£18 an hour after tax 2026/27
£18 an hour over a 37.5-hour week is £35,100 a year, which takes home £28,792.08 a year, or £2,399.34 a month, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You pay £4,506.00 income tax and £1,801.92 National Insurance.You take home £2,399.34 a month at £18 an hour over a 37.5-hour week.
Where £18 an hour goes
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £35,100.00 | £2,925.00 | £675.00 |
| Income tax | −£4,506.00 | −£375.50 | −£86.65 |
| National Insurance | −£1,801.92 | −£150.16 | −£34.65 |
| Take-home pay | £28,792.08 | £2,399.34 | £553.69 |
What a pay rise is worth at £18 an hourA pay rise at £18 an hour
£18 an hour after tax in ScotlandIn Scotland
At £35,100 the Scottish 19% starter band saves you money but the 21% intermediate band on pay above £29,526 costs more, so you pay £16.07 more income tax overall.
With a student loan
| Plan | Repaid a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £738.00 | £2,337.84 |
| Plan 2 | £514.00 | £2,356.51 |
| Plan 4 | £117.00 | £2,389.59 |
| Plan 5 | £909.00 | £2,323.59 |
| Postgraduate Loan | £846.00 | £2,328.84 |
Paying into a pension by salary sacrifice
| You sacrifice | Into your pension | Cost to take-home | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | £1,053.00 | £758.16 | £2,336.16 |
| 5% | £1,755.00 | £1,263.60 | £2,294.04 |
| 8% | £2,808.00 | £2,021.76 | £2,230.86 |
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 £4,515.00 employer NI at 15% above £5,000, before any employer pension.
What £18 an hour took home in earlier years
The same £18 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 £18 an hour
How much is £18 an hour after tax a month?
£2,399.34 a month in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or £2,398.00 in Scotland, over a 37.5-hour week with tax code 1257L and no student loan or pension.
What is £18 an hour a year?
£35,100 a year before tax over a 37.5-hour week for every week of the year, which takes home £28,792.08 after income tax and National Insurance. Working fewer hours means a smaller yearly figure and, below the thresholds, less tax with it.
What is £18 an hour a week after tax?
A 37.5-hour week at £18 an hour is £675.00 before tax and £553.69 after income tax and National Insurance, spread evenly across the year. £14.77 of every hour reaches you.
Is £18 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 £18 an hour over a 37.5-hour week comes to £35,100 a year, which is below the UK median full-time salary of £39,039 for April 2025, and leaves about £2,399 a month in England, Wales and Northern Ireland — £2,399.34 to the penny.