📊 Salary Increase Calculator
What is that pay rise actually worth?
A €5,000 raise is not €5,000. Above the standard rate cut-off point, roughly half of it goes in income tax, USC and PRSI before it reaches you. Knowing the net figure changes what you ask for and what you accept.
Figures reviewed September 2026. Free, no signup, nothing stored on our servers.
What this means
The monthly figure is the one that matters, because it is the one that changes your life or does not. An increase that sounds substantial annually often turns out to be under €150 a month once the marginal rate has taken its share.
The share you keep falls as salary rises. Below the standard rate cut-off point most of a raise survives. Above it, income tax alone takes 40%, and with USC and PRSI the marginal rate on the extra typically exceeds 48% — which is the figure to have in mind when a counter-offer is being discussed.
If you contribute to a pension as a percentage of salary, part of the increase automatically goes there. That is not money lost — it is money moved, with tax relief attached — but it is why the net figure can be lower than expected.
What affects the result
- Whether the new salary crosses the standard rate cut-off point. Below it a raise is taxed at 20%, above it at 40%.
- The USC bands, which change at €12,012, €28,700 and €70,044.
- Pension contributions set as a percentage, which rise automatically with the salary.
- Marital status and joint assessment, which move the cut-off point.
- Benefits in kind and bonuses, which are taxed as income and are not included here.
What is that pay rise actually worth?
Using this in a salary negotiation
Two numbers are worth having before the conversation: what the market pays for your role, from the salary benchmark, and what any offer is worth net, from this page. The second one is what stops a €3,000 “compromise” from sounding meaningful when it is €90 a month.
The thresholds worth knowing
If a raise pushes household income across the threshold for the National Childcare Scheme income-assessed subsidy or a SUSI grant, the net effect can be negative. Those are the cases where it is worth doing the sums across the whole household rather than on the payslip alone.
Important assumptions
Every figure on this page rests on these. Where one does not match your situation, the answer moves — sometimes a great deal.
- Irish income tax, USC and PRSI rates and credits as published by Revenue for 2026.
- Class A PRSI for a standard employee, blended across the mid-year rate change.
- Standard personal and employee tax credits, plus the Single Person Child Carer Credit where it applies.
- No benefit in kind, bonus, commission, share scheme or other taxable income.
- The pension percentage applies to both salaries, and is capped at the age-related Revenue limit.
Official sources
Where this tool applies a published rule, this is where the rule comes from. Check the source before acting on anything that matters.
- Revenue — tax rates, bands and reliefs
The current standard rate cut-off points, personal tax credits and reliefs applied by this calculator.
- Revenue — Universal Social Charge
The USC rate bands and exemption threshold.
- CSO — Earnings and Labour Costs
Official average earnings by sector, if you want to know whether the offer is competitive as well as what it nets.
Common questions
How much of a pay rise do you actually keep in Ireland?
Below the standard rate cut-off point, most of it — roughly 70p in the euro after income tax at 20%, USC and PRSI. Above the cut-off point, closer to half, because income tax on the extra is charged at 40%. The calculator shows your own figure rather than the average.
Should I ask for a pension contribution instead of salary?
For higher-rate taxpayers it is often more efficient: an employer pension contribution is not taxed as income, so the full amount goes to work rather than roughly half. It is money you cannot access until retirement, which is the trade.
What is a marginal rate?
The tax on the next euro you earn, rather than the average across everything you earn. It is the relevant number for a raise, a bonus or overtime, and it is usually much higher than the effective rate on your salary as a whole.
Does a raise affect anything besides tax?
It can. Income-assessed supports — the National Childcare Scheme, SUSI, medical cards, HAP — use gross income thresholds, so a raise that crosses one can cost more than it pays. Check the relevant tool before accepting if you are near a threshold.
What to check next
What do I actually take home?
Income tax, USC and PRSI on an Irish salary, with credits and pension relief applied.
Take-Home Pay CalculatorAm I being paid enough?
Compare your pay against CSO earnings data by role, sector and region.
Salary BenchmarkWhat does a pension contribution really cost me?
Age-banded relief limits and the net cost of contributing at Irish tax rates.
Pension Tax ReliefNewWhat does a day rate leave me with?
Turn an Irish day rate into estimated annual take-home, via umbrella or a limited company.
Contractor Take-HomeNext steps across CheckIreland
Picked for what you just worked out — not a list of everything we make.
- Is the offer competitive?What it nets is one question. What the market pays is the other, and it is the one with leverage in it.
- Take part of it as pension insteadFor a higher-rate taxpayer, an employer contribution puts the full amount to work rather than roughly half.
- Check the thresholds firstA raise that crosses an income-assessed threshold can cost a household more than it pays.
CheckIreland is independent and is not affiliated with the Irish Government or any public body. This tool is general information built on published rules and typical costs — it is not financial, tax or legal advice, and it does not account for your individual circumstances. Confirm anything that matters with the relevant body or a qualified adviser before acting on it.