Answers · UK 2025/26
What is my take-home pay on £45,000 with a Postgraduate Loan in 2026/27?
On £45,000 in 2026/27 with a Postgraduate Loan, you pay £6,486 Income Tax, £2,594.40 National Insurance and £1,440 Postgraduate Loan repayments, leaving £34,479.60 take-home pay -- about £2,873.30 a month.
Full answer
On a £45,000 salary in 2026/27, taxable income after the £12,570 Personal Allowance is £32,430, all within the basic rate band, giving £6,486 Income Tax. National Insurance is 8% of £32,430 = £2,594.40, leaving £35,919.60 before any student loan repayment. Postgraduate Loans (used to fund taught or research Master's and some Doctoral courses in England and Wales) are repaid at a lower rate than undergraduate loans -- 6% of income above the 2026/27 threshold of £21,000. On £45,000, the amount above the threshold is £24,000, so the repayment is 6% of £24,000 = £1,440 for the year. This leaves take-home pay of £34,479.60, around £2,873.30 a month. If you also have an outstanding undergraduate Plan 1, 2, 4 or 5 loan, both loans are repaid simultaneously through PAYE, each calculated separately against its own threshold and rate -- so someone with both an undergraduate and a Postgraduate Loan could see combined deductions of up to 15% (9% + 6%) of income above the relevant thresholds, in addition to Income Tax and National Insurance.
Try the calculator
More answers
This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.