08/06/2026
What does it actually cost to hire someone on £30,000?
The salary is the obvious bit... It's also nowhere near the full picture.
On top of the £30,000 you'll typically be looking at:
▪️Employer's National Insurance - currently 15% above the secondary threshold
▪️Pension contributions -3% minimum under auto-enrolment
▪️The apprenticeship levy if your payroll bill is above £3 million
▪️The cost of paid holiday, which is usually around 12% of salary once you account for 28 days off including bank holidays
By the time you've added employer's liability insurance, equipment, recruitment costs and the hours someone spends managing the new person... a £30,000 salary often costs closer to £38,000-£40,000 a year.
Then there's everything most people forget to budget. To name a few... employer's liability insurance, equipment and software, recruitment fees. Then all the indirect costs of managing, training and supporting the new person.
Also... the benefits that have become standard, things like an Employee Assistance Programme, private medical cover, life assurance, or death in service (if you offer some of these).
So if you're thinking of hiring someone its essential to plan and budget properly before you do.
