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First salary checklist

Built for the first few payslips rather than the job itself — the pension, the tax code, the standing order into savings that's easiest to set up before spending grows to fill the gap.

19 items

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

The items

  1. Payslip checked against the agreed salary and tax codeAn emergency tax code is common on a first payslip and is refundable, but only once it's noticed.
  2. Pension scheme joined, or opted into deliberately if automaticAn employer contribution turned down is money not taken, not money saved.
  3. Bank account confirmed as the right one for a regular salary to land in
  4. A budget built around the actual take-home amount, not the headline salary
  5. Student loan repayments checked, if applicable
  6. Payday set as the day a budget and any savings transfer actually run
  7. Workplace benefits reviewed
  8. Private healthcare cover
  9. Life assurance
  10. Season ticket loan
  11. Cycle to work scheme
  12. Union or professional membership considered
  13. Savings account opened, separate from everyday spending
  14. A standing order into savings set up before the rest of the month gets to it
  15. Emergency fund started, even with a small first amount
  16. Debt from before employment reviewed against the new income
  17. Payslip kept every month, not just checked and discardedNeeded later for a mortgage application, a reference, or a tax query.
  18. National Insurance number and tax details confirmed as correct with the employer
  19. Annual leave allowance and how to book it understood

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

Questions people ask

What's the most commonly missed thing on a first payslip?
An emergency tax code, which can mean too much tax taken in the first few months. It corrects itself eventually, but checking early gets any refund sooner.
Should I join the workplace pension straight away?
Where there's an employer contribution attached, yes — turning it down is turning down part of the pay, not saving it for later.
How much of a first salary should go to savings?
Whatever's realistic once the essentials are budgeted, moved automatically on payday rather than left to whatever's still there at the end of the month.