Is £31,000 a good salary in the UK?

The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £31,000 is roughly 17% below that figure.

How much is £31,000 per hour?

Around £15.90 per hour gross, or £13.25 per hour after tax, assuming a 37.5-hour week.

How much tax do I pay on £31,000?

On £31,000 in the UK, you pay approximately £3,686 in income tax and £1,474 in National Insurance.

£31,000 After Tax in the UK (2026/27)

If you earn £31,000 per year in the UK, your take-home pay is £25,840 per year — £2,153 per month, £497 per week, or £13.25 per hour after Income Tax and NI.

Net pay per month

£2,153

83.4% of gross — £25,840 per year

Income Tax

£3,686

11.9%

National Insurance

£1,474

4.8%

Effective rate

16.6%

of gross

Marginal rate

20%

on next £1

£31,000 after tax by pay period

Period	Gross	Tax	NI	Take-home
Yearly	£31,000	£3,686	£1,474	£25,840
Monthly	£2,583	£307	£123	£2,153
Weekly	£596	£71	£28	£497
Daily (260 days)	£119	£14	£6	£99
Hourly (37.5h week)	£15.9	£1.89	£0.76	£13.25

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…

£31,500 instead? Your take-home rises by roughly £60/month — see £31,500 after tax.
With a 5% pension contribution, your monthly take-home would be £2,050 but you'd save around £310 in income tax over the year.
10 hours of overtime a month at time-and-a-half would add about £191 to your monthly take-home.

Frequently asked questions

Is £31,000 a good salary in the UK?: The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £31,000 is roughly 17% below that figure.
How much is £31,000 per hour?: Assuming a 37.5-hour week over 260 working days, £31,000 a year is around £15.90 per hour gross, or £13.25 per hour after tax.
How much tax do I pay on £31,000?: On £31,000 a year in the UK, you would pay approximately £3,686 in income tax and £1,474 in National Insurance — an effective rate of 16.6%.