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Updated for 2025/26

£26,068 vs £31,068 Salary Comparison

Compare a £26,068 salary against £31,068. Find out exactly how much more (or less) you will take home after tax.

Gross Difference
+£5,000
per year
Take Home Extra
+£300.00
per month
You Keep
72%
of the raise
5-Year Gain
+£18,000
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£26,068£31,068Difference
Gross Salary£26,068£31,068£5,000
Income Tax£2,700£3,700£1,000
National Insurance£1,080£1,480£400
Pension£0£0£0
Take-Home Pay (Yearly)
£22,289
£25,889
£3,600
Take-Home (Monthly)£1,857£2,157£300
Effective Tax Rate14.5%16.7%2.2%

£26,068

Gross£26,068
Take-Home£22,289
You Keep85.5%

£31,068

Gross£31,068
Take-Home£25,889
You Keep83.3%

Tax Band Analysis

Understanding where your money goes

£26,068

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£2,699.60
National Insurance£1,079.84
Take Home (Monthly)£1,857.38

£31,068

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£3,699.60
National Insurance£1,479.84
Take Home (Monthly)£2,157.38

What £300.00 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: £26,068 vs £31,068

£26,068

  • Gross Pay£26,068.00
  • Take Home (Year)£22,288.56
  • Take Home (Month)£1,857.38
  • Effective Tax Rate14.5%

£31,068

  • Gross Pay£31,068.00
  • Take Home (Year)£25,888.56
  • Take Home (Month)£2,157.38
  • Effective Tax Rate16.7%

The difference in take-home pay is £3,600 per year, which works out to £300.00 per month.