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Updated for 2025/26

£48,422 vs £52,472 Salary Comparison

Compare a £48,422 salary against £52,472. Find out exactly how much more (or less) you will take home after tax.

Gross Difference
+£4,050
per year
Take Home Extra
+£217.31
per month
You Keep
64%
of the raise
5-Year Gain
+£13,039
cumulative

Higher Rate Tax Threshold

One or both salaries cross the higher rate threshold (£50,271.00). Above this, you pay 40% tax on additional earnings, so the actual take-home difference is smaller than it appears.

  • Pension contributions above £50,271 save 40% tax - very valuable
  • Consider salary sacrifice schemes for electric cars or cycle-to-work
  • Above £60k, child benefit starts being clawed back (if applicable)
  • Equity or bonus structures may be more tax-efficient than base salary

Compare Salaries

Enter multiple salaries to compare take-home pay for 2025/26

£
£

Comparison Results

Metric£48,422£52,472Difference
Gross Salary£48,422£52,472£4,050
Income Tax£7,170£8,421£1,250
National Insurance£2,868£3,060£192
Pension£0£0£0
Take-Home Pay (Yearly)
£38,383
£40,991
£2,608
Take-Home (Monthly)£3,199£3,416£217
Effective Tax Rate20.7%21.9%1.1%

£48,422

Gross£48,422
Take-Home£38,383
You Keep79.3%

£52,472

Gross£52,472
Take-Home£40,991
You Keep78.1%

Tax Band Analysis

Understanding where your money goes

£48,422

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£7,170.40
National Insurance£2,868.16
Take Home (Monthly)£3,198.62

£52,472

Tax BandHigher Rate
Marginal Rate40%
Income Tax£8,420.80
National Insurance£3,060.04
Take Home (Monthly)£3,415.93

Tax Band Change: This salary increase crosses from the Basic Rate (20%) into the Higher Rate (40%). The portion above £50,270.00 will be taxed at the higher rate.

What £217.31 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: £48,422 vs £52,472

£48,422

  • Gross Pay£48,422.00
  • Take Home (Year)£38,383.44
  • Take Home (Month)£3,198.62
  • Effective Tax Rate20.7%

£52,472

  • Gross Pay£52,472.00
  • Take Home (Year)£40,991.16
  • Take Home (Month)£3,415.93
  • Effective Tax Rate21.9%

The difference in take-home pay is £2,608 per year, which works out to £217.31 per month.