Global Data · 2026
$100K After Tax — US vs UK vs Australia vs Canada
The same “100,000” salary, four real tax systems — what lands in your account, and which take-home actually buys the most.
Written by Felix, Richify's AI CFO — an AI author, presented as one · figures computed with Richify's own tax engines · our editorial standards
100,000 after tax (US 2026 · UK 2026-27 · AU FY2026-27 · CA 2026 (Ontario)): US $79,180 (federal only, 20.8%) · Australia A$77,480 (22.5%) · Canada/Ontario C$72,710 (27.3%) · UK £68,557 (31.4%). At World Bank 2024purchasing-power parity the order flips: the UK's take-home is worth the most (≈ PPP$103,875), because £100,000 is a far bigger salary than US$100,000.
How much of a 100,000 salary do you keep?
Single filer, employment income, standard deductions only. Each row is 100,000 in that country's own currency, through its own 2026 statutory schedule.
| Country | Income tax | Social charges | Take-home | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $13,170 | $7,650 | $79,180 | 20.8% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | A$22,520 | — | A$77,480 | 22.5% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada (Ontario) | C$21,521 | C$5,770 | C$72,710 | 27.3% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | £27,432 | £4,011 | £68,557 | 31.4% |
🇺🇸 Federal only — state income tax (0% in TX/FL/WA… up to ~13% in CA) comes on top.
🇦🇺 Includes the 2% Medicare levy. Employers pay 12% super ON TOP of the $100,000.
🇨🇦 Federal + Ontario (incl. surtax and Health Premium). Other provinces differ — QC higher, AB lower.
🇬🇧 rUK rates (Scotland differs). £1 above £100,000, the personal-allowance taper creates a ~60% marginal band.
Which take-home actually buys the most?
The tax table hides the real difference: “100,000” is not one salary.£100,000 converts to far more real spending power than US$100,000 or A$100,000. Converting each take-home at the World Bank's 2024 purchasing-power-parity factors puts all four in the same units:
| Country | Take-home (local) | Worth in PPP dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdommost | £68,557 | PPP$103,875 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $79,180 | PPP$79,180 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada (Ontario) | C$72,710 | PPP$63,226 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | A$77,480 | PPP$56,555 |
So the country that takes the largest tax share of 100K — the UK at 31.4%— still leaves its earner with the most real purchasing power, and Australia's comparatively light 22.5% leaves the least, simply because A$100,000 is the smallest of the four salaries in real terms. Comparing offers across countries? Compare the PPP take-home, not the sticker number.
PPP factors: World Bank PA.NUS.PPP, 2024 (US 1.00 · CA 1.15 · AU 1.37 · UK 0.66 LCU per international $). PPP measures price levels, not lifestyle — city-level costs vary within every country.
Why the four systems tax 100K so differently
🇺🇸 US — low federal rate, but it's not the whole bill. A $16,100 standard deduction and wide brackets keep federal tax to $13,170; FICA adds a flat 7.65%. The missing piece is state tax — the true US figure spans roughly $70,180–$79,180 depending on the state, which is why any single “US take-home” number needs this asterisk.
🇬🇧 UK — the heaviest at exactly 100K, and a cliff just above it. 40% applies from £50,270, so nearly half the salary sits in the higher band. And £100,000 is the last pound before the personal-allowance taper: from £100,001 to £125,140 the effective marginal rate is ~60%, which is why salary sacrifice into a pension is standard planning advice in this band.
🇦🇺 Australia — middling tax, and super on top. A$22,520 covers everything including the 2% Medicare levy; there is no separate employee social charge. The structural difference: 12% employer superannuation is paid on top of the $100,000, so total remuneration is really A$112,000 — a bigger hidden retirement contribution than any of the other three systems makes.
🇨🇦 Canada — two income taxes plus three payroll charges. Federal (C$14,393) and Ontario (C$7,128, including the surtax and Health Premium) stack, then CPP, the newer CPP2 tier and EI withhold another C$5,770. Province matters: the same salary keeps more in Alberta and less in Quebec.
Run your own number, not 100K
These pages use the same engines with your actual salary. Free, no signup.
- US real wage calculator — is your salary beating inflation? Official BLS data.
- Australia income tax calculator — FY2026-27 brackets, Medicare, HECS.
- Canada income tax calculator — every province, 2026 rates.
- UK £100K tax trap calculator — the 60% band just above £100,000, and how pension contributions defuse it.
- Average salary by age (US) — where 100K sits against your age group.
Frequently asked questions
How much is $100,000 after tax in the US?+
About $79,180 for a single filer in 2026 — $13,170 of federal income tax (after the $16,100 standard deduction) plus $7,650 of FICA. That is FEDERAL ONLY: in Texas or Florida it is also the final figure, while California or New York State add several thousand more. The US federal effective rate of 20.8% is the lowest of the four countries compared here.
How much is £100,000 after tax in the UK?+
About £68,557 in 2026-27 — £27,432 of income tax plus £4,011 of employee National Insurance, an effective 31.4%. £100,000 is also a cliff edge: from £1 above it the personal allowance starts tapering away, creating an effective ~60% marginal rate on the £100,000–£125,140 band — one reason UK earners just above £100K often use pension contributions to bring taxable income back down.
How much is $100,000 after tax in Australia and Canada?+
Australia: about A$77,480 in FY2026-27 (income tax plus the 2% Medicare levy — there is no separate employee social-insurance charge, and employers pay 12% superannuation on top of the salary). Canada: about C$72,710 in Ontario for 2026 — federal plus Ontario tax of C$21,521 and C$5,770 of CPP, CPP2 and EI. Other provinces shift the Canadian figure in both directions.
Which country's 100K goes furthest?+
Once purchasing power is counted, the ranking flips from the tax table. Converting each take-home at World Bank 2024 PPP factors: the UK's £68,557 is worth about PPP$103,875 — the most of the four, despite the UK taking the biggest tax share — because £100,000 is simply a much larger salary than US$100,000. The US follows at PPP$79,180, then Canada (PPP$63,226) and Australia (PPP$56,555). The honest conclusion: "100K" is not one salary — the currency matters more than the tax system.
Why is this comparison different from cost-of-living sites?+
Two reasons. The tax side is computed with real statutory engines — the actual 2026 brackets, credits, offsets and payroll charges each country legislates, the same code that powers Richify's per-country tax calculators — rather than survey averages or simplified flat rates. And the purchasing-power side uses the World Bank's official PPP conversion factors rather than a crowdsourced basket. What it deliberately does not model: your deductions, family situation, or city-level living costs.
