£16 an hour after tax 2026/27
£16 an hour over a 37.5-hour week is £31,200 a year, which takes home £25,984.08 a year, or £2,165.34 a month, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You pay £3,726.00 income tax and £1,489.92 National Insurance.You take home £2,165.34 a month at £16 an hour over a 37.5-hour week.
Where £16 an hour goes
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £31,200.00 | £2,600.00 | £600.00 |
| Income tax | −£3,726.00 | −£310.50 | −£71.65 |
| National Insurance | −£1,489.92 | −£124.16 | −£28.65 |
| Take-home pay | £25,984.08 | £2,165.34 | £499.69 |
What a pay rise is worth at £16 an hourA pay rise at £16 an hour
£16 an hour after tax in ScotlandIn Scotland
At £31,200 the Scottish 21% intermediate band on pay above £29,526 costs you more, but the 19% starter band saves more than it costs, so you pay £22.93 less income tax overall.
With a student loan
| Plan | Repaid a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £387.00 | £2,133.09 |
| Plan 2 | £163.00 | £2,151.76 |
| Plan 4 | £0.00 | £2,165.34 |
| Plan 5 | £558.00 | £2,118.84 |
| Postgraduate Loan | £612.00 | £2,114.34 |
Paying into a pension by salary sacrifice
| You sacrifice | Into your pension | Cost to take-home | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | £936.00 | £673.92 | £2,109.18 |
| 5% | £1,560.00 | £1,123.20 | £2,071.74 |
| 8% | £2,496.00 | £1,797.12 | £2,015.58 |
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 £3,930.00 employer NI at 15% above £5,000, before any employer pension.
What £16 an hour took home in earlier years
The same £16 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 £16 an hour
How much is £16 an hour after tax a month?
£2,165.34 a month in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or £2,167.25 in Scotland, over a 37.5-hour week with tax code 1257L and no student loan or pension.
What is £16 an hour a year?
£31,200 a year before tax over a 37.5-hour week for every week of the year, which takes home £25,984.08 after income tax and National Insurance. Working fewer hours means a smaller yearly figure and, below the thresholds, less tax with it.
What is £16 an hour a week after tax?
A 37.5-hour week at £16 an hour is £600.00 before tax and £499.69 after income tax and National Insurance, spread evenly across the year. £13.33 of every hour reaches you.
Is £16 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 £16 an hour over a 37.5-hour week comes to £31,200 a year, which is below the UK median full-time salary of £39,039 for April 2025, and leaves about £2,165 a month in England, Wales and Northern Ireland — £2,165.34 to the penny.