Pension Projection · 2025/26
Pension Pot on £25,000.00 After 40 Years
Contributing at the auto-enrolment minimum of 8% (5% employee + 3% employer) on a £25,000.00 salary for 40 years, here is what your pension pot could look like at retirement.
Basic-rate tax relief (20%) is applied to employee contributions — the figures above show the gross amount going into the pot. Your actual take-home cost is lower after tax relief.
Projected pension pot after 40 years
Three nominal growth scenarios assuming contributions are made from the start of each year and the pot grows throughout. Tax relief is included on employee contributions at the basic rate (20%).
| Annual growth | Annual into pot | Total paid in | Projected pot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% / year | £2,250.00 | £90,000.00 | £285,389.47 |
| 7% / year | £2,250.00 | £90,000.00 | £480,621.53 |
| 9% / year | £2,250.00 | £90,000.00 | £828,656.70 |
Nominal figures (not adjusted for inflation). Investment growth is not guaranteed. Excludes State Pension and any existing pension pot. Basic-rate tax relief included on employee contributions.
How much do you need to contribute to hit a target pot?
If you want to reach a specific pot size in 40 years, here is the required total monthly contribution (assuming 7% annual growth). Compare against the auto-enrolment £166.67/month above to see the gap.
| Target pot | Required / month | Gap vs auto-enrolment |
|---|---|---|
| £200,000.00 | £83.49 | On track |
| £300,000.00 | £125.23 | On track |
| £500,000.00 | £208.71 | +£42.05/mo extra |
Assumes 7% nominal growth. "On track" means auto-enrolment alone is sufficient to exceed that target. These are total monthly contributions before tax relief — your net cost is lower.