United Kingdom vs Australia: take-home pay compared
One of the most common relocation comparisons for UK professionals — nurses, doctors, engineers, and tradespeople have moved from the UK to Australia for decades. The take-home numbers explain a meaningful part of why.
Net salary side by side
Figures are calculated using this site's own tax engine for each country — click through to the full calculator to adjust for your exact situation.
| Gross salary | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom net/mo | 🇦🇺 Australia net/mo |
|---|---|---|
| 40,000 / 70,000 | £2,693/mo (19.2%) | A$4,734/mo (18.8%) |
| 55,000 / 95,000 | £3,538/mo (22.8%) | A$6,151/mo (22.3%) |
| 75,000 / 130,000 | £4,505/mo (27.9%) | A$8,134/mo (24.9%) |
| 100,000 / 175,000 | £5,713/mo (31.4%) | A$10,451/mo (28.3%) |
"Gross salary" is shown in each country's own currency at matching nominal amounts, not currency-converted — useful for comparing two job offers quoted in local currency. Effective rate shown in brackets.
Australia pays more AND taxes a bit less
This is a genuine double effect, not just a currency illusion: Australian gross salaries for comparable roles typically run 20-40% higher than UK equivalents once converted, and on top of that, Australia's effective tax rate is consistently a percentage point or two lower than the UK's at matching income levels shown here. Neither the Medicare Levy (2%) nor Australia's income tax bands are as punishing as the UK's personal allowance taper, which creates a 60% effective marginal rate between £100,000 and £125,140 with no Australian equivalent.
What the UK offers that doesn't show up in take-home
The UK's NHS pension (for public sector roles like nursing and medicine) is a defined-benefit scheme considerably more generous than Australia's compulsory superannuation guarantee (12%, defined-contribution, market-exposed). Family and cultural proximity, EU-adjacent travel access, and shorter flights to continue seeing family are real non-financial factors that keep many UK professionals from moving despite the pay gap — but for those focused purely on take-home pay, Australia is the stronger financial choice at almost every career stage.
Frequently asked questions
Australia, at every income level shown — both because Australian gross salaries typically run higher for equivalent roles and because Australia's effective tax rate is 1-3 percentage points lower than the UK's at matching income.
Primarily pay. Australian specialist and nursing salaries are typically higher in both gross and take-home terms than UK NHS equivalents, and the gap has been a well-documented driver of UK healthcare worker migration to Australia for years.
Generally no for public-sector comparisons — the NHS Pension Scheme is a defined-benefit scheme with guaranteed payouts, while Australian superannuation (12% employer contribution) is defined-contribution and market-exposed. Private-sector UK pensions are usually also defined-contribution, making the comparison closer outside the NHS.
No — these are nominal take-home figures, not adjusted for purchasing power. Sydney and Melbourne housing costs are broadly comparable to London; other Australian cities are often more affordable.