20 February 2026 4 min read

How Much Will You Take Home on a £30,000 Salary in 2026/27?

A £30,000 salary is close to the UK median income and a common benchmark for graduates a few years into their career. But after income tax and National Insurance, how much actually lands in your bank account? We’ve run the numbers for 2026/27.

£30k salary take home pay UK 2026

Your monthly take-home pay

On a £30,000 annual salary with no student loan and the standard tax code (1257L), here's what you'll take home:

Gross salary £30,000 £2,500/month
Personal allowance £12,570 Tax-free
Income tax (20%) −£3,486 −£290.50/month
National Insurance (8%) −£1,394 −£116.21/month
Take-home pay £25,120 £2,093/month

That's an effective tax rate of 16.3%. For every £1 you earn, you keep about 84p.

How does this compare to nearby salaries?

Wondering whether a pay rise makes a real difference? Here's how salaries around the £30k mark compare after tax:

  • £27,500: Take home £1,917/month
  • £28,000: Take home £1,946/month
  • £30,000: Take home £2,093/month
  • £32,000: Take home £2,213/month
  • £35,000: Take home £2,393/month

A £5,000 raise from £30k to £35k would put an extra £300 per month in your pocket — not the full £417 because of the 28% combined deduction rate (20% income tax + 8% NI).

Can you afford a mortgage on £30k?

Lenders typically offer 4 to 4.5 times your salary. On £30,000, that means a potential mortgage of £120,000 – £135,000.

With a 10% deposit on a £150,000 property, your mortgage of £135,000 would cost roughly £760/month at a 4.5% interest rate over 25 years. That's 36% of your gross income — right at the upper limit of what most lenders will accept.

Use our Mortgage Affordability Calculator to see exactly what you could borrow, or our Mortgage Calculator to work out the monthly repayments.

Tips to boost your take-home pay

  • Salary sacrifice pension: Contributing via salary sacrifice reduces your NI as well as tax, saving you more than a personal contribution
  • Marriage allowance: If your partner earns under £12,570, they can transfer £1,260 of their allowance to you — saving £252/year
  • Check your tax code: An incorrect tax code could mean you're overpaying — check your payslip or personal tax account
  • Claim working from home relief: If your employer requires you to work from home, you may be able to claim £6/week tax-free

Try it yourself: Use our Income Tax Calculator to see the exact take-home pay for any salary. Try entering £30,000 — or any amount up to £70,000 — to see your personal breakdown.