Is £18,000 a good salary in the UK?

The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £18,000 is roughly 52% below that figure.

How much is £18,000 per hour?

Around £9.23 per hour gross, or £8.45 per hour after tax, assuming a 37.5-hour week.

How much tax do I pay on £18,000?

On £18,000 in the UK, you pay approximately £1,086 in income tax and £434 in National Insurance.

£18,000 After Tax in the UK (2026/27)

If you earn £18,000 per year in the UK, your take-home pay is £16,480 per year — £1,373 per month, £317 per week, or £8.45 per hour after Income Tax and NI.

Net pay per month

£1,373

91.6% of gross — £16,480 per year

Income Tax

£1,086

6.0%

National Insurance

£434

2.4%

Effective rate

8.4%

of gross

Marginal rate

20%

on next £1

£18,000 after tax by pay period

Period	Gross	Tax	NI	Take-home
Yearly	£18,000	£1,086	£434	£16,480
Monthly	£1,500	£91	£36	£1,373
Weekly	£346	£21	£8	£317
Daily (260 days)	£69	£4	£2	£63
Hourly (37.5h week)	£9.23	£0.56	£0.22	£8.45

Daily assumes 260 working days. Hourly assumes a 37.5-hour week.

How your tax is calculated

£12,570 is tax-free (personal allowance). £12,571–£50,270 is taxed at the 20% basic rate. National Insurance is 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% above. Your marginal rate is 20% — every additional £1 you earn keeps roughly £0.72 after tax and NI.

What if…

£18,500 instead? Your take-home rises by roughly £60/month — see £18,500 after tax.
With a 5% pension contribution, your monthly take-home would be £1,313 but you'd save around £180 in income tax over the year.
10 hours of overtime a month at time-and-a-half would add about £111 to your monthly take-home.

Frequently asked questions

Is £18,000 a good salary in the UK?: The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £18,000 is roughly 52% below that figure.
How much is £18,000 per hour?: Assuming a 37.5-hour week over 260 working days, £18,000 a year is around £9.23 per hour gross, or £8.45 per hour after tax.
How much tax do I pay on £18,000?: On £18,000 a year in the UK, you would pay approximately £1,086 in income tax and £434 in National Insurance — an effective rate of 8.4%.