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Updated for 2025/26

£26,341 vs £31,341 Salary Comparison

Compare a £26,341 salary against £31,341. 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£26,341£31,341Difference
Gross Salary£26,341£31,341£5,000
Income Tax£2,754£3,754£1,000
National Insurance£1,102£1,502£400
Pension£0£0£0
Take-Home Pay (Yearly)
£22,485
£26,085
£3,600
Take-Home (Monthly)£1,874£2,174£300
Effective Tax Rate14.6%16.8%2.1%

£26,341

Gross£26,341
Take-Home£22,485
You Keep85.4%

£31,341

Gross£31,341
Take-Home£26,085
You Keep83.2%

Tax Band Analysis

Understanding where your money goes

£26,341

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£2,754.20
National Insurance£1,101.68
Take Home (Monthly)£1,873.76

£31,341

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£3,754.20
National Insurance£1,501.68
Take Home (Monthly)£2,173.76

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: £26,341 vs £31,341

£26,341

  • Gross Pay£26,341.00
  • Take Home (Year)£22,485.12
  • Take Home (Month)£1,873.76
  • Effective Tax Rate14.6%

£31,341

  • Gross Pay£31,341.00
  • Take Home (Year)£26,085.12
  • Take Home (Month)£2,173.76
  • Effective Tax Rate16.8%

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