# Required Salary Calculator UK – What Gross Pay Do You Need?

> Work backwards from your desired take-home pay. Enter the monthly net amount you need and instantly see the gross salary required in 2026/27.

Know what you want to take home each month but not sure what salary you need to earn?

Sometimes you know the number you need in your bank account, not the salary on a job advert. This calculator works backwards: enter the take-home pay you need each month and it calculates the gross salary required to reach it, after income tax and National Insurance.

## Why the gross figure is always higher

Because deductions rise with income, the gross salary needed for a given take-home is always substantially more than the net figure. To take home £2,000 a month (£24,000 a year) you need a gross salary of roughly £28,450 in 2026/27 — about 19% more. The gap widens at higher incomes as the marginal rate rises.

## Who needs this calculation

It is useful when budgeting against fixed costs, negotiating a salary based on a required lifestyle, or working out whether a move to a higher cost-of-living area makes financial sense. It is also handy for contractors setting a target day rate, and for anyone who needs to prove affordability for a mortgage.

## The maths behind it

The calculator uses an iterative search: it test-calculates take-home for a range of gross salaries and finds the gross figure whose net result matches your target. This handles the complexity of tax bands, the personal allowance taper and National Insurance thresholds more accurately than the rough "multiply by 1.3" shortcut.

Work out the gross salary you need above, then check the full breakdown with the [take-home pay calculator](https://salarycal.co.uk/take-home-pay-calculator/).