Auto-Enrolment Pension Calculator
Calculate workplace pension contributions on qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270): the 8% minimum split, tax relief at source and higher-rate top-up.
Data verified · July 2026
Who gets auto-enrolled?
Workers aged 22 to State Pension age earning over £10,000 a year. Others can usually opt in — those earning above £6,240 still get employer contributions.
Source: GOV.UK — Workplace pensions (gov.uk/workplace-pensions); contributions (gov.uk/workplace-pensions/what-you-your-employer-and-the-government-pay); The Pensions Regulator thresholds. · updated 2026
Like this calculator?
Create a free account to save your calculations, access history, and export to PDF. Upgrade to Pro for all 319 calculators.
A question about this result?
Ask Solva, ActioFin's AI finance advisor — answers sourced from official texts.
5 free questions per day with a free account
Everything about Auto-Enrolment Pension Calculator
📋Overview+
Computes 2025/26 auto-enrolment contributions: eligibility (age 22 to State Pension age, earnings over £10,000), qualifying earnings between £6,240 and £50,270, the statutory 8% minimum (at least 3% employer), relief-at-source (you pay 80% of your gross contribution) and the extra relief higher-rate taxpayers can claim.
💡 Best practices
- The 8% minimum is 3% employer + 5% employee (including the government's 1% relief).
- Earning under £10,000? You are not auto-enrolled but can usually opt in — with employer contributions from £6,240 of earnings.
- Many employers match higher percentages — increasing your rate often triggers extra free employer money.
🔢 Concrete example
£30,000 salary, standard 5%/3% split: qualifying earnings £23,760 — employer pays £712.80, you pay £950.40 net (+£237.60 tax relief), £1,900.80 a year into the pension (£158.40/month).
📖User guide+
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your annual salary and age.
- 2
Adjust the employee and employer percentages if your scheme is above the minimum.
- 3
Switch to full-salary basis if your scheme contributes from £1.
- 4
Read the annual and monthly contributions and your real net cost.
📚Glossary+
- Qualifying earnings
- The slice of pay between £6,240 and £50,270 (2025/26). The statutory minimum 8% applies to this band, not the full salary — unless the scheme uses a full-pay basis.
- Relief at source
- You pay 80% of your gross contribution; the provider adds the 20% basic-rate relief. Higher-rate taxpayers reclaim the rest via Self Assessment.
ℹ️Sources & updates+
Last data update
July 5, 2026
Sources and references
GOV.UK — Workplace pensions (gov.uk/workplace-pensions); contributions (gov.uk/workplace-pensions/what-you-your-employer-and-the-government-pay); The Pensions Regulator thresholds.
The data in this calculator is updated regularly to reflect the latest official rates. When in doubt, consult the official sources listed above.
FAQ — Auto-Enrolment Pension Calculator
Who gets auto-enrolled?+
Workers aged 22 to State Pension age earning over £10,000 a year. Others can usually opt in — those earning above £6,240 still get employer contributions.
What is the minimum contribution?+
8% of qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270 in 2025/26), of which the employer must pay at least 3%. The employee's 5% includes 1% basic-rate tax relief.
How does tax relief work?+
With relief at source you pay 80p per £1 of contribution and the provider claims 20p from HMRC. Higher and additional-rate taxpayers reclaim a further 20–25% through Self Assessment.