Council Worker Pay Calculator
Last updated: 09 September 2026 · 2026/27 UK tax year
Calculate your exact take-home pay across the NJC Pay Scales. Automatically applies the strict Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) tiers and calculates the true net value of your allowances.
Council Worker Pay Details
Override this if you have a different SCP value or London Weighting.
Optional. Add any pensionable allowances (e.g. shift pay or acting up allowances).
Your Net Take-Home (2026/27)
£0.00 / month
Salary Breakdown:
NJC Pay Scales 2026/27 — Spinal Column Points (SCP)
Most local authority and council employees in England and Wales are paid according to the National Joint Council (NJC) "Green Book" agreement. Rather than negotiating individual salaries, your pay is determined by your grade and your Spinal Column Point (SCP).
The SCP scale generally runs from Point 3 up to Point 43. Usually, you will move up one SCP every year within your grade until you reach the top point of that grade. The monetary value of each SCP is negotiated annually. For a deep dive into how to read your payslip, check our council worker payslip guide.
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Contributions
The LGPS is a highly valuable Defined Benefit pension scheme. Your contribution rate is tiered based on your actual pensionable pay. The bands are reviewed every April. For the 2026/27 financial year, the rates are:
- Up to £18,400: 5.5%
- £18,401 to £29,000: 5.8%
- £29,001 to £47,300: 6.5%
- £47,301 to £59,800: 6.8%
- £59,801 to £84,000: 8.5%
The Pension Cliff Edge: A common issue occurs when an annual pay rise or a new allowance pushes you into the next pension tier (for example, crossing the £29,000 threshold). Because the higher percentage is applied to your entire salary, a significant portion of your pay rise will be swallowed by the increased pension deduction. Our calculator accurately models this cliff edge.
Shared Cost AVCs (Salary Sacrifice)
Many councils offer Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) via a Salary Sacrifice arrangement.
If your council offers this, your AVCs are deducted before both Income Tax and National Insurance, making it an extremely tax-efficient way to build an extra pot of money alongside your main LGPS pension.
Local Government