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Updated for 2025/26

£16,379 vs £21,879 Salary Comparison

Compare a £16,379 salary against £21,879. 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

£
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Comparison Results

Metric£16,379£21,879Difference
Gross Salary£16,379£21,879£5,500
Income Tax£762£1,862£1,100
National Insurance£305£745£440
Pension£0£0£0
Take-Home Pay (Yearly)
£15,312
£19,272
£3,960
Take-Home (Monthly)£1,276£1,606£330
Effective Tax Rate6.5%11.9%5.4%

£16,379

Gross£16,379
Take-Home£15,312
You Keep93.5%

£21,879

Gross£21,879
Take-Home£19,272
You Keep88.1%

Tax Band Analysis

Understanding where your money goes

£16,379

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£761.80
National Insurance£304.72
Take Home (Monthly)£1,276.04

£21,879

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£1,861.80
National Insurance£744.72
Take Home (Monthly)£1,606.04

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: £16,379 vs £21,879

£16,379

  • Gross Pay£16,379.00
  • Take Home (Year)£15,312.48
  • Take Home (Month)£1,276.04
  • Effective Tax Rate6.5%

£21,879

  • Gross Pay£21,879.00
  • Take Home (Year)£19,272.48
  • Take Home (Month)£1,606.04
  • Effective Tax Rate11.9%

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