See exactly what lands in your bank account — US & UK, 2026. Results update as you type.
You negotiate a salary in gross figures, but you live on net pay — the money that actually reaches your account after tax. The gap between the two surprises almost everyone. On a $60,000 US salary you take home roughly $48,000–$49,000 after federal tax and FICA; on a £40,000 UK salary you keep about £31,000 after income tax and National Insurance. This salary calculator shows that gap instantly so you can compare job offers, plan a budget or decide whether a raise is worth it.
Most online salary tools bury the result under ads and force you to click "Calculate". BreezeCalc does the opposite: the number updates the moment you type, works on mobile, and breaks your pay into the three slices that matter — what you keep, what goes to income tax, and what goes to social contributions (FICA in the US, National Insurance in the UK). No sign-up, no email, no waiting.
The maths is the same idea in both countries: start from your gross salary, subtract a tax-free amount, apply progressive tax bands to what's left, then subtract social-security contributions. "Progressive" means only the income inside each band is taxed at that band's rate — a common myth is that crossing into a higher band taxes your whole salary more. It doesn't.
For a single filer the IRS lets you deduct a standard deduction (about $15,000) before any federal income tax applies. Federal tax is then charged on the remainder using these brackets:
| Taxable income (single) | Federal rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $11,600 | 10% |
| $11,600 – $47,150 | 12% |
| $47,150 – $100,525 | 22% |
| $100,525 – $191,950 | 24% |
| $191,950 – $243,725 | 32% |
| $243,725 – $609,350 | 35% |
| $609,350+ | 37% |
On top of federal tax, FICA takes 6.2% for Social Security (up to a wage cap of about $168,600) and 1.45% for Medicare with no cap — 7.65% in total. This calculator does not include state income tax, which ranges from 0% (Texas, Florida) to over 13% (California), so your real net pay in a high-tax state will be a little lower.
In the UK the tax-free Personal Allowance is £12,570. Earnings above it are taxed at these rates (England, Wales & NI — Scotland has its own bands):
| Taxable income | Income tax |
|---|---|
| £0 – £12,570 (allowance) | 0% |
| £12,570 – £50,270 | 20% (basic) |
| £50,270 – £125,140 | 40% (higher) |
| £125,140+ | 45% (additional) |
Earn over £100,000 and your Personal Allowance is gradually withdrawn — £1 of allowance for every £2 above £100,000 — which is why the £100k–£125,140 band carries an effective 60% marginal rate. National Insurance (Class 1, employee) adds 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% above that. The calculator applies the allowance taper and NI automatically.
| Item | 🇺🇸 $60,000 | 🇬🇧 £40,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $60,000 | £40,000 |
| Tax-free amount | $15,000 | £12,570 |
| Income tax | ≈ $4,900 | ≈ £5,486 |
| Social (FICA / NI) | ≈ $4,590 | ≈ £2,194 |
| Take-home | ≈ $50,510 | ≈ £32,320 |
| Effective tax rate | ≈ 16% | ≈ 19% |
Figures are estimates for a single person with no pension contributions and no state/local tax. Use the live calculator above for your own numbers.
Use pre-tax accounts. Money you put into a US 401(k) or a UK workplace pension comes off your gross salary before tax, so every $/£100 contributed costs you less than $/£100 in lost take-home — and for higher-rate UK taxpayers a pension contribution can pull you back under the £50,270 or £100,000 thresholds. Add your annual contribution in the field above to see the effect.
Watch the cliff edges. A UK raise from £99,000 to £105,000 can leave you barely better off because of the 60% Personal Allowance taper; in the US, crossing a bracket only taxes the extra dollars at the higher rate, so a raise is almost always worth taking. Compare offers on net, not gross — a $70,000 job in Texas can beat a $78,000 job in California once state tax is in. Run both through the calculator before you decide.
Take-home pay (net pay) is the amount that actually reaches your bank account after income tax and social-security contributions are deducted from your gross salary. It is what you have available to spend, save and pay bills.
No. Both the US and UK use progressive bands, so only the portion of income that falls inside a higher band is taxed at that band's rate. Moving up a bracket never reduces your total take-home pay (except for the UK £100k Personal Allowance taper).
No. The US figure covers federal income tax and FICA only; US state income tax (0%–13%+) is not included. The UK figure covers income tax and National Insurance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland has different bands.
Pre-tax contributions reduce the salary that gets taxed, so your income tax falls. Your take-home pay drops by less than the amount you contribute, because part of the contribution is funded by the tax you no longer pay.
Employers may also deduct items like health insurance, student-loan repayments, dental plans or local taxes, and your tax code or filing status may differ from the single-filer assumption used here. Treat this as a close estimate, not exact payroll.