Is £21,000 a good salary in the UK?

The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £21,000 is roughly 44% below that figure.

How much is £21,000 per hour?

Around £10.77 per hour gross, or £9.56 per hour after tax, assuming a 37.5-hour week.

How much tax do I pay on £21,000?

On £21,000 in the UK, you pay approximately £1,686 in income tax and £674 in National Insurance.

£21,000 After Tax in the UK (2026/27)

If you earn £21,000 per year in the UK, your take-home pay is £18,640 per year — £1,553 per month, £358 per week, or £9.56 per hour after Income Tax and NI.

Net pay per month

£1,553

88.8% of gross — £18,640 per year

Income Tax

£1,686

8.0%

National Insurance

£674

3.2%

Effective rate

11.2%

of gross

Marginal rate

20%

on next £1

£21,000 after tax by pay period

Period	Gross	Tax	NI	Take-home
Yearly	£21,000	£1,686	£674	£18,640
Monthly	£1,750	£141	£56	£1,553
Weekly	£404	£32	£13	£358
Daily (260 days)	£81	£6	£3	£72
Hourly (37.5h week)	£10.77	£0.86	£0.35	£9.56

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…

£21,500 instead? Your take-home rises by roughly £60/month — see £21,500 after tax.
With a 5% pension contribution, your monthly take-home would be £1,483 but you'd save around £210 in income tax over the year.
10 hours of overtime a month at time-and-a-half would add about £129 to your monthly take-home.

Frequently asked questions

Is £21,000 a good salary in the UK?: The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £21,000 is roughly 44% below that figure.
How much is £21,000 per hour?: Assuming a 37.5-hour week over 260 working days, £21,000 a year is around £10.77 per hour gross, or £9.56 per hour after tax.
How much tax do I pay on £21,000?: On £21,000 a year in the UK, you would pay approximately £1,686 in income tax and £674 in National Insurance — an effective rate of 11.2%.