A Site Reliability Engineer earning the median salary of £70K in the UK takes home approximately £51,157/year (£4,263/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 / Mid-levelHeadline median | £70,000 | £51,157£4,263/mo | £4,263 | 26.9% |
| Senior | £93,000 | £64,497£5,375/mo | £5,375 | 30.6% |
| Lead / Principal | £90,000 | £62,757£5,230/mo | £5,230 | 30.3% |
| Manager | £83,000 | £58,697£4,891/mo | £4,891 | 29.3% |
The biggest pay step is Junior / Mid-level to Senior: £23,000 more a year before tax, of which £13,340 reaches take-home. 42% of that raise goes to Income Tax and National Insurance, against an average 27% on the Junior / Mid-level salary, because the extra pay is taxed at the top of your bands rather than spread across all of them.
For Junior / Mid-level roles, the middle half of Site Reliability Engineer salaries in the UK run from £60,000 to £76,000 a year, which is £45,357 to £54,637 after Income Tax and National Insurance.
The table above uses the Site Reliability Engineer 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
£51,157
Per month
£4,263
Per week
£984
Effective tax rate
26.9%
How your £70,000 is split
£51,157
73.1%
£15,432
22.0%
£3,411
4.9%
| Gross salary | £70,000 |
| Personal Allowance (tax-free) | £12,570 |
| Income Tax | -£15,432 |
| National Insurance (Class 1) | -£3,411 |
| Total deductions | -£18,843 |
| Net take-home (annual) | £51,157 |
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
£70,000
£51,157 take-home
Contract median
£625/day
≈ £137,500 gross a year
At a median £625/day, contract work grosses about £137,500 a year over 220 billable days, 96% more than the £70,000 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 Site Reliability Engineer contract rates and contractor take-home →
A Site Reliability Engineer earning the median salary of £70K in the UK takes home approximately £51,157 per year (£4,263 per month) after Income Tax and National Insurance, using 2026/27 HMRC rates.
On a median Site Reliability Engineer salary of £70K, the effective tax rate (Income Tax and NI combined) is 26.9%, leaving £51,157 as take-home pay. This assumes standard Personal Allowance and England/Wales Income Tax rates.
On a £70K salary, a Site Reliability Engineer pays approximately £15,432 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 £70K salary, employee Class 1 National Insurance amounts to approximately £3,411 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 Site Reliability Engineer in the UK earns a median £93,000 a year and takes home approximately £64,497 (£5,375 per month) after Income Tax and National Insurance, an effective rate of 30.6%.
A junior Site Reliability Engineer in the UK earns a median £70,000 a year and takes home approximately £51,157 (£4,263 per month) after Income Tax and National Insurance, an effective rate of 26.9%.
The biggest pay step is Junior / Mid-level to Senior: £23,000 more a year before tax, of which £13,340 reaches take-home. 42% of that raise goes to Income Tax and National Insurance, against an average 27% on the Junior / Mid-level salary, because the extra pay is taxed at the top of your bands rather than spread across all of them.
At a median £625/day, contract work grosses about £137,500 a year over 220 billable days, 96% more than the £70,000 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.
Site Reliability Engineer Salary Benchmarks
Full range, city comparisons, seniority bands
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Site Reliability Engineer contractor rates
Compare permanent pay with current contract market rates
Remote vs Hybrid
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Site Reliability Engineer Salary in Scotland
Take-home under Scottish income tax (19%–48%)