Worked example: the Living Wage, full-time
£12.71 an hour at 37.5 hours a week is £24,784.50 a year. After £2,442.90 tax and £977.16 National Insurance, take-home is £21,364.44 — £410.85 a week, an effective £10.96 kept per hour worked, before any pension.
Frequently asked questions
What is the National Living Wage in 2026?
£12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, from 1 April 2026. Ages 18–20 get £10.85; 16–17 and apprentices £8.00. If your rate is below the one for your age, your employer is breaking the law.
How do I compare an hourly job with a salaried one?
Convert the hourly job to a gross salary (rate × hours × 52), then compare take-home — and remember salaried roles usually add employer pension on top, while hourly comparisons often forget it. The effective take-home per hour in this calculator is the fairest single number.
Rates checked against official sources on 1 November 2026: GOV.UK income tax rates and personal allowances and GOV.UK rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027. See how we calculate (UK) for the full method.