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Updated for 2025/26

£26,430 vs £30,480 Salary Comparison

Compare a £26,430 salary against £30,480. Find out exactly how much more (or less) you will take home after tax.

Gross Difference
+£4,050
per year
Take Home Extra
+£243.00
per month
You Keep
72%
of the raise
5-Year Gain
+£14,580
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£26,430£30,480Difference
Gross Salary£26,430£30,480£4,050
Income Tax£2,772£3,582£810
National Insurance£1,109£1,433£324
Pension£0£0£0
Take-Home Pay (Yearly)
£22,549
£25,465
£2,916
Take-Home (Monthly)£1,879£2,122£243
Effective Tax Rate14.7%16.5%1.8%

£26,430

Gross£26,430
Take-Home£22,549
You Keep85.3%

£30,480

Gross£30,480
Take-Home£25,465
You Keep83.5%

Tax Band Analysis

Understanding where your money goes

£26,430

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£2,772.00
National Insurance£1,108.80
Take Home (Monthly)£1,879.10

£30,480

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£3,582.00
National Insurance£1,432.80
Take Home (Monthly)£2,122.10

What £243.00 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: £26,430 vs £30,480

£26,430

  • Gross Pay£26,430.00
  • Take Home (Year)£22,549.20
  • Take Home (Month)£1,879.10
  • Effective Tax Rate14.7%

£30,480

  • Gross Pay£30,480.00
  • Take Home (Year)£25,465.20
  • Take Home (Month)£2,122.10
  • Effective Tax Rate16.5%

The difference in take-home pay is £2,916 per year, which works out to £243.00 per month.