Is £42,000 a good salary in the UK?

The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £42,000 is roughly 12% above that figure.

How much is £42,000 per hour?

Around £21.54 per hour gross, or £17.31 per hour after tax, assuming a 37.5-hour week.

How much tax do I pay on £42,000?

On £42,000 in the UK, you pay approximately £5,886 in income tax and £2,354 in National Insurance.

£42,000 After Tax in the UK (2026/27)

If you earn £42,000 per year in the UK, your take-home pay is £33,760 per year — £2,813 per month, £649 per week, or £17.31 per hour after Income Tax and NI.

Net pay per month

£2,813

80.4% of gross — £33,760 per year

Income Tax

£5,886

14.0%

National Insurance

£2,354

5.6%

Effective rate

19.6%

of gross

Marginal rate

20%

on next £1

£42,000 after tax by pay period

Period	Gross	Tax	NI	Take-home
Yearly	£42,000	£5,886	£2,354	£33,760
Monthly	£3,500	£491	£196	£2,813
Weekly	£808	£113	£45	£649
Daily (260 days)	£162	£23	£9	£130
Hourly (37.5h week)	£21.54	£3.02	£1.21	£17.31

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…

£42,500 instead? Your take-home rises by roughly £60/month — see £42,500 after tax.
With a 5% pension contribution, your monthly take-home would be £2,673 but you'd save around £420 in income tax over the year.
10 hours of overtime a month at time-and-a-half would add about £258 to your monthly take-home.

Frequently asked questions

Is £42,000 a good salary in the UK?: The full-time median salary in the UK is around £37,430 (ONS ASHE 2024, full-time employees). £42,000 is roughly 12% above that figure.
How much is £42,000 per hour?: Assuming a 37.5-hour week over 260 working days, £42,000 a year is around £21.54 per hour gross, or £17.31 per hour after tax.
How much tax do I pay on £42,000?: On £42,000 a year in the UK, you would pay approximately £5,886 in income tax and £2,354 in National Insurance — an effective rate of 19.6%.