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Updated for 2025/26

£46,948 vs £55,048 Salary Comparison

Compare a £46,948 salary against £55,048. Find out exactly how much more (or less) you will take home after tax.

Gross Difference
+£8,100
per year
Take Home Extra
+£430.26
per month
You Keep
64%
of the raise
5-Year Gain
+£25,815
cumulative

Higher Rate Tax Threshold

One or both salaries cross the higher rate threshold (£50,271.00). Above this, you pay 40% tax on additional earnings, so the actual take-home difference is smaller than it appears.

  • Pension contributions above £50,271 save 40% tax - very valuable
  • Consider salary sacrifice schemes for electric cars or cycle-to-work
  • Above £60k, child benefit starts being clawed back (if applicable)
  • Equity or bonus structures may be more tax-efficient than base salary

Compare Salaries

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

£
£

Comparison Results

Metric£46,948£55,048Difference
Gross Salary£46,948£55,048£8,100
Income Tax£6,876£9,451£2,576
National Insurance£2,750£3,112£361
Pension£0£0£0
Take-Home Pay (Yearly)
£37,322
£42,485
£5,163
Take-Home (Monthly)£3,110£3,540£430
Effective Tax Rate20.5%22.8%2.3%

£46,948

Gross£46,948
Take-Home£37,322
You Keep79.5%

£55,048

Gross£55,048
Take-Home£42,485
You Keep77.2%

Tax Band Analysis

Understanding where your money goes

£46,948

Tax BandBasic Rate
Marginal Rate20%
Income Tax£6,875.60
National Insurance£2,750.24
Take Home (Monthly)£3,110.18

£55,048

Tax BandHigher Rate
Marginal Rate40%
Income Tax£9,451.20
National Insurance£3,111.56
Take Home (Monthly)£3,540.44

Tax Band Change: This salary increase crosses from the Basic Rate (20%) into the Higher Rate (40%). The portion above £50,270.00 will be taxed at the higher rate.

What £430.26 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
Savings Boost
£5,163.08/year extra into savings or investments

Full Comparison: £46,948 vs £55,048

£46,948

  • Gross Pay£46,948.00
  • Take Home (Year)£37,322.16
  • Take Home (Month)£3,110.18
  • Effective Tax Rate20.5%

£55,048

  • Gross Pay£55,048.00
  • Take Home (Year)£42,485.24
  • Take Home (Month)£3,540.44
  • Effective Tax Rate22.8%

The difference in take-home pay is £5,163 per year, which works out to £430.26 per month.