Career-stage Money Guide
NHS Band 6 nurse
What an NHS Band 6 nurse on £42,618 actually takes home after NHS Pension contributions, tax, NI and Plan 2 student loan in 2026/27 — and the four decisions wor…
Take-home: £28,669/year
How to use this library
Pick the guide that most closely matches your situation. Each one is a 1,500-2,000 word walk through the financial picture for that role: the headline take-home figure, why the deductions look the way they do, the scheme-specific dynamics, the four decisions worth making, and the most common mistake.
This library will grow. The first ten roles below cover the highest-search-volume UK working positions. Subsequent batches will add public-sector specialisations (police, fire, military, HMRC), private-sector specialisations (FAANG comp, finance, law, accounting), and life-event guides (redundancy, divorce, inheritance, bereavement).
Medical Training · Money Guide
NHS junior doctor (F2/ST)
What an NHS junior doctor (F2/ST) on £52,510 with banding actually takes home after NHS Pension, tax, NI and Plan 2 student loan in 2026/27, plus the LTFT and p…
Take-home: £34,047/year
Teaching · Money Guide
Primary school teacher (M5)
What a primary school teacher on M5 (£35,841 in England outside London) actually takes home after Teachers' Pension Scheme contributions, tax, NI and Plan 2 stu…
Take-home: £25,909/year
Contracting · Money Guide
Inside-IR35 contractor (umbrella)
What a £500/day contractor working inside IR35 via an umbrella company actually takes home in 2026/27 — the umbrella margin, employer NI, holiday pay, and how i…
Take-home: £59,204/year
Contracting · Money Guide
Outside-IR35 contractor (Ltd company)
What a £500/day contractor working outside IR35 through their own limited company actually takes home in 2026/27 — corporation tax, salary/dividend split, divid…
Take-home: £69,656/year
Civil Service · Money Guide
Civil servant Grade 7
What a UK civil servant on Grade 7 (£68,000) actually takes home after Alpha pension contributions, tax, NI and Plan 2 student loan in 2026/27, plus the four de…
Take-home: £43,441/year
Tech · Money Guide
Tech engineer £100k + RSUs
What a UK software engineer earning £100k base plus £30k RSU vesting actually takes home in 2026/27, plus the 60% tax trap, RSU sell-to-cover mechanics, and the…
Take-home: £80,058/year
Small Business · Money Guide
Small business owner (Ltd company, £80k extraction)
What a UK Ltd company owner extracting £80,000 a year via the standard salary + dividend structure actually takes home in 2026/27, with corporation tax, dividen…
Take-home: £66,884/year
Family Tax · Money Guide
Higher-rate earner with 2 children (HICBC)
What a higher-rate earner on £75,000 with 2 children actually takes home in 2026/27 once Child Benefit, the High Income Child Benefit Charge clawback, and salar…
Take-home: £54,057/year
Pre-Retirement · Money Guide
Approaching retirement, drawing pension
What a 65-year-old drawing £40,000 a year from a defined-contribution pension actually takes home in 2026/27, plus the State Pension forecast, the 25% tax-free …
Take-home: £36,514/year