Free · 2026 SSNIT rates · No sign-up
SSNIT Contribution Calculator Ghana
Estimate employee and employer pension contributions from monthly basic salary, including the amounts allocated to SSNIT and Tier 2.
2026 rules effective 1 January 2026 · last verified 26 October 2026
Salary details
Basic salary only, before allowances and deductions. This is not take-home pay.
Covers ordinary employment with a monthly basic salary from GH₵587.80 to GH₵69,000.00. Voluntary Tier 3, self-employed members and special exemptions aren't included. Your entries stay in this browser tab and aren't saved.
Your contribution estimate
No salary entered yet
Enter a monthly basic salary to see employee and employer contributions, or try the GH₵5,000 example.
Exports unlock once a supported salary is entered.
Need take-home pay? This calculator doesn't work out PAYE. Use the Ghana PAYE calculator.
Your team
Enter each employee's monthly basic salary. No names or ID numbers needed, and nothing is saved.
Add a monthly basic salary.
Add a monthly basic salary.
Team contribution totals
0 of 2 employees calculated. Team totals are hidden until every row has a supported salary.
No salaries entered yet
Totals appear only when every row has a supported salary, so a partial figure is never shown as the team total.
Exports unlock when every employee has a supported salary.
How to use the SSNIT calculator
- Enter the employee's monthly basic salary in cedis. Leave out allowances and bonuses.
- Read the results: who contributes (employee and employer), then where the total goes (SSNIT and Tier 2), each monthly and annually.
- Switch to Calculate for my team to add a row per employee and see team totals.
- Download a CSV or print / save the results as a PDF for your records.
Who contributes, and where the money goes
Ghana's mandatory pension contribution is 18.5% of monthly basic salary. The employee pays 5.5%, deducted from their pay, and the employer adds 13% on top. That total is then split: the employer remits 13.5% to SSNIT (the first tier) and 5% to the employee's mandatory Tier 2 scheme. SSNIT remittances are due within 14 days of the following month.
| Contribution | Rate of basic salary | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Employee | 5.5% | Deducted from the employee's pay |
| Employer | 13% | Paid by the employer on top of pay |
| Total pension contribution | 18.5% | Employee + employer |
| Remitted to SSNIT | 13.5% | Part of the total; SSNIT passes 2.5% of it to the NHIA |
| Mandatory Tier 2 scheme | 5% | Part of the total, paid to the employee's Tier 2 trustee |
The National Health Insurance Authority's share comes out of the SSNIT remittance: SSNIT passes 2.5% of the 13.5% to the NHIA. It is not an extra charge on top of the 18.5%.
Basic salary vs gross salary
SSNIT and Tier 2 contributions are worked out on basic salary, the fixed pay in an employee's contract. Gross salary also includes allowances such as transport, rent or fuel, plus bonuses and benefits, and these don't attract pension contributions. That's why two employees with the same gross pay can have different SSNIT deductions.
This calculator doesn't work out income tax or take-home pay. For that, use the Ghana PAYE calculator, which deducts the employee's 5.5% before applying the PAYE bands.
Worked example: GH₵5,000.00 basic salary
- Employee contribution (5.5%)
- GH₵275.00
- Employer contribution (13%)
- GH₵650.00
- Total pension contribution (18.5%)
- GH₵925.00
- Remitted to SSNIT (13.5%)
- GH₵675.00
- Allocated to Tier 2 (5%)
- GH₵250.00
- Basic salary + employer pension contribution
- GH₵5,650.00
The SSNIT and Tier 2 amounts add up to the GH₵925.00 total. Over a year at the same basic salary, the total is GH₵11,100.00.
Supported earnings range and limitations
For 2026, SSNIT's minimum insurable earnings are GH₵587.80 a month and the maximum is GH₵69,000.00, from 1 January 2026. The calculator covers ordinary employment within that range.
- Below GH₵587.80 or above GH₵69,000.00: the calculator explains the limit instead of showing a figure. It doesn't cap the salary or guess how Tier 2 applies above the ceiling. Confirm the treatment with SSNIT or your Tier 2 trustee.
- At the minimum: SSNIT publishes a minimum monthly remittance of GH₵79.40, slightly more than 13.5% of GH₵587.80. The notice doesn't explain the difference, so salaries whose estimate falls below that figure are marked "review required".
- Not included: voluntary Tier 3 contributions, self-employed members and special exemptions.
- Rounding: each monthly figure is rounded to the nearest pesewa. Tier 2 is the total minus the SSNIT remittance, so the two always add up to the total. Annual figures are the monthly figures × 12.
Running payroll for more than a handful of people? See how Akatua payroll software for Ghana handles payroll and pension deductions.
Sources and last verification
Rules: 2026 (ssnit-2026.1), effective 1 January 2026. Last checked against the official sources on 26 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an employee contribute?
Employees contribute 5.5% of their monthly basic salary, which the employer deducts from pay. On a GH₵5,000.00 basic salary that is GH₵275.00 a month.
How much does the employer contribute?
Employers contribute 13% of the employee's monthly basic salary on top of pay. It is not deducted from the employee's salary. On a GH₵5,000.00 basic salary that is GH₵650.00 a month.
Is the full contribution paid to SSNIT?
No. Of the 18.5% total, the employer remits 13.5% of basic salary to SSNIT and allocates 5% to the employee's mandatory Tier 2 occupational pension scheme. SSNIT passes 2.5% of its 13.5% to the National Health Insurance Authority, so NHIA funding comes from within the SSNIT remittance, not on top of it.
Is this based on basic salary or gross salary?
Basic salary. SSNIT and Tier 2 contributions are calculated on monthly basic salary, so allowances such as transport, rent or fuel, bonuses and benefits in kind are left out. Enter basic salary only, not gross pay or take-home pay.
What happens outside the calculator's supported earnings range?
For 2026, the calculator covers monthly basic salaries from GH₵587.80 to GH₵69,000.00, SSNIT's minimum and maximum insurable earnings from 1 January 2026. Below or above that range it shows an explanation instead of a figure, because the treatment needs to be confirmed with SSNIT or your Tier 2 trustee. It does not cap or adjust the salary for you.
Does this calculate take-home pay?
No. It only estimates pension contributions. Take-home pay also depends on PAYE income tax, allowances and other deductions. Use the Akatua Ghana PAYE calculator to estimate take-home pay.
Can I estimate contributions for my team?
Yes. Choose "Calculate for my team", add a row for each employee and enter their monthly basic salary. The calculator works out each employee separately, then shows team totals once every row has a supported salary. It only asks for salaries, never names or SSNIT numbers, and nothing you enter is saved.
This calculator gives estimates for guidance only and isn't legal, tax or pension advice. Confirm contributions with SSNIT and your Tier 2 trustee before filing.