Take-home pay at every hourly rate
For a full-time week of 37.5 hours, 2026–27 tax year:
| Hourly pay | Weekly pay before tax | Take-home a week, roughly | Take-home a month, roughly | Yearly pay before tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £10.85 (minimum wage, 18–20) | £407 | About £360 | About £1,565 | £21,158 |
| £12.71 (minimum wage, 21+) | £477 | About £410 | About £1,780 | £24,785 |
| £13.20 (most full-time jobs) | £495 | About £425 | About £1,840 | £25,740 |
| £14.10 (UK Living Wage) | £529 | About £450 | About £1,945 | £27,495 |
| £15.00 (most full-time jobs) | £563 | About £475 | About £2,050 | £29,250 |
| £15.45 (London Living Wage) | £579 | About £485 | About £2,100 | £30,128 |
| £16.00 | £600 | About £500 | About £2,165 | £31,200 |
| £17.00 | £638 | About £525 | About £2,280 | £33,150 |
| £18.00 | £675 | About £555 | About £2,400 | £35,100 |
| £19.00 | £713 | About £580 | About £2,515 | £37,050 |
| £20.00 | £750 | About £610 | About £2,635 | £39,000 |
| £21.00 | £788 | About £635 | About £2,750 | £40,950 |
| £22.00 | £825 | About £660 | About £2,865 | £42,900 |
| £23.00 | £863 | About £690 | About £2,985 | £44,850 |
| £24.00 | £900 | About £715 | About £3,100 | £46,800 |
| £25.00 | £938 | About £745 | About £3,220 | £48,750 |
Take-home figures assume a standard tax code, no student loan and no workplace pension, and are rounded to the nearest £5. They use the rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland has its own Income Tax bands.
Your first job on arrival is usually on the minimum wage. Once you've settled in and have some UK experience, most full-time jobs pay £13.20–£15.00 an hour.
How take-home pay is worked out
£12,570Tax-free each year
20%Income Tax up to £50,270
8%National Insurance up to £50,270
Two things come out of your pay through your employer's payroll:
- Income Tax: nothing on the first £12,570 you earn in a tax year, then 20% on earnings up to £50,270. Every rate in the table above stays in this 20% band.
- National Insurance: 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270.
The tax-free allowance has been frozen at £12,570 since 2021–22 and is set to stay there until April 2031, so as pay rises, more of it is taxed.
Starting a new job? You may be put on an emergency tax code until your employer has your details, so your first payslips can be lower. If you overpay, you can claim the money back from HMRC.
Workplace pension
If you're 22 or over and earn more than £10,000 a year, your employer must enrol you in a workplace pension. You pay 5% of your earnings between £6,240 and £50,270, and tax relief brings the real cost down to about 4%. At £13.20 an hour, that's about £15 a week less take-home.
You can opt out, and many working holiday makers do. If you stay in, the money is yours, but it stays in a UK pension until you can access it later in life, so think about whether that suits your plans.
Minimum wage vs the Living Wage
Four hourly rates are worth knowing:
| Rate | 2026–27 | Who it covers | Required by law? |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Minimum Wage | £10.85 | 18 to 20 | Yes |
| National Living Wage | £12.71 | 21 and over | Yes |
| Real Living Wage (UK) | £14.10 | 18 and over | No, paid voluntarily |
| London Living Wage | £15.45 | 18 and over, in London | No, paid voluntarily |
The legal minimums apply from 1 April 2026. The real Living Wage is paid by nearly 17,000 accredited employers, who have until 1 May 2027 to bring in the new rates. It applies to everyone 18 and over, so if you're 18 to 20, a Living Wage employer pays you £15.45 in London instead of the £10.85 minimum.
The Resolution Foundation, which calculates the Living Wage, puts the hourly pay a single adult in London needs at £14.45.
Sources: GOV.UK; Living Wage Foundation; Resolution Foundation, October 2026
Jobs paid by the day
Some jobs pay a day rate instead of an hourly one. Teaching assistants, for example, earn around £120 a day, about £600 for a full school week. You're usually only paid for the days you work, so school holidays are unpaid.
How your pay compares
Here's what some key UK benchmarks work out at as an hourly rate on a 37.5-hour week:
| Benchmark | Yearly pay | Hourly equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Income landlords look for on a £978 London room (the 30-times rent rule) | £29,340 | £15.05 |
| UK median full-time salary | £39,039 | £20.02 |
| Skilled Worker visa threshold | £41,700 | £21.38 |
| London median full-time salary | £49,692 | £25.48 |
So at £15 an hour you're just under what most letting agents look for on an average inner London room. That's one reason most working holiday makers start in shared or live-in accommodation. Read more in our guides to the 30-times rent rule and the cost of living in London.
Sources: SpareRoom rental index Q1 2026; ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings; GOV.UK
FAQ
How much is £15 an hour after tax in the UK?
On a full-time week of 37.5 hours, £15 an hour is £29,250 a year, or about £475 a week and £2,050 a month after Income Tax and National Insurance, before any workplace pension.
How much is the minimum wage after tax?
At £12.71 an hour, the rate for 21 and over, a full-time job takes home about £410 a week or £1,780 a month. At £10.85, the rate for 18 to 20 year olds, it's about £360 a week.
Do working holiday makers pay tax in the UK?
Yes. Your employer takes Income Tax and National Insurance from your pay, just like any UK worker. Apply for a National Insurance number when you arrive, and if you start on an emergency tax code and overpay, you can claim it back from HMRC.
Start on a UK wage sooner
The sooner you start work, the sooner you're earning. Jumpstart London lines up job introductions before you land, so you can be on a UK payroll within your first few weeks.
Get job introductions before you fly →
