Comparing job offers: what actually matters
A bigger headline salary does not always mean more money in your pocket. This tool compares two UK job offers side-by-side using 2026/27 HMRC rates, working out net take-home pay after Income Tax, National Insurance, and student loan deductions — not just the gross salary difference.
Look beyond gross salary
Two offers with the same gross salary can leave you with very different take-home pay once pension contributions, salary sacrifice schemes, and benefits in kind are factored in. A higher salary can also tip you into a higher tax band, the £100,000–£125,140 60% tax trap, or the £60,000 High Income Child Benefit Charge threshold — all of which reduce the real value of a pay rise.
Pension contributions can outweigh a pay rise
Employer pension contributions are effectively tax-free extra pay. A job offering a lower salary but strong employer pension matching, or a salary sacrifice arrangement with an NI-saving pass-through, can leave you better off than a higher-salary offer with minimal pension benefits. This calculator lets you model both offers with their full pension terms so you can compare on a genuinely like-for-like basis.