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Workplace pension employer match calculator
See how much your employer adds to your workplace pension now, and how much more they'd add if you contributed up to your scheme's match cap, plus what capturing the full match would cost your take-home. An illustration based on the scheme details you enter.
Many workplace pensions match your own contribution up to a cap, so if you contribute below it, some of that employer money isn't being added. Enter your scheme below to see the illustrative amount, and the honest trade-off of contributing more.
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How it works
- 1Enter your gross annual salary and the percentage you currently pay into the pension.
- 2Enter your employer's match ratio and the cap. For example, they match your contributions up to 5% of salary.
- 3Choose how your workplace takes your contribution: salary sacrifice, net pay or relief at source. Not sure shows a range.
- 4The calculator works out the employer money going in now, and the maximum they'd add if you contributed up to the cap.
- 5It shows any match you're not yet capturing, and estimates the net take-home cost of the extra contribution needed to capture it in full.
Worked example
A £35,000 salary, currently paying in 3%, where the employer matches contributions £1 for £1 up to 5% of salary. The calculator shows the employer contribution now, the maximum at the cap, and the extra employer money you'd capture by contributing up to 5%.
It's only as accurate as the scheme details you enter. Your HR or payroll team can confirm exactly how your match works. Money added to a pension is normally locked until later life, and whether contributing more suits you depends on your finances.
Frequently asked questions
What is an employer pension match?
Many workplace schemes add money to your pension in proportion to what you pay in, up to a cap set as a percentage of salary. Contributing at least up to that cap captures the full amount your employer will add.
How much does my employer add to my pension?
It depends on your salary, your contribution and the scheme's match ratio and cap. Enter those and the calculator estimates the employer money going in now and the most they'd add at the cap.
What does it cost me to capture the full match?
The effect on your take-home pay depends on how your workplace takes your pension contribution and your tax position. Salary sacrifice can reduce Income Tax and National Insurance. Net pay and relief at source give tax relief in different ways, with no National Insurance saving. You can choose your method in the calculator, or use Not sure to see a range. Your HR or payroll team can confirm which one you have.
Is money in a workplace pension locked away?
Yes. Pension money is normally locked until the normal minimum pension age, which is rising over time. Whether paying in more suits you depends on your wider finances, so the calculator informs the trade-off rather than making the call.
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