The real maths of changing jobs
Seventeen short guides, real 2026/27 numbers, no waffle. The maths is half of every decision — the calculator holds both halves, scoring money and life (hours, stress, flexibility) as two honest, separate axes. Every worked example opens directly in it.
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Every deduction, both pensions, the commute, the hours — and the life axis scored honestly beside the money — worked through on the built-in example.
Is a more stressful job worth the extra money?
£6,000 more is £295/mo — the stress, evenings and on-call land on the other axis. Verdict: switch, by a whisker.
Should I take a pay cut for a better work-life balance?
A £5,000 cut that really costs £16 a week — and buys back 227 hours a year. Verdict: switch.
A 4-day week for a 10% pay cut
£45 a week buys back 340 hours a year — the one scenario the engine scores a genuine coin-toss.
£60k in London vs £50k remote
London nets £3,803 more a year — and pays 16p less per committed hour. Both true, before rent has a say.
Going freelance: what a day rate really pays
£400/day × 220 days is £88,000 invoiced — but £30k of headline becomes £11k of real advantage once tax, your own pension and unpaid weeks land.
Day rate vs salary: the break-even
A £400/day contract is worth about a £77,000 salary — so a £70k offer is a pay cut wearing a bigger number. The conversion, done properly.
Is a £5,000 pay rise worth it after tax?
What £5k really pays after tax, NI, Plan 2 and pension — and when it keeps just 59p in the pound.
The £100k tax trap
Between £100,000 and £125,140 a rise can keep 38p in the pound. Real numbers, and what people do about it.
Plan 2 + postgrad loan: your real marginal rate
Two loans repay at once — a £35k → £42k rise keeps 53p in the pound, and the loans line beats NI.
Scottish income tax vs the rest of the UK
Same salary, different take-home: £528 more tax at £48k in Scotland, £40 less at £30k.
New tax year 2026/27: what changed
Frozen English/Welsh/NI thresholds, wider Scottish bands, higher loan thresholds — and what fiscal drag quietly costs.