GBTT

State Salary Check

Your pay. Their package. The pension they get that you don't. The sick pay, the job security, the working-from-home days. Same work. Different deal. And you're funding it.

We'll match you to the nearest public sector equivalent and show you the total package — not just the salary.
3x
Public sector employer pension contribution vs private
7.9
Average sick days/year (public). Private: 4.4
4.6%
Public sector productivity below pre-pandemic
🏢 Your deal (private)
Take-home
Employer pension
Pension rate6% avg
Total package
🏛️ Their deal (public)
Take-home
Employer pension
Pension rate
Total package
The hidden gap
Beyond the payslip
Sick pay
Statutory (£116/week)
6 months full pay
Sick days taken (avg)
4.4 days/year
7.9 days/year
Pension type
Defined contribution (market risk is yours)
Defined benefit (guaranteed income)
Job security
At-will / notice period
Near-impossible to dismiss
Working from home
Employer decides
60% office target (40% achieved at HMRC)
Redundancy
Statutory minimum
Enhanced (typically 1 month/year)

All comparisons — biggest gap first

Your job (private)
Their equivalent (public)
Your total
Their total
Gap

Methodology

Private sector salaries: ONS ASHE 2025, Glassdoor, Reed. Median full-time gross annual pay for comparable roles.

Public sector salaries: Civil Service pay scales 2025-26 (published on civil-service-careers.gov.uk), NHS Agenda for Change 2025-26, Teachers' Pay Scale 2025, Police pay circular 2025.

Pension contributions: Private sector: ONS ASHE 2024 reports median employer contribution of 6%. Public sector: Civil Service Alpha scheme 27.1%, NHS 23.7%, Teachers 23.6%, Police 31%, LGPS 21.1% (published rates).

Sick pay: Private sector statutory sick pay is £116.75/week (2025-26). Public sector schemes typically offer 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay. Sick days: ONS 2024 — public sector 7.9 days, private sector 4.4 days.

What this doesn't show: Public sector pay was compressed during austerity. Many public roles require specific qualifications. Not all private sector employers offer only statutory minimums. The comparison shows typical conditions, not universal ones.