Why this calculator is different
Most salary calculators tell you what a salary becomes after tax. This one works backwards: it asks what a new job must pay before the move is genuinely worthwhile. That matters when a higher headline salary comes with a longer commute, more office days, different pension terms, student loan repayments or taxable benefits.
What counts as “worth it”?
The calculator gives both jobs an annual effective value. It starts with estimated take-home cash, adds employer pension and the annual value you enter for taxable benefits, then subtracts commuting costs, other office spending and the value you place on travel time. It then searches for the new salary that reaches the same effective value.
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Frequently asked questions
Does it include student loans?
Yes. It supports Plans 1, 2, 4 and 5, plus an optional Postgraduate Loan using 2026/27 annual thresholds.
How are pension deductions handled?
You can choose salary sacrifice, net pay or after-tax treatment for each job. This affects the estimated tax, National Insurance, student loan and take-home cash differently.
What should I enter for benefits in kind?
Enter the annual taxable value of benefits you want included in the package comparison, such as private medical insurance or a taxable company benefit. This is an approximation: taxable value and personal value are not always the same.