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Compare two salaries
A job offer, a pay rise or hourly against salary: see both take-home pays side by side, and how much of the difference you actually keep.
The difference you keep
$123 a week
Job B pays $10,000 more a year before tax. You keep $6,418 of it (64c in every dollar), after tax, ACC and KiwiSaver.
| Take-home | Job A | Job B | +/−Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week | $1,021 | $1,145 | +$123 |
| Fortnight | $2,042 | $2,289 | +$247 |
| Month | $4,425 | $4,960 | +$535 |
| Year | $53,105 | $59,523 | +$6,418 |
| Before tax | $70,000 | $80,000 | +$10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax (PAYE) | $13,221 | $16,278 | +$3,057 |
| ACC earners' levy | $1,225 | $1,400 | +$175 |
| Your KiwiSaver | $2,450 | $2,800 | +$350 |
Job B's employer also puts about $245 a year more into your KiwiSaver (after tax), on top of your pay.
Both jobs on a main tax code (M), with your employer's minimum KiwiSaver. Leaves out the independent earner tax credit, bonuses and allowances. Same figures as the pay calculator. Not financial advice.
Taking the new job? Plan where the extra goes before the first pay lands. Budget it free in KeaBudget →
Uses 2026/27 rates · figures last checked October 2026.
Sources
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Why $10,000 more isn't $10,000 more
New Zealand taxes income in brackets, so the extra pay is taxed at the rate of the bracket it lands in, not your average rate. On top of that come the ACC earners' levy, your KiwiSaver and any student loan repayment.
That's why the difference in take-home is always smaller than the difference on the job ad, and why it shrinks further as salaries get higher. The calculator shows both, so you can compare offers on what reaches your bank.
Salary comparison questions, answered
- How much of a pay rise do I actually keep?
- It depends on the tax bracket the extra lands in. Each extra dollar loses its bracket's tax rate, plus 1.75% ACC, your KiwiSaver rate, and 12% if you have a student loan. Above $180,000 the rate is 39%, so a rise up there keeps less of each dollar than one lower down.
- Can I compare an hourly job with a salary?
- Yes. Switch either job to 'an hour' and enter the rate and hours a week. It's worked out as rate × hours × 52, before any overtime or holiday pay.
- Is a higher salary always better?
- On tax alone, more pay always means more take-home: no NZ tax bracket leaves you worse off for earning more (credits like Working for Families can reduce as income rises, which this leaves out). Whether the job is better also depends on things this can't see, like travel costs, hours, bonuses, leave and how much the employer puts into KiwiSaver.
- Does this match the pay calculator?
- Exactly. Each side is the pay calculator's own breakdown for that salary, on a main tax code. If one of the jobs would be a second job, use the pay calculator's second-job option for that one.
- What about the employer's KiwiSaver?
- If you're a member, your employer adds at least their minimum on top of your pay, and that's taxed (ESCT) before it reaches your fund. The calculator shows how much more the higher-paying job puts in.
Make the extra count from the first pay.
KeaBudget is the free budget app built for Kiwi life. Give a pay rise a job before it disappears into everyday spending: a goal, a debt, or just breathing room.
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