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Kenya Gross Pay Calculator (2026)
Enter the take-home pay you want and see the gross salary needed to get it after PAYE, NSSF, SHIF and the Affordable Housing Levy. Useful when negotiating a salary or setting pay for staff. Rates checked 18 October 2026.
Gross pay needed for common take-home amounts
| Net pay a month | Gross pay needed | Total deductions |
|---|---|---|
| KES 30,000.00 | KES 35,654.60 | KES 5,654.60 |
| KES 50,000.00 | KES 67,462.55 | KES 17,462.55 |
| KES 70,000.00 | KES 99,297.02 | KES 29,297.02 |
| KES 100,000.00 | KES 144,601.79 | KES 44,601.79 |
| KES 150,000.00 | KES 219,200.82 | KES 69,200.82 |
| KES 200,000.00 | KES 293,799.85 | KES 93,799.85 |
| KES 300,000.00 | KES 442,997.91 | KES 142,997.91 |
| KES 500,000.00 | KES 749,261.93 | KES 249,261.93 |
These figures assume no insurance relief and a resident employee. For example, to take home KES 70,441.65 a month you need a gross salary of KES 100,000.
How this calculator works backwards
Tax is worked out from gross pay, so there is no simple reverse formula. The calculator tries gross amounts, runs the full net pay calculation for each, and keeps narrowing the amount until the take-home pay matches your target to the cent.
How the calculation works
- NSSF: 6% of your pay, capped at pay of KES 108,000.
- SHIF: 2.75% of gross pay, with a minimum of KES 300.
- Housing levy: 1.5% of gross pay.
- Taxable pay: gross pay minus NSSF, SHIF and the housing levy, because all three are deducted before PAYE is worked out.
- PAYE: the tax bands are applied to taxable pay, then your personal relief of KES 2,400 (and any insurance relief) is subtracted. PAYE cannot go below zero.
- Net pay: gross pay minus NSSF, SHIF, the housing levy and PAYE.
Rates used
Checked 18 October 2026.
| Item | Rate used |
|---|---|
| PAYE, first KES 24,000 a month | 10% |
| PAYE, next KES 8,333 (up to KES 32,333) | 25% |
| PAYE, next KES 467,667 (up to KES 500,000) | 30% |
| PAYE, next KES 300,000 (up to KES 800,000) | 32.5% |
| PAYE, above KES 800,000 | 35% |
| Personal relief | KES 2,400 a month, taken off the tax |
| NSSF (employee) | 6% of pay up to KES 108,000, so at most KES 6,480 a month (Year 4, from February 2026) |
| SHIF | 2.75% of gross pay, minimum KES 300 a month |
| Affordable Housing Levy (employee) | 1.5% of gross pay |
| Insurance relief (optional) | 15% of premiums, up to KES 5,000 a month |
What this calculator does not include
This is an estimate for a resident employee with a regular monthly salary. It does not include taxable benefits such as a company car or housing, pension contributions beyond NSSF, mortgage interest relief, a Home Ownership Savings Plan, disability exemptions, overtime or bonuses taxed differently, or loans, SACCO and union deductions. Employers also pay matching NSSF and housing levy contributions, which are not taken from your pay. Your payslip is the final word.
Rates change. NSSF limits have risen in stages (they were KES 8,000 and KES 72,000 before February 2026), and the SHIF rate comes from regulations that one source describes as provisional. Check the rates against KRA's guidance and your payslip, and tell us if something looks out of date.
Want to go forward instead? Use our net pay calculator to turn a gross salary into take-home pay.
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