£21 an hour after tax 2026/27
£21 an hour over a 37.5-hour week is £40,950 a year, which takes home £33,004.08 a year, or £2,750.34 a month, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You pay £5,676.00 income tax and £2,269.92 National Insurance.You take home £2,750.34 a month at £21 an hour over a 37.5-hour week.
Where £21 an hour goes
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £40,950.00 | £3,412.50 | £787.50 |
| Income tax | −£5,676.00 | −£473.00 | −£109.15 |
| National Insurance | −£2,269.92 | −£189.16 | −£43.65 |
| Take-home pay | £33,004.08 | £2,750.34 | £634.69 |
What a pay rise is worth at £21 an hourA pay rise at £21 an hour
£21 an hour after tax in ScotlandIn Scotland
At £40,950 the Scottish 19% starter band saves you money but the 21% intermediate band on pay above £29,526 costs more, so you pay £74.57 more income tax overall.
With a student loan
| Plan | Repaid a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £1,264.00 | £2,645.01 |
| Plan 2 | £1,040.00 | £2,663.67 |
| Plan 4 | £643.00 | £2,696.76 |
| Plan 5 | £1,435.00 | £2,630.76 |
| Postgraduate Loan | £1,197.00 | £2,650.59 |
Paying into a pension by salary sacrifice
| You sacrifice | Into your pension | Cost to take-home | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | £1,228.50 | £884.42 | £2,676.64 |
| 5% | £2,047.50 | £1,474.10 | £2,627.50 |
| 8% | £3,276.00 | £2,358.72 | £2,553.78 |
Every £1 you sacrifice costs you 72p in take-home pay, because you save 20.0% 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 £5,392.50 employer NI at 15% above £5,000, before any employer pension.
What £21 an hour took home in earlier years
The same £21 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 £21 an hour
How much is £21 an hour after tax a month?
£2,750.34 a month in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or £2,744.13 in Scotland, over a 37.5-hour week with tax code 1257L and no student loan or pension.
What is £21 an hour a year?
£40,950 a year before tax over a 37.5-hour week for every week of the year, which takes home £33,004.08 after income tax and National Insurance. Working fewer hours means a smaller yearly figure and, below the thresholds, less tax with it.
What is £21 an hour a week after tax?
A 37.5-hour week at £21 an hour is £787.50 before tax and £634.69 after income tax and National Insurance, spread evenly across the year. £16.93 of every hour reaches you.
Is £21 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 £21 an hour over a 37.5-hour week comes to £40,950 a year, which is above the UK median full-time salary of £39,039 for April 2025, and leaves about £2,750 a month in England, Wales and Northern Ireland — £2,750.34 to the penny.