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Updated for 2025/26

£26,030 vs £30,080 Salary Comparison

Compare a £26,030 salary against £30,080. Find out exactly how much more (or less) you will take home after tax.

Gross Difference
+£4,050
per year
Take Home Extra
+£243.00
per month
You Keep
72%
of the raise
5-Year Gain
+£14,580
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£26,030£30,080Difference
Gross Salary£26,030£30,080£4,050
Income Tax£2,692£3,502£810
National Insurance£1,077£1,401£324
Pension£0£0£0
Take-Home Pay (Yearly)
£22,261
£25,177
£2,916
Take-Home (Monthly)£1,855£2,098£243
Effective Tax Rate14.5%16.3%1.8%

£26,030

Gross£26,030
Take-Home£22,261
You Keep85.5%

£30,080

Gross£30,080
Take-Home£25,177
You Keep83.7%

Tax Band Analysis

Understanding where your money goes

£26,030

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£2,692.00
National Insurance£1,076.80
Take Home (Monthly)£1,855.10

£30,080

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£3,502.00
National Insurance£1,400.80
Take Home (Monthly)£2,098.10

What £243.00 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: £26,030 vs £30,080

£26,030

  • Gross Pay£26,030.00
  • Take Home (Year)£22,261.20
  • Take Home (Month)£1,855.10
  • Effective Tax Rate14.5%

£30,080

  • Gross Pay£30,080.00
  • Take Home (Year)£25,177.20
  • Take Home (Month)£2,098.10
  • Effective Tax Rate16.3%

The difference in take-home pay is £2,916 per year, which works out to £243.00 per month.