Care Worker on £26,000 - Take-home pay & payslip breakdown
Monthly net pay for a UK care worker earning £26,000 gross, calculated against HMRC 2026/27 PAYE bands, Class 1 employee National Insurance and a 5% auto-enrolment pension contribution.
Verify my payslip free →Estimated take-home
£1,770.97/month
£21,252 per year · £408.68 per week
Full deduction breakdown
Tax code 1257L cumulative; 2026/27 HMRC rates; 5% auto-enrolment pension on qualifying earnings.
| Item | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £26,000 | £2,166.67 |
| Personal Allowance | £12,570 | £1,047.50 |
| Income Tax (PAYE) | -£2,686.00 | -£223.83 |
| National Insurance | -£1,074.40 | -£89.53 |
| Pension (5%) | -£988.00 | -£82.33 |
| Net take-home | £21,252 | £1,770.97 |
How does £26,000 compare?
£26,000 sits about 11% above the ONS ASHE 2024 median for a care worker (£23,400). At this level you are likely either above the 75th percentile or carrying a meaningful seniority allowance, regional weighting or shift uplift built into the headline figure.
It is below the UK full-time national median of £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024).
For context, the 25th percentile for care workers sits at £21,800 and the 75th at £25,600 (ONS ASHE 2024). Quirk specific to this occupation: Care workers paid hourly often show units worked rather than salary, with sleep-in payments, mileage, and travel-time pay listed below basic. Watch for missed travel-time legally owed.
Effective deduction rate at this gross: 18.26%. Marginal rate (next pound earned): 32%.
Other care worker salaries
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Upload & check free →Salary estimates: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024, full-time gross annual pay by SOC 2020 occupation. Figures rounded to nearest £100.