The day rate that matches your salary
Going contracting? See the day rate that matches your salary and pension.
Your answer
Enter a salary to see the matching day rate.
About this calculator
For employees weighing up contracting, and contractors pricing a new contract.
What happens to your answers
We don’t keep them. Your answers go to our server to do the sums and aren’t stored or logged. If you copy a link to your answers, they’re in the link itself, so only share it with people you trust.
How it’s worked out
We add your employer's pension to your salary, then divide by the days you'd actually bill: 260 weekdays less holidays and gaps between contracts. Through an umbrella company the day rate also has to cover the employer's National Insurance, so it needs to be higher.
Worked example
To match a £70,000 job, you'd need about £355 a day through your own company, or £402 a day through an umbrella company.
33 days off, 20 days between contracts
| Salary | £70,000 |
|---|---|
| Employer pension (5%) | + £3,500 |
| Package to match | £73,500 |
| Days you'd bill (260 weekdays, less 33 off and 20 between contracts) | 207 |
| Day rate through your own company | £355 |
| Plus employer's National Insurance, through an umbrella | + £9,750 |
| Day rate through an umbrella | £402 |
A rough guide using HMRC's employer National Insurance rates for 2026/27.
Questions people ask
Does this include my tax?
No. It's the rate that matches the package before tax. How you're taxed depends on whether the contract is inside or outside the off-payroll rules (IR35).
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