£42,000 Salary - UK Take Home Pay
If you earn £42,000 per year in the UK, you will take home £33,760 after tax and National Insurance. That's £2,813.30 per month.
Around UK Average
£42,000 is around the UK average salary. You're still in the basic rate tax band, meaning you keep 68p of every extra £1 earned (after tax and NI).
- You keep most of your earnings - basic rate is 20%
- Maximize workplace pension contributions
- Consider ISA investments (£20k annual allowance)
- Building towards the higher rate threshold
How £42,000 Compares
UK salary benchmarks for 2025/26
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Your Income
Enter your salary details for 2025/26
Salary sacrifice reduces taxable income
Take Home Pay
£33,759.60/year
80.4% of gross income
- Gross Income£42,000.00
- Taxable Income£29,430.00
- Income Tax-£5,886.00
- National Insurance-£2,354.40
- Total Deductions-£8,240.40
19.6%
Effective Rate
20%
Marginal Rate
What £42,000 Affords
Based on £2,813.30/month take-home
Jobs Around £42,000
Typical roles at this salary level
£42,000 Salary Breakdown
| Description | Yearly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary | £42,000.00 | £3,500.00 |
| Personal Allowance | £12,570.00 | £1,047.50 |
| Taxable Income | £29,430.00 | £2,452.50 |
| Income Tax | -£5,886.00 | -£490.50 |
| National Insurance | -£2,354.40 | -£196.20 |
| Total Deductions | -£8,240.40 | -£686.70 |
| Take Home Pay | £33,759.60 | £2,813.30 |
How is £42,000 Taxed?
On a £42,000 salary, here's how your income is distributed across tax bands:
Understanding Your £42,000 Salary
A £42,000 salary in the UK for the 2025/26 tax year will result in a take-home pay of £33,759.60 per year, or £2,813.30 per month. This salary is above the UK median of £35,000.
Your effective tax rate is 19.6%, meaning for every £1 you earn, you keep approximately £0.80. Your marginal tax rate (the rate on your next £1 earned) is 20%.
This calculation assumes you have a standard Personal Allowance of £12,570, no student loan repayments, and no pension contributions. You can adjust these factors using the calculator above.