Pension Contribution Calculator
See what your contribution really costs you after tax relief, what your employer adds on top, and roughly what the pot could be worth when you retire.
Your details
The auto-enrolment minimum is 3%. Many employers match more if you contribute more. Ask HR.
Auto-enrolment schemes often calculate on the £6,240 to £50,270 band, not your whole salary. Check your scheme.
Add up every pot you have, including old employers.
You can access a private pension from 57 (from 2028).
Advanced options▾
5% a year is a common planning figure. Not a promise.
Platform plus fund charges. Workplace default funds are often 0.3% to 0.75%.
Contributions grow with your salary.
Updates as you change the figures. No submit button needed.
Result
£357,752
projected pot at 67, in today's assumptions. £238 a month goes in; it costs you £119.
This year, at today's salary
By 67
Where people get this wrong
Your employer is at the 3% legal minimum. Before changing anything else, ask one question: does the match go up if I contribute more? A move from 3% to 5% employer match is worth roughly £715 a year of money that only exists if you take it.
How we calculate this
Your contribution and your employer's are worked out as a percentage of salary, or of qualifying earnings (£6,240 to £50,270 in 2026/27) if your scheme uses the auto-enrolment band. Under relief at source you pay 80% and the provider claims 20% from HMRC and adds it to the pot; any further relief depends on the income bands your contribution crosses and must be claimed from HMRC. We use your salary and region, including the Personal Allowance taper, to estimate it. Under salary sacrifice the full amount goes in before tax and National Insurance, so relief is immediate and you save NI as well (8% up to £50,270, 2% above).
The projection adds contributions monthly, grows the pot at your chosen rate minus fees, and recalculates contributions each year using your assumed pay rise. Qualifying-earnings thresholds are held at today's levels. It is in nominal terms: inflation will make the final figure buy less than it sounds. The 25% tax-free lump sum is capped at £268,275. The allowance indicator uses the standard annual allowance of £60,000. It does not calculate tapering, carry-forward or the money purchase annual allowance. The earnings limit for personal tax relief is a separate test. Other income and pension schemes can change your entitlement. NI savings assume you are below State Pension age.
This tool is for general guidance only and is not financial or tax advice. Always check your own circumstances, ideally with a qualified adviser or accountant, before making decisions.
Related reading
Pensions & FIRE
What Is an ISA? The Five Types Explained
Your bank handed you a Cash ISA at 18 and never mentioned the other four. Here's what each type actually does, and which one is probably wasting your allowance.
Pensions & FIRE
Auto-Enrolment: The Free Money Most People Still Walk Away From
Your employer has to give you free money every month, and roughly one in ten workers opts out of collecting it.