Is £30,000 a good salary in the UK?

The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £30,000 is roughly 20% below that figure.

How much is £30,000 per hour?

Around £15.38 per hour gross, or £12.88 per hour after tax, assuming a 37.5-hour week.

How much tax do I pay on £30,000?

On £30,000 in the UK, you pay approximately £3,486 in income tax and £1,394 in National Insurance.

£30,000 After Tax in the UK (2026/27)

If you earn £30,000 per year in the UK, your take-home pay is £25,120 per year — £2,093 per month, £483 per week, or £12.88 per hour after Income Tax and NI.

Net pay per month

£2,093

83.7% of gross — £25,120 per year

Income Tax

£3,486

11.6%

National Insurance

£1,394

4.6%

Effective rate

16.3%

of gross

Marginal rate

20%

on next £1

£30,000 after tax by pay period

Period	Gross	Tax	NI	Take-home
Yearly	£30,000	£3,486	£1,394	£25,120
Monthly	£2,500	£291	£116	£2,093
Weekly	£577	£67	£27	£483
Daily (260 days)	£115	£13	£5	£97
Hourly (37.5h week)	£15.38	£1.79	£0.71	£12.88

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…

£30,500 instead? Your take-home rises by roughly £60/month — see £30,500 after tax.
With a 5% pension contribution, your monthly take-home would be £1,993 but you'd save around £300 in income tax over the year.
10 hours of overtime a month at time-and-a-half would add about £185 to your monthly take-home.

Frequently asked questions

Is £30,000 a good salary in the UK?: The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £30,000 is roughly 20% below that figure.
How much is £30,000 per hour?: Assuming a 37.5-hour week over 260 working days, £30,000 a year is around £15.38 per hour gross, or £12.88 per hour after tax.
How much tax do I pay on £30,000?: On £30,000 a year in the UK, you would pay approximately £3,486 in income tax and £1,394 in National Insurance — an effective rate of 16.3%.