Salary Comparison Calculator
2026Salary bracket comparison and raise impact
FAQ
What can I see when I change the salary in this calculator?
Adjusting the salary slider updates the comparison chart in real time, showing monthly net pay, four-insurance deductions, and income tax across salary tiers. The raise simulation table lets you compare salary, net pay growth, and net pay ratio by raise rate, helping you understand which tier your salary falls into.
Why does a higher salary produce a smaller net pay increase?
Korean income tax uses a progressive rate structure. As salary rises, higher tax brackets apply, so the net pay increase percentage is lower than the gross increase — your after-tax raise is always smaller than your gross raise.
How does this calculator compute four major insurance deductions?
The calculator applies the statutory employee contribution rates — health insurance, long-term care insurance, national pension, and employment insurance — based on monthly pay. Changing the salary slider or the number of dependents updates the insurance deduction items in the comparison chart in real time. Employer contributions are not included; only the amounts actually deducted from the employee's paycheck are shown.
Why do the nominal raise rate (%) and the effective take-home raise rate differ?
Income tax uses a progressive rate structure, so as salary rises, higher tax brackets apply. A portion of the gross raise is absorbed by the increased tax burden, meaning the actual take-home increase is smaller than the gross increase. The same raise amount produces a smaller after-tax take-home increase at higher salary levels. You can see this gap directly in the net take-home rate column of the Salary Comparison Calculator.
Why does the take-home increase differ by salary bracket even when the raise amount is the same?
This is caused by the progressive income tax structure. Moving from 30 million to 40 million won and from 80 million to 90 million won involve the same raise amount, but the higher bracket attracts more tax, so the take-home increase is smaller. You can compare the take-home increase by salary level directly in the raise simulation table, and the difference is most visible around tax bracket boundaries.
What does the net pay rate (%) mean and how should I read it?
The net pay rate is monthly take-home divided by monthly gross pay — it shows what share of your gross salary you actually receive after taxes and four major insurance deductions. As salary rises, the progressive tax effect lowers the net pay rate, which you can see in the raise simulation table. The per-bracket net pay rate column makes it easy to spot at a glance where the deduction burden increases most sharply.
How can I identify when a raise pushes my income into a new tax bracket?
By checking the net pay rate and after-tax amount for each salary level in the raise simulation table, you can find the point just before and after a bracket boundary where the net pay rate noticeably drops. Moving the slider in small increments near income tax bracket thresholds lets you directly catch the moment deductions change. Use this to confirm in advance which bracket your salary negotiation target falls into.