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Is the new job actually worth it?

Put two salaries side by side and see the difference in what reaches your account — after income tax, USC and PRSI, on 2026 rates.

Your situation
Optional adjustmentsPension, bonus, auto-enrolment
0% · €0

At age 35, Revenue relief is limited to 20% of earnings, with earnings capped at €115,000.

Your take-home

€37,010

€3,084.19 a month

Gross income€45,000
Income tax20% / 40% less credits− €5,200
USC− €883
PRSI− €1,907
Net take-home€37,010
Effective rate17.8%
Marginal rate47.2%
Take-home€39,648
Difference+ €2,638

2026 Class A estimate assuming uniform weekly pay: 4.2% through September and 4.35% from October, blended over the year. Actual PRSI is calculated per pay period and can differ with bonuses, unpaid weeks or a 53-week payroll year. Figures are not stored; calculator events use only a broad salary band.

The gross gap is not the real gap

A raise is taxed at the top of your income, not the average of it. Once you are past the standard-rate cut-off, each extra euro meets 40% income tax plus USC and PRSI — so the number in the offer letter and the number in your account move at different speeds.

Going from €45,000 to €50,000 is €5,000 more on paper. After tax it is about €2,638 a year, or roughly 53% of what you were offered. Over a month that is around €220.

What this cannot see

Take-home is only part of the decision. Before you move, price the things that do not show up in a payslip comparison: employer pension contribution, whether health insurance is covered, commuting cost and time, and the hours actually expected of you. A job paying €5,000 more with a smaller pension contribution can leave you worse off.

If part of the increase is a bonus rather than salary, work that out separately — see the bonus and RSU calculator, since bonuses are taxed at your marginal rate in the month they are paid.

Comparing as a couple

Married and civil-partnered couples can transfer part of the standard-rate band between them, which changes what a rise is worth to the household rather than the individual. Switch the filing status above to married with one or two incomes and both sides of the comparison use the transferred band.

Comparing two salaries — common questions

How much of a pay rise do you actually keep in Ireland?
Above the standard-rate cut-off, most of a rise is taxed at the marginal rate — 40% income tax plus USC and PRSI. On a rise from €45,000 to €50,000, the gross difference is €5,000 but the take-home difference is about €2,638 a year, so roughly 53% of it reaches your account.
Is a new job worth it for a few thousand more?
Compare the take-home figures rather than the gross ones. A rise that crosses the standard-rate cut-off is taxed more heavily at the top end, so the net gain is smaller than the headline suggests. Then weigh anything the offer changes that this calculator cannot see — pension contributions, health insurance, commuting cost and hours.
Does this include pension and auto-enrolment?
Yes. Set a pension percentage and it is applied to both salaries before tax, so you compare like with like. My Future Fund (auto-enrolment) can be toggled on and is treated as an annual estimate.
Can I compare as a couple?
Yes. Switch the filing status to married with one or two incomes and the standard-rate band transfer is applied to both sides of the comparison.