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Updated for 2025/26

£21,352 vs £25,852 Salary Comparison

Compare a £21,352 salary against £25,852. Find out exactly how much more (or less) you will take home after tax.

Gross Difference
+£4,500
per year
Take Home Extra
+£270.00
per month
You Keep
72%
of the raise
5-Year Gain
+£16,200
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£21,352£25,852Difference
Gross Salary£21,352£25,852£4,500
Income Tax£1,756£2,656£900
National Insurance£703£1,063£360
Pension£0£0£0
Take-Home Pay (Yearly)
£18,893
£22,133
£3,240
Take-Home (Monthly)£1,574£1,844£270
Effective Tax Rate11.5%14.4%2.9%

£21,352

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

£25,852

Gross£25,852
Take-Home£22,133
You Keep85.6%

Tax Band Analysis

Understanding where your money goes

£21,352

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

£25,852

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£2,656.40
National Insurance£1,062.56
Take Home (Monthly)£1,844.42

What £270.00 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: £21,352 vs £25,852

£21,352

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

£25,852

  • Gross Pay£25,852.00
  • Take Home (Year)£22,133.04
  • Take Home (Month)£1,844.42
  • Effective Tax Rate14.4%

The difference in take-home pay is £3,240 per year, which works out to £270.00 per month.