Answers · UK 2025/26
What is my take-home pay on £48,000 with a Postgraduate Loan in 2026/27?
On £48,000 in 2026/27 with a Postgraduate Loan only, you pay £7,086 Income Tax, £2,834.40 National Insurance and £1,620 loan repayments, leaving £36,459.60 take-home pay -- about £3,038.30 a month.
Full answer
On a £48,000 salary in 2026/27, the standard deductions are £7,086 Income Tax (20% on the £35,430 above the £12,570 Personal Allowance) and £2,834.40 National Insurance (8% of the same £35,430), leaving £38,079.60 before a student loan. A Postgraduate Loan, used to fund a Master's or equivalent qualification, is repaid separately from undergraduate Plan 1, 2, 4 or 5 loans, at a lower rate of 6% but above a much lower threshold of £21,000 for 2026/27. On £48,000, the amount above the threshold is £27,000, so the repayment is 6% of £27,000, which is £1,620 for the year, deducted automatically through PAYE. This leaves take-home pay of £36,459.60 a year, around £3,038.30 a month. If you also have an undergraduate loan (such as Plan 2), the two are repaid simultaneously and independently -- the Postgraduate Loan repayment is calculated on income above £21,000 at 6%, while the undergraduate loan is calculated on income above its own threshold at 9%, and both amounts are deducted in the same pay period. This means someone with both loan types at £48,000 would pay considerably more than the £1,620 shown here for the Postgraduate Loan alone; use the student loan repayment calculator to model combined repayments for your exact plan combination.
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.