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Take Home Wage Guide
UK Minimum Wage 2026
The UK minimum wage in 2026 is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, the National Living Wage rate from 1 April 2026. Workers aged 18 to 20 get £10.85, under-18s get £8.00 and apprentices get £8.00. The rates apply across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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- Updated September 2026
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Rates from 1 April 2026 (gov.uk)
These are the statutory rates that apply from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, published by GOV.UK.
| Age or category | Hourly rate from 1 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| 21 and over (National Living Wage) | £12.71 |
| 18 to 20 | £10.85 |
| Under 18 | £8.00 |
| Apprentice | £8.00 |
The apprentice rate applies if you are under 19, or 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship. Once you turn 19 and finish the first year, you move onto the rate for your age. The rate you get is set by your age on the day you work, and an increase applies from the start of the first full pay period after your birthday.
What that is per week, month and year
The hourly rate is what the law sets; these are the gross equivalents before any tax, National Insurance or pension comes off, using 52 paid weeks a year.
| Rate | Per week (37.5 h) | Per week (40 h) | Per year (37.5 h) | Per year (40 h) | Per month (40 h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £12.71 | £476.63 | £508.40 | £24,784.50 | £26,436.80 | £2,203.07 |
| £10.85 | £406.88 | £434.00 | £21,157.50 | £22,568.00 | £1,880.67 |
| £8.00 | £300.00 | £320.00 | £15,600.00 | £16,640.00 | £1,386.67 |
These annual figures assume you are paid for all 52 weeks. Take-home is lower: at 37.5 hours on £12.71 it is £21,364.44 a year. Our take-home pay calculator works out the deductions.
Increase vs 2025
The 21 and over rate rose from £12.21 to £12.71 on 1 April 2026, an increase of 50p an hour, or 4.1%. The 18 to 20 rate rose furthest in percentage terms, from £10.00 to £10.85, an 8.5% increase, narrowing the gap to the adult rate.
| Age or category | From April 2025 | From April 2026 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 and over | £12.21 | £12.71 | +£0.50 (4.1%) |
| 18 to 20 | £10.00 | £10.85 | +£0.85 (8.5%) |
| Under 18 | £7.55 | £8.00 | +£0.45 (6.0%) |
| Apprentice | £7.55 | £8.00 | +£0.45 (6.0%) |
For a 21-year-old working 37.5 hours a week that is £975.00 more gross over the year; at 40 hours it is £1,040.00. Both 2025 and 2026 rates are published by GOV.UK. See our 2025 rates page for the previous year in full.
Who is entitled
Almost all workers aged school leaving age or over are entitled to at least the National Minimum Wage, including part-time staff, agency workers, casual and zero-hours workers, apprentices, trainees, and people on probation. It applies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland alike.
Your employer cannot pay less by agreement, and cannot make deductions that take your effective hourly rate below the minimum, for example charging you for a uniform or tools. Tips do not count towards the minimum wage.
The main exclusions are the genuinely self-employed, company directors without a worker’s contract, volunteers, and people on certain government or European employment programmes. Our guide to the National Minimum Wage covers the rules in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Is the minimum wage different in Wales in 2026?
No. The National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage are set by the UK Government and apply at the same rates in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so the minimum wage in Wales from 1 April 2026 is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, with the same lower rates for younger workers and apprentices. One exception: agricultural workers in Wales are also covered by the Agricultural Wages (Wales) Order, set by the Welsh Government, which sets separate minimums for farm work (gov.wales).
What will the minimum wage be in 2027 in the UK per hour?
The 2027 rate has not been announced, so there is no figure to quote. The Low Pay Commission recommends rates to the government, which normally confirms them at the autumn Budget, and new rates take effect on 1 April. Until the government publishes them, any 2027 number you see is a forecast, not a rate. The current rate is £12.71 for workers aged 21 and over.
How much is 40 hours a week minimum wage?
Forty hours a week on the £12.71 minimum wage is £508.40 gross a week, which is £26,436.80 a year over 52 weeks, or about £2,203 a month before deductions. At 18 to 20 the rate of £10.85 gives £434.00 a week and £22,568.00 a year. At the £8.00 under-18 and apprentice rate it is £320.00 a week and £16,640.00 a year.
Is 30k a low salary in the UK?
£30,000 is above minimum wage full-time pay but not by a large margin: 40 hours a week at the National Living Wage of £12.71 is £26,436.80 a year, so £30,000 is £3,563.20 more. Spread over 37.5 hours a week it works out at £15.38 an hour. After Income Tax and National Insurance, £30,000 leaves £25,119.60 a year, about £2,093 a month.
What is the minimum wage rate in 2026?
From 1 April 2026 the minimum wage rate is £12.71 an hour if you are 21 or over, £10.85 if you are 18 to 20, and £8.00 if you are under 18 or on the apprentice rate. The apprentice rate applies while you are under 19, or in the first year of an apprenticeship at 19 or over. All four rates are published on GOV.UK.
What is the minimum wage for 40 hours a week?
For a worker aged 21 or over, 40 hours a week at £12.71 is £508.40 gross. Over 52 weeks that is £26,436.80 a year. After £2,773.36 Income Tax and £1,109.34 National Insurance on the standard Personal Allowance, take-home is £22,554.10 a year, or £1,879.51 a month. A workplace pension contribution would reduce that further.
Is 12.60 an hour good?
£12.60 an hour is below the legal minimum if you are 21 or over, because the National Living Wage is £12.71 from 1 April 2026. Your employer would have to raise it or pay back the shortfall. If you are 18 to 20, £12.60 is £1.75 an hour above the £10.85 minimum for your age band, which is £3,640 more over a 40-hour year.
Is 24k a year the minimum wage?
No, £24,000 a year is slightly below full-time minimum wage pay. At £12.71 an hour, 37.5 hours a week for 52 weeks comes to £24,784.50, and 40 hours comes to £26,436.80. £24,000 spread over 37.5 hours a week works out at £12.31 an hour, which is under the £12.71 minimum for workers aged 21 and over.
What's the difference between National Minimum Wage and Living Wage?
They are the same law with different names. The National Living Wage is the top band of the National Minimum Wage, the rate for workers aged 21 and over, £12.71 from 1 April 2026. The younger bands are called the National Minimum Wage. Both are legally enforceable. The separate real Living Wage is a voluntary rate set by the Living Wage Foundation, not a legal minimum.
Sources
Related
Estimates only, not financial or tax advice. Rates from GOV.UK; check your payslip and HMRC for your own tax code.