How much pension should I have on a £30,000 salary?

On a £30,000 salary, auto-enrolment puts £158/month (£1,901/year) into your pension — 5% from you and 3% from your employer on qualifying earnings. Starting at 30, this builds to a pot of around £167,067 by age 67. Whether that is enough depends on the retirement lifestyle you want. Most financial planners recommend a total contribution rate of 12–15% of salary.

Is 5% pension contribution enough on £30,000?

The auto-enrolment minimum of 5% employee contribution on £30,000 produces £99/month into your pension. Combined with 3% employer contribution, the total of £158/month is a start but is unlikely to provide a comfortable retirement. Increasing to 10–15% employee contribution significantly improves your projected outcome.

How much will my workplace pension be worth at retirement on £30,000?

On a £30,000 salary with the default 8% total contribution (5% employee + 3% employer), starting at age 30, your pension could grow to approximately £167,067 by age 67, assuming 5% nominal growth and 0.75% annual fees. Increasing your contribution rate or starting earlier significantly increases this figure.

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Pension by salary

Your pension on a £30,000 salary

A £30,000 salary puts you in the around the UK median salary of UK earners. Auto-enrolment puts £158/month into your pension by default. Here's what that actually builds to — and what happens when you contribute more.

Default workplace pension at £30,000

Employee 5%

£99/mo

£1,188/year

Employer 3%

£59/mo

£713/year

Total going in

£158/mo

£1,901/year

Calculated on qualifying earnings between £6,240 and £50,270 (2025/26 band). Your employer may use a different earnings basis.

Projected pot at 67 on £30,000

Total contribution rate (employee + employer combined). Assumes 5% growth minus 0.75% fees.

Start saving at	8% (default)	10%	15%	20%
Age 25 (42yr)	£216,264	£270,330	£405,495	£540,660
Age 30 (37yr)	£167,067	£208,833	£313,250	£417,667
Age 35 (32yr)	£127,113	£158,891	£238,336	£317,782
Age 40 (27yr)	£94,665	£118,332	£177,497	£236,663
Age 45 (22yr)	£68,314	£85,393	£128,089	£170,785
Age 50 (17yr)	£46,914	£58,642	£87,963	£117,285

Tax relief on pension contributions

Marginal tax relief rate

20%

basic rate (20%)

Every £1 you contribute costs you only 80p

Salary sacrifice NI saving

£120/yr

Extra saving on top of tax relief if your employer offers salary sacrifice (on a 5% contribution)

Salary sacrifice calculator →Tax relief calculator →

What if you increased contributions?

Starting at age 30, retiring at 67, with 3% employer match throughout.

5% employee(8% total)

£167,067£557/mo income

8% employee(11% total)

£229,717£766/mo income+£62,650

10% employee(13% total)

£271,483£905/mo income+£104,417

15% employee(18% total)

£375,900£1,253/mo income+£208,833

Monthly income assumes 4% annual drawdown from the projected pot. State pension (£12,548/yr) supplements this from age 67.

Related analysis

How much pension should you have at 30?

Median pot at 30: £13,000

→

How much pension should you have at 40?

Median pot at 40: £50,000

→

Is £150,000 enough to retire on?

Close to the default auto-enrolment projection on £30,000

→

Can you retire at 60?

Target pots and savings needed for early retirement

→

Retiring at 67 — the full breakdown

Target pots and state pension from day one

→

What £30,000 means for your pension

A £30,000 salary sits around the UK median full-time wage. At this level, the auto-enrolment minimum of 8% total (5% employee, 3% employer on qualifying earnings) is a decent foundation — but it will not, on its own, fund a comfortable retirement. The PLSA's "moderate" retirement living standard requires around £31,300/year for a single person, and 8% of qualifying earnings simply doesn't get there over a typical career.

The most impactful move at this salary is increasing your personal contribution rate from the 5% auto-enrolment minimum to 8% or 10%. The difference in monthly take-home is modest — often under £50/month — but compounded over 30+ years it can add £50,000–£100,000 to your final pot. If your employer matches additional contributions, the effective return is even higher.

All of your earnings fall within the basic rate band (the higher rate threshold is £50,270), so pension contributions attract 20% tax relief. If your employer offers salary sacrifice, you also save 8% employee National Insurance on the sacrificed amount — making pension contributions about 28% cheaper than they appear at face value.

See what your pension could really look like

These projections use typical assumptions. Your actual outcome depends on your age, pot size, contribution rate, and fund performance.

Check your retirement readiness Salary sacrifice calculator

Pension by salary

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Things to consider

•Auto-enrolment contributions are calculated on qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270 in 2025/26). Your employer may use a different earnings basis.
•Projections assume 5% nominal growth, 0.75% annual fees, and a constant salary. Real returns and salary growth will vary.
•Tax relief rates shown are for rest-of-UK (not Scotland). Scottish income tax bands differ.
•Figures do not include the state pension (£11,502/yr in 2025/26), which supplements private pension income from age 67.
•This is general information, not personal financial advice.

This calculator provides estimates based on 2026/27 tax rates and is not financial advice. Scottish taxpayers are subject to different income tax rates and bands. The calculations assume your salary is your only source of income and do not account for benefits in kind or other taxable income.

For personalised guidance on your pension contributions, speak to an FCA-regulated financial adviser. You can find one via Unbiased or VouchedFor.