Hiring decision
Can my business afford an employee?
See the estimated employer cost, what it does to monthly breathing room and how much additional sales the role may need to support itself.
See the fuller cost of the hire
What normally remains after the business's current monthly costs.
Insurance, software, travel, benefits, training or role-specific costs.
If you do not know, try 40% then test 30% and 50%.
The real question is not “Can we pay the salary?”
A hire creates a recurring commitment. The safer question is whether the business can carry that commitment through normal months and weaker ones while the new person becomes productive.
The 2026/27 estimate in this tool uses the standard 15% employer National Insurance rate above the £5,000 secondary threshold and a simple 3% minimum employer pension contribution on qualifying earnings where automatic enrolment is likely to apply. It does not automatically assume Employment Allowance, because eligibility and how much remains are business-specific.