£21,000 vs £26,000 after tax 2026/27
Moving from £21,000 to £26,000 gross in 2026/27 (England, Wales or Northern Ireland, no pension, no student loan) adds £3,600.00 a year (£300.00 a month) to your take-home pay — you keep 72p of every extra £1. Figures use HMRC rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027.
- Gross
- £26,000
- Take-home
- £22,239.60
- Monthly
- £1,853.30
- Weekly
- £427.68
- Income Tax
- £2,686.00
- Employee NI
- £1,074.40
- Effective rate
- 14.5%
- Marginal (IT+NI)
- 28.0%
£21,000 vs £26,000 breakdown
| Item | £21,000 | £26,000 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross | £21,000.00 | £26,000.00 | +£5,000.00 |
| Income tax | £1,686.00 | £2,686.00 | +£1,000.00 |
| Employee NI | £674.40 | £1,074.40 | +£400.00 |
| Take-home | £18,639.60 | £22,239.60 | +£3,600.00 |
| Monthly take-home | £1,553.30 | £1,853.30 | +£300.00 |
| Effective rate | 11.2% | 14.5% | +3.2% |
The 72p keep-rate reflects the marginal rates between the two salaries: 28.0% of the raise goes to tax and NI combined.
£21,000 vs £26,000 — FAQs
How much extra take-home is £26,000 vs £21,000?
Moving from £21,000 to £26,000 in 2026/27 adds £3,600.00 a year to take-home pay (£300.00 a month) in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, with no pension and no student loan.
What is the monthly difference between £21,000 and £26,000?
Monthly take-home rises by £300.00 — from £1,553.30 at £21,000 to £1,853.30 at £26,000.
How much of the £21,000 to £26,000 pay rise do you keep?
You keep 72p of every extra £1: £3,600.00 of the £5,000 gross increase. Income tax takes £1,000.00 and employee National Insurance £400.00.
Does the £21,000 to £26,000 rise cross the £50,270 higher-rate threshold?
No. Both salaries sit below the £50,270 higher-rate / NI upper-earnings-limit boundary, so the whole raise is taxed in the same band and you keep 72p of every extra £1.
Is £26,000 worth it compared with £21,000?
After tax and NI the jump is worth £3,600.00 a year (£300.00 a month). Whether it is worth it also depends on pension, student loan and where you live — see the £21,000 and £26,000 salary pages to add those.