Calculator

Gross pay calculator (target net → required gross)

Type your target net (take-home) and we solve for the gross salary your employer needs to pay so you land at that number, under Finance Act 2025 PAYE, SHIF (2.75%), NSSF, and Housing Levy (1.5%).

Target net pay (per month)

KES

Pension contribution

KES

Voluntary pension. Up to 30k/month is tax-deductible.

Insurance premium

KES

Life / education / health. 15% relief, capped 5k/month.

Result

Required gross pay

KES 67,462

Resulting net

KES 50,000

Total monthly deductions

KES 17,462

PAYE

KES 10,547

SHIF

KES 1,855

NSSF

KES 4,048

Housing Levy

KES 1,012

By paybillke · Updated May 2026 · Finance Act 2025

Independent. Not affiliated with any company listed.

Reverse-PAYE. Solves for gross given a target net under all statutory deductions.

How we verify →

When to use this

You're in salary negotiations and you have a take-home figure in mind ("KES 80k net per month"), but the offer is in gross terms. Type your target net here, get the gross to ask for. Or you're a business owner sizing up an offer for a new hire.

Trick #1: bump pension to lower your gross-target

Voluntary pension contributions up to KES 30,000/month are deducted before PAYE. If you contribute 10k/month to pension, you don't need as high a gross to hit the same net because you're shifting cash from PAYE to your own retirement corpus. Plug it in above and watch the required gross drop.

Trick #2: insurance relief stacks on top

Life, education, and health premiums get 15% relief, capped at KES 5,000/month relief (KES 60k/year). Adding 5,000 of premium reduces PAYE by 750. Small but free money.

Frequently asked

Why does the result not exactly match my offer?

PAYE has bracket discontinuities, the calculator finds the gross that produces a net within KES 0.50 of your target, which is generally exact for practical purposes. If your employer uses a different SHIF, NSSF, or pension treatment, the figures may differ slightly.

Should I include benefits in the gross?

No. Benefits like medical cover and pension match are handled separately by KRA. Use only the cash gross salary you would receive monthly.

What net should I aim for?

A common Kenyan rule of thumb: you can afford rent up to one-third of your net. So if you want to live in a KES 30k flat comfortably, aim for at least KES 90k net, which means roughly KES 130k gross at the top brackets.