£40,000 puts you in the basic rate tax band for 2025/26. After your Personal Allowance (£12,570), you pay 20% Income Tax and 8% National Insurance on the rest. With no pension or student loan, your take-home is roughly £31,000–32,000 a year (about £2,600/month). Add pension or student loan and that figure drops — use the calculator below for your exact numbers.
Compared to the UK median full-time salary (around £37,000–38,000), £40,000 is above average. In many regions outside London it can support a comfortable single life and, with a partner, a modest family. In London or with high housing costs, childcare or debt, it can feel tight. "Good" depends on your location, household size and goals.
If you want to see your exact take-home on £40k (with pension, student loan and region), use our calculator. We also have programmatic pages for every £1k step so you can compare neighbouring salaries.
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