Example
Pay rise from GBP 40,000 to GBP 45,000
A worked example showing why a GBP 5,000 raise feels meaningful but still smaller in monthly cash than the gross increase suggests.
Scenario
A move from £40,000 to £45,000 sounds substantial — and it is — but the monthly cash difference is shaped by income tax and National Insurance rather than the gross figure. This page works through the exact numbers and explains why the net gain is predictable and clear-cut at these salary levels.
Take-home pay at £40,000
The personal allowance is £12,570. Taxable income is £40,000 minus £12,570 = £27,430.
| Deduction | Calculation | Annual amount | |---|---|---| | Income tax | £27,430 × 20% | £5,486 | | Employee NI | (£40,000 − £12,570) × 8% = £27,430 × 8% | £2,194 | | Total deductions | | £7,680 | | Annual take-home | £40,000 − £7,680 | £32,320 | | Monthly take-home | £32,320 ÷ 12 | £2,693 |
Take-home pay at £45,000
Taxable income rises to £45,000 minus £12,570 = £32,430. The higher-rate threshold is £50,270, so £45,000 remains fully inside the basic-rate band — there is no threshold complexity here.
| Deduction | Calculation | Annual amount | |---|---|---| | Income tax | £32,430 × 20% | £6,486 | | Employee NI | (£45,000 − £12,570) × 8% = £32,430 × 8% | £2,594 | | Total deductions | | £9,080 | | Annual take-home | £45,000 − £9,080 | £35,920 | | Monthly take-home | £35,920 ÷ 12 | £2,993 |
The gain from the raise
| | Before (£40k) | After (£45k) | Increase | |---|---|---|---| | Annual take-home | £32,320 | £35,920 | £3,600 | | Monthly take-home | £2,693 | £2,993 | £300 |
The £5,000 gross raise delivers £3,600 net per year, or £300 per month. You keep 72p of every extra pound. The 28% deduction (20% tax + 8% NI) applies to the full £5,000 because the £50,270 higher-rate threshold is still £5,270 above your new salary.
Note on the higher-rate threshold
At £45,000 you are £5,270 below the higher-rate threshold. That gap is meaningful: it means the next raise — or any bonus — will start pushing into higher-rate territory. If your salary rises further to £50,001 or above, each additional pound of pay will be taxed at 40% income tax plus 2% NI, meaning you keep only 58p per extra pound instead of 72p. For now, however, this raise sits cleanly inside the basic-rate band.
Without student loan: summary
This is one of the tidiest examples in UK pay planning. No threshold crossings occur, the retention rate is a flat 72%, and the monthly gain is a reliable £300. The raise is unambiguously worthwhile.
Best next step
Use the pay rise calculator with your own settings, then read How take-home pay is really calculated or Why a pay rise can feel smaller than expected if you want the broader context. If you have a Plan 2 student loan, see the dedicated example Pay rise from £40,000 to £45,000 with Plan 2 for the full breakdown.
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Run your own numbers through the calculators that connect to this content.
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