£1,574.42
  • Effective Tax Rate11.5%

The difference in take-home pay is £3,960 per year, which works out to £330.00 per month.