How the graduate salary calculator works
Last updated 10 November 2026
A job offer quotes a gross salary. What reaches your account is lower, after PAYE and UIF.
How it works
- It uses the tax tables, rebates and UIF rules in the take-home pay calculator.
Worked example
With the starting figures:
- The 2 example offers give take-home pay of R 19 222 and R 22 182 a month.
Gross and take-home
A job offer quotes a gross salary. What reaches your bank account is lower, after income tax and the unemployment insurance contribution. For a first job, seeing the monthly take-home amount helps you plan rent, transport and student loan repayments.
Comparing offers
Add the offers you have and see the take-home pay for each, side by side. A higher gross offer does not always mean a higher take-home amount if one offer includes benefits and the other does not. The table shows the monthly and yearly amounts and the tax taken.
How it is worked out
The tool uses the same tax tables, rebates and UIF rules as the take-home pay calculator. The current figures, their source and the date they were checked are shown on the page. They are kept in one place, so when the rules change the results update.
What changes your pay
- Medical aid contributions and tax credits for them
- Retirement fund contributions, which reduce taxable income
- Taxable benefits such as a car allowance or a housing benefit
- Bonuses, which are taxed with your other income
- A part-year start, where the first tax year is not complete
What this does not cover
The result is an estimate. Your payslip has the exact amounts, and your employer's payroll may calculate some items differently. For the first months of work, the student loan repayment calculator and the monthly budget planner help turn take-home pay into a plan.
Beyond the pay slip
Look at the whole package. An offer with a lower salary but a medical aid contribution, a retirement fund match or a transport allowance can be worth more than a plain higher salary. Ask the employer what is included and whether the offer is cost to company, which means benefits come out of the stated amount.
Things to watch
- Medical aid, retirement contributions and taxable benefits change take-home pay.
- Check your payslip for the exact amounts.
For your own details use the take-home pay calculator. Read the full disclaimer.