The sum goes backwards from what you need. Above 14,000 Birr of pay, tax takes 35% of each extra Birr and pension takes 7%, so you keep 58%. To keep 20,000, you need 30,949 gross, and the tool rounds it up to 31,000 so you can say it aloud. On 31,000 tax is 8,800 and pension is 2,170, which leaves 20,030. It's an estimate, not tax advice.
What gross salary gives me the net I need?
These are rounded up to the next 500 Birr, with the whole sum treated as basic salary.
- To keep 5,000 Birr, ask for 6,500. You'd keep 5,245.
- To keep 8,000 Birr, ask for 11,000. You'd keep 8,280.
- To keep 10,000 Birr, ask for 14,000. You'd keep 10,170.
- To keep 15,000 Birr, ask for 22,500. You'd keep 15,100.
- To keep 20,000 Birr, ask for 31,000. You'd keep 20,030.
- To keep 30,000 Birr, ask for 48,500. You'd keep 30,180.
How much of a raise do I actually keep?
It depends on the band you're in, because pension takes 7% and tax takes the band's rate. In the 2,001 to 4,000 band you keep 78 Birr of each extra 100. In the top band, over 14,000, you keep 58. So a 2,000 Birr raise on 25,000 puts 1,160 in your hand, not 2,000. It helps to think this way before you agree to a figure.
Which number should I say in the interview?
Say the gross figure, and say that it's gross. Then you and the employer are talking about the same number. If they quote you a net figure, ask for the gross too, and ask how much of it is basic salary, since that's what your pension is worked on.
Only 2 of the 364 adverts on this site gave a pay figure on 1 November 2026, so you'll often be the one asked first. It helps to have your number ready, with the reason behind it.
Can you tell me the going rate for my job?
No, and we won't guess. We couldn't open an official scale for private sector jobs, and almost none of our adverts state pay. What the tool gives you is the gross that meets your own costs, which is a figure you can defend. Check it against what people in the same post tell you, and ask the employer for its range.
Questions people ask
Why does the answer round up?
So you can say it aloud, and so it never falls short of what you need. The tool rounds up to the next 500 Birr and shows what you'd really keep.
What if the employer pays part of it as an allowance?
Then pension is lower, since it's worked on basic only, and your net goes up slightly. Per diem and travel allowances can be tax free within limits. The tool treats all of it as basic, so it's on the careful side.
Does this count my employer's 11% pension share?
No. The employer pays that on top. It's a cost to them and doesn't come out of your gross.
Is there a minimum salary I can point to?
We found no published national minimum wage figure. Our minimum wage page explains what the law says.
Sources
Checked 2 November 2026.