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Updated for 2025/26

£23,426 vs £28,426 Salary Comparison

Compare a £23,426 salary against £28,426. Find out exactly how much more (or less) you will take home after tax.

Gross Difference
+£5,000
per year
Take Home Extra
+£300.00
per month
You Keep
72%
of the raise
5-Year Gain
+£18,000
cumulative

Entry-Level Career Progression

This comparison is typical for early career moves or first promotions. At this salary range, most of your income is taxed at the basic rate (20%), so you keep a higher percentage of any raise.

  • Negotiate hard - you keep ~70-80% of any increase at this level
  • Consider employers offering good pension matching (often worth more than small salary differences)
  • Look for roles with clear progression paths to higher bands
  • Factor in benefits like free lunches, gym memberships, or transport subsidies

Compare Salaries

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

£
£

Comparison Results

Metric£23,426£28,426Difference
Gross Salary£23,426£28,426£5,000
Income Tax£2,171£3,171£1,000
National Insurance£868£1,268£400
Pension£0£0£0
Take-Home Pay (Yearly)
£20,386
£23,986
£3,600
Take-Home (Monthly)£1,699£1,999£300
Effective Tax Rate13.0%15.6%2.6%

£23,426

Gross£23,426
Take-Home£20,386
You Keep87.0%

£28,426

Gross£28,426
Take-Home£23,986
You Keep84.4%

Tax Band Analysis

Understanding where your money goes

£23,426

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£2,171.20
National Insurance£868.48
Take Home (Monthly)£1,698.86

£28,426

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£3,171.20
National Insurance£1,268.48
Take Home (Monthly)£1,998.86

What £300.00 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: £23,426 vs £28,426

£23,426

  • Gross Pay£23,426.00
  • Take Home (Year)£20,386.32
  • Take Home (Month)£1,698.86
  • Effective Tax Rate13.0%

£28,426

  • Gross Pay£28,426.00
  • Take Home (Year)£23,986.32
  • Take Home (Month)£1,998.86
  • Effective Tax Rate15.6%

The difference in take-home pay is £3,600 per year, which works out to £300.00 per month.