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Free Tool
Salary is only the start. Add Employer's National Insurance, pension, insurance, recruitment, and overheads to see what a hire really costs — then compare it against automating the work.
≈ £17.95 per hour at 37.5 hrs/week
Used to convert between hourly and annual pay (× 52 weeks).
Is this your first employee?
Adds employers' liability insurance and payroll software, and applies the Employment Allowance.
True first-year cost of this hire
£47,963
£42,463 per year ongoing + £5,500 one-off — that's £12,963 on top of salary
Cost of hiring
£47,963
Automation (indicative)
£3,400
Over 1 year, automating this role could save you £44,563 — a 1,311% return on the automation investment.
Indicative automation cost based on a £2,500 one-off build plus £900/year managed support. Your actual scope is quoted individually.
Illustrative estimate only, based on your inputs and UK 2025/26 statutory rates. Not a contract, quote, or guarantee of actual costs, and not tax, legal, or financial advice.
Disclaimer: This calculator is provided for illustrative purposes only. The figures it produces are estimates based on the assumptions you enter and on UK statutory rates for the 2025/26 tax year, which are subject to change. It does not constitute a contract, quote, or offer, nor any guarantee of actual hiring, employment, or automation costs, and it is not tax, legal, financial, or employment advice. You should seek advice from a qualified professional before making any hiring or financial decision.
Far more than salary. UK employers also pay Employer's National Insurance (15% above £5,000 in 2025/26), a minimum 3% pension contribution, and a range of other costs: recruitment, equipment, software, training, office overheads, and benefits. Taking on your first employee adds employers' liability insurance and payroll software too.
Your first hire triggers new costs an established employer already absorbs. Employers' liability insurance becomes a legal requirement, and you'll need a payroll system you weren't paying for before. The good news: a business taking on its first employee can usually claim the Employment Allowance, offsetting up to £10,500 of Employer's National Insurance.
Statutory figures (National Insurance, pension thresholds, Employment Allowance) are based on the 2025/26 UK tax year. Everything else uses sensible defaults you can adjust to match your situation. The result is a well-informed estimate, not formal tax or financial advice.
It uses an indicative United Workflows automation cost — a one-off build plus ongoing managed support — as a like-for-like comparison against the multi-year cost of the hire. Your actual scope and price are always quoted individually after a free discovery call.