What a Royal Navy Able Rating (AB) payslip looks like
A typical UK royal navy able rating (ab) payslip is paid monthly and shows a basic pay line at the top. Able Rating is the standard Royal Navy rating rank for trade-qualified sailors, working on surface ships or submarines. The line items below depend on grade, shift pattern and contractual additions, but the structure usually mirrors HMRC's recommended payslip layout: a payments block, a deductions block, a year-to-date column, and a net pay summary.
Common employers in this occupation include Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Each employer runs payroll slightly differently, but the underlying PAYE computation against tax code 1257L and Class 1 National Insurance is identical across the UK (excluding Scotland for income tax). The biggest variability between two royal navy able rating (ab) payslips at the same gross will be in the additions block: Able Rating runs the OR-2 ladder, Initial Pay £27,282 in Phase 1 training rising to £38,553. Trade-trained ratings move to a higher trade supplement, which pays more at the same increment level.
Year-to-date columns are critical to verify on this role because the additions and salary sacrifice items change month to month. If your YTD gross divided by months elapsed in the tax year does not match your expected annual run-rate, that is the single best signal that something is mis-coded.
Able Rating (OR-2): £27,282 to £38,553 from 1 April 2026
Initial Pay is the Phase 1 training rate; qualified Able Ratings move up the OR2 levels and, once trade-trained, onto a higher trade supplement that pays more at the same level.
- From £27,282 to £38,553 is £11,271 of gross progression and £8,115 after deductions, which is £676 a month, or 72p in the pound.
- The top of the grade, £38,553, is £11,717 short of £50,270, so every step is taxed at 20% and the higher rate never applies on basic pay alone.
- Leading Hand (OR4-01) starts at £40,989, £2,436 above the top of this grade and about £146 a month more in the hand.
AFPRB 55th Report 2026, Appendix 1. Trade Supplement 1 and inclusive of the 14.5% X-factor, which is how the AFPRB publishes them, so they will not match a JPA basic-pay line on their own. Net figures are estimates on 1257L with rUK bands and no student loan, no pension line because Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 is non-contributory. Full scale, allowances and Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 tiers.
Common deductions for a Royal Navy Able Rating (AB)
- PAYE income tax.Calculated against tax code 1257L. Cumulative coding means refunds can appear if you start mid-year.
- National Insurance (Class 1).8% between £12,570 and £50,270 of annual earnings, then 2% above. Period-by-period method is standard.
- Pension.Auto-enrolment minimum 5% employee on qualifying earnings (£6,240 - £50,270), unless your employer runs a more generous scheme such as the NHS, Teachers Pension or Civil Service alpha.
- Salary sacrifice patterns.Common in this occupation: cycle-to-work, electric-car salary sacrifice, additional pension contributions, and where applicable workplace nursery vouchers (still tax-efficient via pre-existing schemes).
- Union or professional body.Tax-deductible for HMRC-listed bodies. Royal Navy Able Rating (AB)s commonly hold subscriptions covered by section 344 ITEPA 2003 (List 3).
Royal Navy Able Rating (AB) payslip FAQ
How much does a Royal Navy Able Rating (AB) earn in 2026/27?
Able Rating (OR-2) is published at £27,282 to £38,553, effective 1 April 2026, in AFPRB 55th Report 2026, Appendix 1. Trade Supplement 1 and inclusive of the 14.5% X-factor, which is how the AFPRB publishes them, so they will not match a JPA basic-pay line on their own.
What is the take-home pay for a Royal Navy Able Rating (AB)?
At the top of the grade, £38,553, income tax and National Insurance come to about £7,275 a year, leaving roughly £2,606 a month. At the bottom of the grade, £27,282, it is roughly £1,930 a month. Estimated on tax code 1257L with England, Wales and Northern Ireland bands and no student loan.
What is unusual about a Royal Navy Able Rating (AB) payslip?
Able Rating runs the OR-2 ladder, Initial Pay £27,282 in Phase 1 training rising to £38,553. Trade-trained ratings move to a higher trade supplement, which pays more at the same increment level.
Which tax code should a Royal Navy Able Rating (AB) typically be on?
Most people in this role on standard PAYE will see 1257L. Check the prefix and suffix carefully: a K-prefix means deductions exceed your allowance (often after a bonus or P11D benefit), 0T means you have no allowance left at this employer, and BR means basic rate on the whole job (common in second jobs).
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Pay figures: AFPRB 55th Report 2026, Appendix 1, the determination in force from 1 April 2026. Tax, National Insurance and pension figures are estimates from this site's 2026/27 engine.