Skip to main content
2025/26 Tax Year

£150,000 Salary - UK Employer Cost

To employ someone on a £150,000 salary in the UK, the total cost to the employer is £176,250 per year. That's +17.5% on top of the gross salary.

Gross Salary
£150,000
employee pay
Total Employer Cost
£176,250
per year
Employer NI
£21,750
15% rate
Employer Pension
£4,500
3% minimum

£150,000 Employment Cost Breakdown

DescriptionYearlyMonthly
Gross Salary£150,000.00£12,500.00
Employer National Insurance (15%)+£21,750.00+£1,812.50
Employer Pension (3%)+£4,500.00+£375.00
Total Employer Cost£176,250.00£14,687.50

Employer Cost vs Employee Take Home

What the Employer Pays

£176,250

total cost per year

Gross Salary£150,000
Employer NI£21,750
Employer Pension£4,500

What the Employee Gets

£91,286

take home pay per year

Gross Salary£150,000
Income Tax-£53,703
Employee NI-£5,011

The employer pays £84,964 more than what the employee takes home (93% difference)

Adjust Pension Contribution

Employee Salary

Enter the gross salary for 2025/26

£
3%
3% (minimum)15%

Total Employer Cost

What it actually costs to employ someone

£176,250
per year
+17.5% overhead
Gross Salary£150,000
Employer NI (15%)+£21,750
Employer Pension (3%)+£4,500
Total Cost£176,250
£14,688
per month
£678
per working day

Understanding £150,000 Employer Costs

When hiring an employee on a £150,000 salary in the UK for 2025/26, the total cost to the employer is £176,250. This includes the gross salary plus employer National Insurance contributions and pension contributions.

Employer National Insurance is charged at 15% on all earnings above £5,000 per year. For a £150,000 salary, this amounts to £21,750 per year.

The minimum employer pension contribution under auto-enrollment is 3%, which adds £4,500 to the annual cost. Many employers offer higher pension contributions as part of their benefits package.

Compare this to the employee's perspective: see the £150,000 take-home pay calculation.