£12 an hour after tax 2026/27
£12 an hour over a 37.5-hour week is £23,400 a year, which takes home £20,368.08 a year, or £1,697.34 a month, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You pay £2,166.00 income tax and £865.92 National Insurance.You take home £1,697.34 a month at £12 an hour over a 37.5-hour week.
Where £12 an hour goes
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £23,400.00 | £1,950.00 | £450.00 |
| Income tax | −£2,166.00 | −£180.50 | −£41.65 |
| National Insurance | −£865.92 | −£72.16 | −£16.65 |
| Take-home pay | £20,368.08 | £1,697.34 | £391.69 |
What a pay rise is worth at £12 an hourA pay rise at £12 an hour
£12 an hour after tax in ScotlandIn Scotland
At £23,400 the Scottish 19% starter band on the first £3,967.00 of taxable pay is the only difference, so you pay £39.67 less income tax than in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
With a student loan
| Plan | Repaid a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £0.00 | £1,697.34 |
| Plan 2 | £0.00 | £1,697.34 |
| Plan 4 | £0.00 | £1,697.34 |
| Plan 5 | £0.00 | £1,697.34 |
| Postgraduate Loan | £144.00 | £1,685.34 |
Paying into a pension by salary sacrifice
| You sacrifice | Into your pension | Cost to take-home | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | £702.00 | £505.44 | £1,655.22 |
| 5% | £1,170.00 | £842.40 | £1,627.14 |
| 8% | £1,872.00 | £1,347.84 | £1,585.02 |
Every £1 you sacrifice costs you 72p in take-home pay, because you save 20% tax and 8% NI.
The median full-time salary was £39,039 in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
Your salary plus £2,760.00 employer NI at 15% above £5,000, before any employer pension.
What £12 an hour took home in earlier years
The same £12 an hour now takes home more a year than in 2010/11. None of these figures is adjusted for inflation.
The sum, step by step
Questions about £12 an hour
How much is £12 an hour after tax a month?
£1,697.34 a month in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or £1,700.65 in Scotland, over a 37.5-hour week with tax code 1257L and no student loan or pension.
What is £12 an hour a year?
£23,400 a year before tax over a 37.5-hour week for every week of the year, which takes home £20,368.08 after income tax and National Insurance. Working fewer hours means a smaller yearly figure and, below the thresholds, less tax with it.
What is £12 an hour a week after tax?
A 37.5-hour week at £12 an hour is £450.00 before tax and £391.69 after income tax and National Insurance, spread evenly across the year. £10.45 of every hour reaches you.
Is £12 an hour a good wage in the UK?
That depends on where you live and what you spend, which is yours to judge. What we can tell you is that £12 an hour over a 37.5-hour week comes to £23,400 a year, which is below the UK median full-time salary of £39,039 for April 2025, and leaves about £1,697 a month in England, Wales and Northern Ireland — £1,697.34 to the penny.