How much does it cost?
How much you pay depends on how much you are paid and the pay band you fall into.
If you work part-time or term time, your rate is based on the actual rate of pay for your job(s), so you only pay contributions on the pay you actually earn per job.
The pay bands that apply from April 2025 are below:
| You pay a contribution rate of: | ||
| If your actual pensionable pay is: | Main section | 50/50 section |
| Up to £17,800 | 5.5% | 2.75% |
| £17,801 to £28,000 | 5.8% | 2.90% |
| £28,001 to £45,600 | 6.5% | 3.25% |
| £45,601 to £57,700 | 6.8% | 3.40% |
| £57,701 to £81,000 | 8.5% | 4.25% |
| £81,001 to £114,800 | 9.9% | 4.95% |
| £114,801 to £135,300 | 10.5% | 5.25% |
| £135,301 to £203,000 | 11.4% | 5.70% |
| £203,001 or more | 12.5% | 6.25% |
The contribution rates and / or pay bands in this table will be reviewed periodically and may change in the future.
Click here to see more information about the 50/50 section.
Example
Jenny works full time, and her pay is £23,000 a year, this means she will pay 5.80% of £23,000. This works out at £111.17 a month (before tax relief). If she worked part time (half the hours) she would only pay £52.71 a month (before tax relief) which is 5.5% of her £11,500 pay.