UK Minimum Wage Calculator 2026

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National Living Wage is £12.71/hour for workers 21 and over, effective April 2026. Calculate weekly, monthly and annual minimum pay for any age band.

Quick answer: From 1 April 2026, the UK National Living Wage for workers aged 21+ is £12.71 per hour. Working 37.5 hours a week at that rate earns £476.63/week, £2,065.06/month, or £24,780.75/year gross — before tax and National Insurance (gov.uk, Low Pay Commission).

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Weekly Minimum Pay
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Monthly minimum
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Annual minimum
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Hourly rate
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Gross pay before tax and National Insurance. Comparing US pay instead? Use the US Minimum Wage Calculator.

📐 UK Minimum Wage Formula

Weekly Minimum Pay = Hourly Rate × Hours Worked per Week
Monthly Minimum Pay = Weekly Pay × (52 ÷ 12)
Annual Minimum Pay = Weekly Pay × 52

How to Use the UK Minimum Wage Calculator

1

Select your age band

Choose 21+ for the National Living Wage, or the correct age band for younger workers and apprentices.

2

Enter your weekly hours

Input total hours worked per week, including part-time or zero-hours arrangements.

3

See weekly, monthly and annual pay

The calculator multiplies your rate by hours worked, then converts to monthly (× 52 ÷ 12) and annual (× 52) gross figures.

4

Check if you're paid fairly

Enter your actual hourly rate to instantly see whether you're being paid at, above, or below the legal minimum for your age band.

UK Minimum Wage Rates — April 2026

The UK's National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) set the legal floor below which no worker may be paid. The government accepted the Low Pay Commission's recommendations in full for 2026, taking effect from 1 April 2026.

Age bandHourly rateIncrease from 2025
21 and over (National Living Wage)£12.71+50p (4.1%)
18-20£10.85+85p (8.5%)
Under 18£8.00+45p (6.0%)
Apprentice£8.00+45p (6.0%)

Who Gets Which Rate?

Your minimum wage rate is determined entirely by your age — not your job title, experience, or industry. Every worker aged 21 or over is entitled to the full National Living Wage of £12.71/hour, regardless of how long they've worked for their employer.

When your birthday moves you into a higher age band, your new rate doesn't apply the exact day you turn that age — it starts from the beginning of your next pay reference period (usually weekly or monthly, matching your normal pay cycle). Employers sometimes get this wrong, so it's worth checking your first payslip after a birthday that changes your band.

Apprentice Rate Explained

The £8.00/hour apprentice rate applies to apprentices under 19, and to apprentices 19 or over who are still in the first year of their apprenticeship. Once an apprentice turns 19 and has completed that first year, they move onto the standard age-related rate for their age — not the apprentice rate. Apprentices who fall outside these criteria are entitled to the full rate for their age band from day one.

Accommodation Offset

If your employer provides you with accommodation, they're allowed to count a limited daily amount against your pay when checking minimum wage compliance — this is the accommodation offset, set at £11.10 per day from April 2026. If accommodation costs more than this and the difference is deducted from your wages, the excess reduces your pay for minimum wage purposes — potentially pushing your effective rate below the legal minimum even if your contracted hourly rate looks correct on paper.

What If I'm Being Paid Below Minimum Wage?

How to Report Underpayment

Paying below the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage is a criminal offence in the UK, not just a contractual breach. Start by raising it directly with your employer — it's often a genuine payroll error. If it isn't resolved, you can contact Acas for free, confidential advice, or report the underpayment directly to HMRC, which investigates on your behalf at no cost to you and can pursue arrears even if you no longer work there.

What penalties do employers face?

Employers found underpaying the minimum wage must repay the arrears in full, plus a penalty of up to 200% of the arrears owed, capped at £20,000 per underpaid worker. The government also publicly names employers found to have broken minimum wage law as part of its enforcement scheme, and serious or repeated offences can lead to prosecution.

Worked Example

/* An 18-year-old working 30 hours a week */ £10.85 × 30 hours = £325.50 per week /* Converted to monthly (× 52 ÷ 12) */ £325.50 × 4.333 = £1,410.44 per month /* Converted to annual (× 52) */ £325.50 × 52 = £16,926.00 per year

History of the National Living Wage

Year21+/NLW rate
2016 (introduction, then age 25+)£7.20
2020£8.72
2022£9.50
2023£10.42 (age lowered to 23+)
2024£11.44 (age lowered to 21+)
2025£12.21
2026 (current)£12.71

The National Living Wage originally applied only to workers 25 and over when introduced in April 2016. The qualifying age was lowered to 23+ in 2023 and to 21+ in 2024, extending the higher rate to hundreds of thousands more younger workers.

Comparing pay across borders? Employees calculating South African minimum wage, PAYE, or take-home pay under South African law can use PayTools — our South African salary and payroll calculator hub. For US pay periods and paycheck deductions, see our own Paycheck Calculator.

⚠️ Disclaimer This calculator reflects National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates effective 1 April 2026 as recommended by the Low Pay Commission and accepted by the UK government. Always verify current rates at gov.uk. This tool does not constitute legal or financial advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

From 1 April 2026, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 per hour. Workers aged 18-20 earn £10.85 per hour, and under-18s and apprentices earn £8.00 per hour. These are gross rates before tax and National Insurance.
The National Living Wage (NLW) is the legal minimum rate for workers aged 21 and over — currently £12.71/hour. National Minimum Wage (NMW) is the umbrella term covering every age-band rate below that, including the 18-20 rate, the under-18 rate, and the apprentice rate. Both are set annually by the government on the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission.
The apprentice rate is £8.00 per hour from April 2026. It applies to apprentices under 19, and to apprentices 19 or over who are still in the first year of their apprenticeship. Once an apprentice turns 19 and completes their first year, they move up to the age-related rate that applies to them — not the standard apprentice rate.
Your new, higher rate applies from the start of the next pay reference period after your birthday — not from the exact day you turn the relevant age. A pay reference period is usually a week or a month, matching how often you're paid. Employers must apply the new rate from that point, not delay it.
Paying below the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage is a criminal offence in the UK. Raise it with your employer first; if unresolved, HMRC can investigate for free via Acas, and employers found underpaying face fines of up to 200% of the arrears owed (capped at £20,000 per worker) plus public naming by the government.
Rates are reviewed annually and normally take effect on 1 April each year. The independent Low Pay Commission recommends new rates each autumn based on economic conditions and wage growth, and the government has accepted its recommendations in full for the 2026 rates.
Yes. The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage are hourly rates, so they apply equally to full-time, part-time, casual and zero-hours workers. There is no separate, lower rate for reduced hours — every hour worked must be paid at least the rate for your age band.
No. Genuinely self-employed people, along with company directors, volunteers, and some categories like au pairs living as family members, are not covered by the National Minimum Wage. Whether someone is genuinely self-employed depends on their actual working relationship, not just their job title or contract wording — misclassification to avoid paying minimum wage is illegal.
Yes, but only up to a capped daily amount known as the accommodation offset, set at £11.10 per day from April 2026. If your employer charges more than this for accommodation, the excess counts as a reduction to your pay for minimum wage purposes — meaning it could push your effective hourly rate below the legal minimum even if your payslip shows the correct rate.

Sources & Methodology

Calculations are based on the most current publicly available data from authoritative government sources: