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💰 Take-Home Pay Calculator

See your exact salary after all taxes and deductions — updated for 2026/27 tax rules in the USA, UK, and South Africa.

State-specific paycheck? See our Texas paycheck calculator (no state income tax) or California paycheck calculator (highest US state bracket + SDI).

Home › Take-Home Pay Calculator

See your exact salary after all taxes and deductions — updated for 2026/27 tax rules in the USA, UK, and South Africa.

🌍 Compare across USA, UK, and South Africa side-by-side →

How is take-home pay calculated?

Take-home pay is your gross salary minus income tax, social security or national insurance, and any pre-tax pension or retirement contributions. UK: income-tax bands + 8% National Insurance above £12,570. USA: federal/state tax + 7.65% FICA. South Africa: PAYE per SARS tax tables + 1% UIF, less rebates.

Your Salary Details

Use our dedicated SA Tax Calculator → (focused SA page with rebates, medical credits, RA, UIF).

Your Take-Home Pay
$0
Annual Take-Home Pay
$0
Per Pay Period
0%
Effective Tax Rate
$0
Total Annual Deductions
Full Deductions Breakdown
DeductionAnnualPer Period

How to use this calculator

Takes about 2 minutes.

  1. Pick your region — USA, UK, or South Africa — to load the right tax tables
  2. Enter your gross annual salary and choose your pay frequency
  3. USA: pick your filing status and state, then add 401(k) % and pre-tax deductions
  4. UK: enter your pension contribution % and choose any student loan plan
  5. South Africa: select your age band, medical aid members, and any monthly RA contribution
  6. Review your monthly and annual take-home pay plus the full tax breakdown

Try these scenarios

Tap a scenario to load it into the calculator above.

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Methodology & Sources

This calculator implements progressive income tax with NI/FICA/PAYE bands: Take-home = Gross − Σ(bracket_i × marginal_rate_i) − NI/FICA contributions. Region-specific tax and rate defaults are sourced directly from each country's primary government source and reviewed against the publication date below.

  • USA: IRS — federal income tax brackets and contribution limits.
  • UK: GOV.UK — HMRC personal allowance, National Insurance, and dividend rates.
  • SA: SARS — personal income tax brackets and tax rebates.

Last verified: May 2026.

Key concepts

Gross vs. net. Your gross salary is the headline figure on your contract; your net (take-home) is what lands in your bank account after income tax, social-security contributions, and any pre-tax deductions like pension or health insurance.

Marginal vs. effective rate. Your marginal rate is the tax on your next dollar earned; your effective rate is your total tax divided by total income. Most people quote marginal but plan with effective. Progressive systems (IRS, HMRC) tax higher slices of income at higher rates, so the average is always below the top marginal bracket.

Pre-tax vs. post-tax contributions. US 401(k) and UK pension salary-sacrifice contributions come off gross — they reduce taxable income and increase take-home relative to the equivalent post-tax saving. Roth contributions are post-tax but grow tax-free.

State and regional layers. The US adds state income tax (zero in TX, FL, WA; up to 13% in CA). The UK has separate Scottish bands. The calculator applies the right layer based on your selection.

FICA / National Insurance. Social-security contributions are flat or near-flat rate up to a cap — 7.65% FICA in the US (until the SS wage base) and 8% Class 1 NI in the UK above the primary threshold.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is take-home pay calculated in the USA?
US take-home pay is your gross salary minus federal income tax (tax year 2026 brackets: 10%–37%), FICA Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500), Medicare (1.45% + 0.9% over $200k), state income tax, and any pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions. Your standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 married for 2026) reduces your taxable income before federal tax is applied.
What is National Insurance in the UK?
National Insurance (NI) is a UK payroll contribution used to fund state benefits. For 2026/27, employees pay 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% above that. Your NI contributions also count toward your State Pension entitlement. NI is calculated separately from income tax.
South Africa: what is UIF?
UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund) is a mandatory South African payroll deduction. Employees contribute 1% of gross salary, capped at a monthly salary of R17,712 (so max R177.12/month). Employers also contribute 1%. UIF provides short-term relief for workers who become unemployed, ill, or take maternity leave.
What is the UK Personal Allowance taper?
In the UK, the personal allowance (£12,570, frozen through 2026/27 and 2027/28) is reduced by £1 for every £2 of income over £100,000. This means it is completely eliminated at income of £125,140, creating an effective 60% marginal tax rate between £100,000 and £125,140. This calculator applies the taper automatically.
How do I reduce my tax bill in South Africa?
The most effective strategies are: (1) Contribute to a Retirement Annuity (RA) — contributions are tax-deductible up to 27.5% of taxable income, capped at R350,000/yr. (2) Contribute to a pension or provident fund via your employer. (3) Claim medical aid tax credits (R376/month for the first two members, R254/month for additional members, for 2026/27). This calculator applies all standard credits automatically.
USA vs UK vs South Africa: which has the highest top marginal tax rate?
Top federal marginal rates as of 2026: USA 37% (kicks in above ~$626,350 single), UK 45% (above £125,140 — note the 60% effective rate between £100k and £125,140 from personal allowance taper), South Africa 45% (above R1,878,600). USA totals can exceed 50% once state tax is added (e.g. California adds 13.3%). UK and SA include national-insurance-style contributions on top.
What's the most common take-home pay mistake?
Forgetting employer-side pre-tax contributions. 401(k) salary deferrals, UK pension salary-sacrifice, and SA RA contributions all reduce taxable income — but only if you actually enter them. People also routinely ignore the UK personal allowance taper (£100k+) and SA medical aid credits, both of which can move take-home by hundreds of pounds or rand per month.
What if I have multiple income sources or side income?
This calculator models a single salary source. For multiple employments, the second job often has all income taxed at your marginal rate because the personal allowance/standard deduction is used up by the first job — use the combined gross figure to estimate. Self-employment income is taxed separately (Schedule C in USA, Self-Assessment in UK, IRP6 provisional tax in SA) and typically needs a quarterly estimated-tax calculation, not this monthly take-home view.
My take-home looks low — what can I actually change?
Five legal levers: (1) increase tax-advantaged retirement contributions (401(k), pension, RA) to lower taxable income; (2) claim every available credit — medical aid (SA), child credits (USA), marriage allowance (UK); (3) check your tax code (UK) or W-4 (USA) is correct — wrong codes cost thousands; (4) for high earners near £100k UK, sacrifice salary into pension to reclaim the personal allowance; (5) if self-employed, time deductible expenses into the higher-income year.
Take-home pay vs gross pay — which figure should I budget against?
Always net (take-home) pay. Budgeting from gross is the single most common cause of overspending — a £50,000 UK salary lands at about £39,200 net, an $80,000 US salary at roughly $58,000–$62,000 depending on state, and an R600,000 SA salary at about R430,000 after PAYE + UIF. The gap between gross and net is real money you never see in your account.

Written and maintained by , Founder & Editor, FinCalcHub.

Last reviewed: · See editorial policy

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