Pension Auto-Enrolment Calculator
Check eligibility and calculate employer and employee pension contributions. Covers qualifying earnings, postponement rules and re-enrolment dates. 2025/26 thresholds.
Auto-enrolment means your employer must put you into a workplace pension if you are aged between 22 and state pension age and earn over £10,000 per year. Here is a walkthrough of the minimum contributions and what they mean for your pay.
The minimum total contribution is 8% of qualifying earnings (the portion of your salary between £6,240 and £50,270 for 2025/26). Your employer must pay at least 3%, and you pay the remaining 5%. These contributions come out of your gross pay before income tax, so the real cost to you is less than it appears on paper.
The Pensions Regulator reports that 10.8 million workers were actively saving into a workplace pension through auto-enrolment as of March 2024 (TPR Automatic Enrolment Commentary, 2024). Use this calculator to check whether you qualify, see the exact monthly contribution from you and your employer, and understand how postponement and re-enrolment dates work.
How to calculate your auto-enrolment contributions
- Enter your age and annual salary
- The calculator checks your eligibility against the earnings and age thresholds
- See the employee and employer contribution amounts based on qualifying earnings
- Review your re-enrolment date and postponement options
Written by the CalcStack team · Last updated March 2026
Minimum 3%
Minimum 5%
Worker category
Eligible jobholder
Must be automatically enrolled into a qualifying pension scheme.
Contribution breakdown
Key rules
- •Postponement: employer can delay enrolment up to 3 months
- •Re-enrolment: every 3 years for opt-outs
- •Opt-out window: 1 month from enrolment date
Pro Tools
Employer compliance suite
- ✓Full compliance checklist for employers
- ✓Re-enrolment date calculator
- ✓Opt-out impact analysis
- ✓NEST setup guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What is pension auto-enrolment?
Auto-enrolment is a legal requirement for UK employers to automatically enrol eligible workers into a workplace pension scheme and make contributions. It was introduced to help more people save for retirement. All employers, regardless of size, must comply.
Who counts as an eligible jobholder?
An eligible jobholder is a worker aged between 22 and state pension age (currently 66) who earns more than the auto-enrolment earnings trigger (currently £10,000 per year). These workers must be automatically enrolled into a qualifying pension scheme.
What is the minimum employer contribution?
The minimum employer contribution is 3% of qualifying earnings. Qualifying earnings are the portion of salary between the lower threshold (£6,240) and the upper threshold (£50,270) for 2025/26. Many employers choose to contribute more than the minimum.
Can an employee opt out of auto-enrolment?
Yes, employees can opt out within one month of being enrolled. If they opt out, they receive a full refund of any contributions deducted. However, the employer must re-enrol them approximately every 3 years. Employers must not encourage or incentivise employees to opt out.
What is the postponement period?
Employers can postpone auto-enrolment for up to 3 months from the date the worker becomes eligible. They must write to the worker within 6 weeks of the postponement start date explaining that auto-enrolment has been postponed and giving the date it will take effect.
What are qualifying earnings?
Qualifying earnings are the band of earnings on which minimum pension contributions are calculated. For 2025/26, contributions are due on earnings between £6,240 (lower threshold) and £50,270 (upper threshold). Earnings below or above these limits are not counted for minimum contribution purposes.
Do part-time workers qualify for auto-enrolment?
Part-time workers qualify if they meet the age and earnings criteria. If a part-time worker earns less than £10,000 per year, they are a non-eligible jobholder or entitled worker and can choose to opt in. If they earn over £10,000, they are an eligible jobholder and must be auto-enrolled.
What is NEST and do I have to use it?
NEST (National Employment Savings Trust) is a government-backed pension scheme designed to support auto-enrolment. Employers are not required to use NEST — they can choose any qualifying pension scheme. However, NEST is required to accept any employer, making it a useful default option for small businesses.
What happens at re-enrolment?
Every 3 years (approximately), employers must re-enrol eligible workers who have previously opted out. The re-enrolment date is chosen by the employer and must be within a 6-month window around the 3-year anniversary of their staging date. Workers can opt out again after re-enrolment.
What are the penalties for not complying with auto-enrolment?
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) can issue fixed penalty notices of £400 and escalating daily penalties ranging from £50 per day for micro employers to £10,000 per day for employers with 500+ workers. In serious cases, TPR can pursue criminal prosecution. Compliance is not optional.