A Penetration Tester earning the median salary of £60K in the UK takes home approximately £45,357/year (£3,780/month) after Income Tax and National Insurance, using 2026/27 rates.
2026 median salary for each level in the UK, and what it leaves after Income Tax and National Insurance. Standard Personal Allowance, England/Wales PAYE employee. 2026/27 rates.
| Level | Gross / year | Take-home / year | Per month | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | £51,000 | £40,137£3,345/mo | £3,345 | 21.3% |
| Mid-level | £80,000 | £56,957£4,746/mo | £4,746 | 28.8% |
| Senior | £90,000 | £62,757£5,230/mo | £5,230 | 30.3% |
| Lead / Principal | £110,000 | £72,357£6,030/mo | £6,030 | 34.2% |
| Manager | £118,000 | £75,397£6,283/mo | £6,283 | 36.1% |
The biggest pay step is Junior to Mid-level: £29,000 more a year before tax, of which £16,820 reaches take-home. 42% of that raise goes to Income Tax and National Insurance, against an average 21% on the Junior salary, because the extra pay is taxed at the top of your bands rather than spread across all of them.
Around the headline median, the middle half of Penetration Tester salaries in the UK run from £59,000 to £60,000 a year, which is £44,777 to £45,357 after Income Tax and National Insurance.
The table above uses the Penetration Tester median. Enter your own gross salary below for a precise figure.
2026/27 tax year
Personal Allowance: £12,570. Basic rate (20%) up to £50,270. Higher rate (40%) up to £125,140. Additional rate (45%) above.
Common salaries:
Annual take-home pay
£45,357
Per month
£3,780
Per week
£872
Effective tax rate
24.4%
How your £60,000 is split
£45,357
75.6%
£11,432
19.1%
£3,211
5.4%
| Gross salary | £60,000 |
| Personal Allowance (tax-free) | £12,570 |
| Income Tax | -£11,432 |
| National Insurance (Class 1) | -£3,211 |
| Total deductions | -£14,643 |
| Net take-home (annual) | £45,357 |
Calculations use 2026/27 UK tax rates. Assumes England/Wales/Northern Ireland Income Tax rates (Scottish rates differ). Includes standard Personal Allowance tapering above £100,000, and applies any pension salary sacrifice entered above before calculating tax. Does not account for Gift Aid, student loan repayments, Marriage Allowance, or other reliefs. For precise advice consult a tax professional or HMRC.
Permanent median
£60,000
£45,357 take-home
Contract median
£525/day
≈ £115,500 gross a year
At a median £525/day, contract work grosses about £115,500 a year over 220 billable days, 93% more than the £60,000 permanent median. That premium has to pay for what an employer would otherwise cover: paid holiday and sick days, pension contributions, and the gaps between contracts. Whether a contract falls inside or outside IR35 also changes how much of it you keep.
Contract and permanent benchmarks come from separate samples, so treat the gap as a guide rather than a like-for-like quote. See Penetration Tester contract rates and contractor take-home →
A Penetration Tester earning the median salary of £60K in the UK takes home approximately £45,357 per year (£3,780 per month) after Income Tax and National Insurance, using 2026/27 HMRC rates.
On a median Penetration Tester salary of £60K, the effective tax rate (Income Tax and NI combined) is 24.4%, leaving £45,357 as take-home pay. This assumes standard Personal Allowance and England/Wales Income Tax rates.
On a £60K salary, a Penetration Tester pays approximately £11,432 in Income Tax per year. This uses the 2026/27 Personal Allowance of £12,570, a basic rate of 20% up to £50,270, and 40% above.
On a £60K salary, employee Class 1 National Insurance amounts to approximately £3,211 per year. The 2026/27 rates are 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% above.
The standard Personal Allowance for 2026/27 is £12,570, which is tax-free. For salaries above £100,000, the allowance tapers by £1 for every £2 earned, disappearing entirely at £125,140. This does not affect the median salary shown here.
A senior Penetration Tester in the UK earns a median £90,000 a year and takes home approximately £62,757 (£5,230 per month) after Income Tax and National Insurance, an effective rate of 30.3%.
A junior Penetration Tester in the UK earns a median £51,000 a year and takes home approximately £40,137 (£3,345 per month) after Income Tax and National Insurance, an effective rate of 21.3%.
The biggest pay step is Junior to Mid-level: £29,000 more a year before tax, of which £16,820 reaches take-home. 42% of that raise goes to Income Tax and National Insurance, against an average 21% on the Junior salary, because the extra pay is taxed at the top of your bands rather than spread across all of them.
At a median £525/day, contract work grosses about £115,500 a year over 220 billable days, 93% more than the £60,000 permanent median. That premium has to pay for what an employer would otherwise cover: paid holiday and sick days, pension contributions, and the gaps between contracts. Whether a contract falls inside or outside IR35 also changes how much of it you keep. Contract and permanent benchmarks come from separate samples, so treat the gap as a guide.
Penetration Tester Salary Benchmarks
Full range, city comparisons, seniority bands
Compare a job offer
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Penetration Tester contractor rates
Compare permanent pay with current contract market rates
Remote vs Hybrid
Is the commute worth it?
Penetration Tester Salary in Scotland
Take-home under Scottish income tax (19%–48%)