Is £29,000 a good salary in the UK?

The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £29,000 is roughly 23% below that figure.

How much is £29,000 per hour?

Around £14.87 per hour gross, or £12.51 per hour after tax, assuming a 37.5-hour week.

How much tax do I pay on £29,000?

On £29,000 in the UK, you pay approximately £3,286 in income tax and £1,314 in National Insurance.

£29,000 After Tax in the UK (2026/27)

If you earn £29,000 per year in the UK, your take-home pay is £24,400 per year — £2,033 per month, £469 per week, or £12.51 per hour after Income Tax and NI.

Net pay per month

£2,033

84.1% of gross — £24,400 per year

Income Tax

£3,286

11.3%

National Insurance

£1,314

4.5%

Effective rate

15.9%

of gross

Marginal rate

20%

on next £1

£29,000 after tax by pay period

Period	Gross	Tax	NI	Take-home
Yearly	£29,000	£3,286	£1,314	£24,400
Monthly	£2,417	£274	£110	£2,033
Weekly	£558	£63	£25	£469
Daily (260 days)	£112	£13	£5	£94
Hourly (37.5h week)	£14.87	£1.69	£0.67	£12.51

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…

£29,500 instead? Your take-home rises by roughly £60/month — see £29,500 after tax.
With a 5% pension contribution, your monthly take-home would be £1,937 but you'd save around £290 in income tax over the year.
10 hours of overtime a month at time-and-a-half would add about £178 to your monthly take-home.

Frequently asked questions

Is £29,000 a good salary in the UK?: The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £29,000 is roughly 23% below that figure.
How much is £29,000 per hour?: Assuming a 37.5-hour week over 260 working days, £29,000 a year is around £14.87 per hour gross, or £12.51 per hour after tax.
How much tax do I pay on £29,000?: On £29,000 a year in the UK, you would pay approximately £3,286 in income tax and £1,314 in National Insurance — an effective rate of 15.9%.