UK vs New York: take-home pay comparison
UK PAYE + NI against New York federal + state + FICA — finance and tech-sector relocation comparison.
A common comparison for finance and tech professionals moving across the Atlantic. The UK applies income tax up to 45% + National Insurance capped at 2% above £50,270. New York stacks federal income tax (10–37%) + NY state income tax (4–10.9%) + FICA (7.65% to the wage base, 1.45% above). NYC residents (not modeled here) face an additional 3.078–3.876% city income tax.
At entry-level salaries ($60–80k / £45–55k) the UK retains slightly more take-home thanks to the low NI rates. As salary rises past £100k, the UK PA tapers and New York's lower marginal-tax stack catches up. Above $200k, NY state tends to come out ahead on net even before NYC tax — before the GBP/USD FX rate is considered.
Side-by-side at common gross levels
GBP/USD shown at indicative parity — interpret native net values, not the FX-adjusted delta.
| Gross (annual) | United Kingdomnative: £ | United States — New Yorknative: $ | Net delta (right − left) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £40,000 / $40,000 | £32,320 (19.2%) | $32,584 (18.5%) | $264 |
| £80,000 / $80,000 | £56,957 (28.8%) | $60,871 (23.9%) | $3,914 |
| £120,000 / $120,000 | £75,914 (36.7%) | $86,621 (27.8%) | $10,707 |
| £200,000 / $200,000 | £117,158 (41.4%) | $137,983 (31.0%) | $20,825 |
Frequently asked questions
- How much more take-home does £80,000 yield in New York vs United Kingdom?
- At £80,000 gross on each side using 2025/26 rates: United Kingdom retains £56,957 (28.8% effective), New York retains $60,871 (23.9% effective). Native-currency comparison — no FX conversion applied.
- What is the marginal-rate difference between United Kingdom and New York at £80,000?
- At £80,000 gross, the next 100 of gross retains £58 in United Kingdom (marginal rate 42.0%) and $65 in New York (marginal rate 35.2%). This matters for bonus, overtime, or salary-sacrifice decisions — the marginal rate applies to the next unit earned, not the average.
- At what salary level is the take-home gap biggest between United Kingdom and New York?
- Across the 40k–250k single-filer sweep, the largest net delta is at £250,000 gross: New York net is higher by $24,908 per year. Above and below this point the gap is smaller, driven by the interaction of each side's band thresholds + social-contribution caps.
- What does this United Kingdom vs New York comparison include?
- Both sides use each tax authority's published 2025/26 rates: income tax, social-insurance contributions, and any statutory levies routed through payroll. The numbers are the same ones the full /uk and /us/ny calculators produce — open either page for the full per-line breakdown.
- What does this comparison NOT model?
- Currency conversion is NOT applied — the table shows each side in its native currency. Use a live FX rate to convert if you need a single-currency view. Pension contributions, salary-sacrifice schemes, benefits-in-kind, region-specific surcharges (Scotland for UK, Comunidad Autónoma for ES, Bundesland for DE), and cost-of-living differences are not modeled here. The comparison is a tax-stack-only view.