Required Salary Calculator
Know the take-home pay you need? Enter it and find the gross salary that delivers it after tax, National Insurance and deductions.
Gross salary you need · per year
to take home £30,000 a year after tax and NI
Working backwards from net pay
Tax is calculated from gross to net, so reversing it needs a search. The calculator tests gross salaries until the take-home pay matches your target to the penny, using the same engine as the main calculator.
Why the answer is not just a percentage
Because of the personal allowance, tax bands and the National Insurance upper limit, the gross-to-net ratio changes at different salaries. Reversing it correctly matters most near £50,270 and £100,000.
Include your pension and student loan
Set your pension percentage and student loan plan first. They change how much gross pay is needed for the same take-home figure.
Frequently asked questions
Figures use official GOV.UK 2026/27 rates. See the methodology.
How much do I need to earn to take home £2,000 a month? +
Choose Year in the Paid per field, enter 24,000 as the take-home you want and read the gross salary shown. It comes to about £28,400 for a standard tax code in England (2026/27).
Does it include student loans and pension? +
Yes. Set them on the left and the required gross salary adjusts.
Can I use a monthly figure? +
Yes. Pick Month in the Paid per field and enter your monthly take-home.