Korean take-home pay calculator
Enter an annual salary to estimate the monthly take-home pay in South Korea. Social insurance (national pension, health insurance, long-term care insurance, and employment insurance) uses the 2026 employee rates, and income tax uses the numbers from the National Tax Service simplified withholding table.
Actual pay depends on how your employer structures pay and on your year-end tax settlement.
How to use
- Enter your pre-tax annual salary in won, excluding severance pay.
- Check the monthly non-taxable amount. It starts at 200,000 won, the tax-free meal allowance limit.
- Enter the number of family members for deductions, including yourself.
- If any of them are children aged 8 to 20, enter how many.
How it works
Monthly pay = annual salary ÷ 12, and taxable pay = monthly pay − non-taxable pay. Insurance and tax are based on taxable pay, with amounts under 10 won dropped.
National pension = pension income × 4.75%, where pension income is rounded down to the thousand won and kept between 410,000 and 6,590,000 won (July 2026 to June 2027). Health insurance = taxable pay × 3.595%. Long-term care = health premium × (0.9448 ÷ 7.19). Employment insurance = taxable pay × 0.9%.
Income tax is the amount in the National Tax Service simplified withholding table for your taxable pay and family size, minus 12,500 won for one child aged 8 to 20, 29,160 won for two, and 25,000 won more for each additional child. Local income tax is 10% of income tax.
Example
A salary of 42,000,000 won with 200,000 won non-taxable and one family member gives monthly pay of 3,500,000 won and taxable pay of 3,300,000 won. After national pension 156,750, health insurance 118,630, long-term care 15,580, employment insurance 29,700, income tax 102,770, and local income tax 10,270 won, take-home pay is 3,066,300 won a month.
With a spouse and two children aged 8 to 20 (four family members), income tax drops to 7,420 won and take-home pay is 3,171,180 won. A salary of 60,000,000 won for one person gives 4,195,410 won a month.
Good to know
- This calculator uses 2026 employee rates: national pension 9.5% (employee 4.75%), health insurance 7.19% (3.595%), long-term care 0.9448% of pay (about 13.14% of the health premium), and employment insurance 1.8% (0.9%).
- Health and long-term care premiums are based on the previous year's pay and settled the next year, so the amount deducted can differ in your first year or after a raise.
- Employees can choose 80% or 120% withholding. This calculator uses 100%.
- Separate bonuses, salaries that include severance pay, and other non-taxable allowances make actual pay differ.
- Results are estimates. Your payslip and year-end settlement determine the actual amounts.
Frequently asked questions
How is income tax calculated?
It uses the National Tax Service simplified withholding table as published. The tax is looked up by monthly taxable pay and family size, then reduced by a fixed amount for children aged 8 to 20. Above 10 million won a month, the table's formulas apply.
Will the year-end tax settlement change this?
Yes. Monthly withholding is a prepayment. Your actual tax is settled the following year after deductions such as card spending, insurance, and medical costs, so you may get a refund or owe more.
Are 2027 rates included?
Not yet. In 2027 the national pension rate rises to 10% and the health insurance rate stays at 7.19%. Other changes are still being finalized, and the calculator will be updated once they are.
Sources
- National Tax Service: monthly withholding with the simplified tax table (in Korean)
- National Law Information Center: Income Tax Act Enforcement Decree, Table 2 (in Korean)
- National Law Information Center: National Pension Act, Article 88 and addenda, rising from 9.5% in 2026 by 0.5 points a year to 13% (in Korean)
- Medical Times: 2026 health insurance rate set at 7.19% (in Korean)
- National Law Information Center: Enforcement Decree on employment insurance premiums, Article 12 (in Korean)
Last updated: 2026-11-04