Police, Civil Service, teachers and the Armed Forces all run their own pension schemes with tiered, non-marginal contributions on actual pay — the rules generic salary calculators get wrong. Pick your scheme and pensionable pay to see gross-to-net for 2026/27, with the tier rate, the net-pay treatment (income-tax relief but full-rate NI) and the promotion cliff-edges that can briefly cut your take-home.
8 min read·Updated Wed Aug 19 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)·🇬🇧 UK
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Key takeaways
Key takeaways · 2026/27
Public-sector pensions charge a tiered, non-marginal contribution on your actual pensionable pay — the whole amount at one rate, not marginal slices.
They are net-pay arrangements: the contribution cuts your Income Tax but not your National Insurance.
Because tiers are non-marginal, a promotion can briefly cut net pay when it pushes you across a boundary — the calculator warns you.
The Armed Forces AFPS 15 is non-contributory — service personnel pay £0 employee pension.
How it works
Why public-sector pay needs a specialist tool
A public-sector salary is not a number you can drop into a generic take-home calculator. Each scheme charges a tiered pension contribution that is non-marginal — the whole of your actual pensionable pay is charged at the single rate its total falls into — and every scheme here is a net-pay arrangement, so the contribution reduces your Income Tax but National Insurance is still charged on your full pay. Get either wrong and the take-home is out by hundreds of pounds a year.
Contribution rates by scheme, 2026/27
Scheme
Basis
Rates (2026/27)
Police PPS 2015 (E&W)
Actual pay, 3 tiers
12.88% ≤£37,035 · 13.88% · 14.22% ≥£79,588
Police PPS 2015 (Scotland)
Flat
13.7% on all pay
Civil Service alpha
Pensionable earnings, 4 bands
4.60% · 5.45% · 7.35% · 8.05%
Teachers' TPS
Actual pay, 6 tiers
7.4% → 11.7% (bands +3.8% from Apr 2026)
Armed Forces AFPS 15
Non-contributory
£0 — employer pays the whole cost
The cliff-edge generic calculators ignore: because the tiers are non-marginal, a pay rise that nudges your pensionable pay across a boundary raises the rate on all of it. Right at a boundary a small rise can cost more in extra pension than it adds in gross. The calculator flags when you are close to a boundary so you can see it coming.
Net-pay relief — and why NI still bites
All four schemes use a net-pay arrangement: your contribution comes out before Income Tax, giving full tax relief automatically. But it is not salary sacrifice — National Insurance is still charged on your pay before the pension. That is why your NI looks higher than a private-sector colleague on a sacrifice scheme. The salary sacrifice calculator shows the difference: sacrifice saves NI as well as tax.
Dedicated calculator for your service
This hub compares the schemes side by side, but each service has a focused calculator with its own inputs and worked examples:
Police take-home pay — the PPS 2015 cliff-edge and Met (pensionable) vs South East (non-pensionable) allowances.
NHS Agenda for Change staff have their own take-home calculator because two more rules apply: HCAS London weighting (pensionable and clamped between a floor and ceiling) and Section 2 unsocial-hours enhancements. Use the NHS take-home pay calculator — by Agenda for Change band — and the NHS unsocial hours calculator for nights and weekends.
Comparing a public-sector role with a private offer
Weighing a public-sector job against a private-sector one? The headline salaries rarely tell the story — the guaranteed defined-benefit pension is worth far more than the contribution you pay. Model the private offer on the main take-home pay calculator, then compare net pay and remember the pension you are buying here is a promise, not a pot.
Four of the largest public-sector schemes on their 2026/27 rules: the Police Pension Scheme 2015 (PPS 2015), Civil Service alpha, the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) and the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 (AFPS 15). NHS staff on Agenda for Change have a dedicated tool — the NHS take-home pay calculator — because HCAS London weighting and unsocial-hours enhancements need extra inputs.
Why do public-sector pensions need a special calculator?
Three rules trip up generic tools. First, contributions are tiered and non-marginal: the whole of your actual pensionable pay is charged at one rate, so a small rise across a boundary raises the rate on everything. Second, they are net-pay arrangements — the contribution reduces your Income Tax but National Insurance is still charged on your full pay, unlike salary sacrifice. Third, the contribution is based on your actual pay, not full-time-equivalent pay, so part-timers pay a lower tier rate than a headline salary implies.
What are the Police Pension Scheme 2015 contribution rates for 2026/27?
From 1 April 2026 the Police scheme (England & Wales) charges three tiers on actual pensionable pay: 12.88% up to £37,035, 13.88% from £37,035.01 to £79,587.99, and 14.22% at £79,588 and above. The structure is designed to yield 13.70% overall. Scotland kept a flat 13.7% rate for all members. The contribution is a net-pay arrangement, so it cuts Income Tax but not National Insurance.
What are the Civil Service alpha contribution rates for 2026/27?
Civil Service alpha charges four non-marginal bands on pensionable earnings: 4.60% up to £36,199, 5.45% from £36,200 to £56,000, 7.35% from £56,001 to £150,000 and 8.05% above £150,000. Cross a boundary by £1 and the higher rate applies to your whole pensionable pay, so a pay rise around a threshold is worth checking here.
What are the Teachers' Pension (TPS) contribution rates for 2026/27?
The TPS keeps its six rates (7.4% to 11.7%) but the salary bands rose 3.8% from 1 April 2026 in line with the Pensions Increase. For 2026/27 they are 7.4% up to £36,198.99, 8.6% to £48,727.99, 9.6% to £57,776.99, 10.2% to £76,572.99, 11.3% to £104,413.99 and 11.7% above. The rate is set by your actual pay in each employment, not your full-time-equivalent salary — so a part-time teacher pays the tier their actual pay falls into.
Do members of the Armed Forces pay pension contributions?
No. The Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 (AFPS 15) is non-contributory: service personnel pay nothing toward it and the Ministry of Defence meets the whole cost. That is why, on the same salary, an AFPS 15 member takes home more than someone in a contributory scheme — the pension line on your payslip is £0. Select Armed Forces AFPS 15 above and the calculator shows no pension deduction.
Can a pay rise or promotion reduce my take-home pay?
In a non-marginal scheme, yes — briefly. If a rise pushes your pensionable pay just over a tier boundary, the higher contribution rate applies to all of it, and the extra pension can exceed the extra gross for a small rise right at the edge. The calculator flags when you are close to a boundary. It is not money lost — the higher contribution buys more guaranteed pension — but it is worth knowing before you negotiate.
Disclaimer: Figures are estimates based on 2026/27 rates and rules and may change. Verify with HMRC or a qualified adviser before making financial decisions.