UK Minimum Wage Calculator

What the UK minimum wage calculator does

The calculator shows the lowest hourly rate an employer can legally pay for your age band and turns it into weekly and annual gross pay. The rate depends on age and apprenticeship status, so a quick lookup avoids guesswork.

Use it to check that your pay is lawful, to weigh up a job offer or to see roughly what a role pays over a year. An annual figure makes an hourly rate easier to compare with a salaried job.

How the minimum wage is structured

The UK uses age bands rather than one rate. From April 2026 the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour. The rate for 18 to 20 year olds is £10.85, and for 16 and 17 year olds and apprentices it is £8.00.

Because the bands rise with age, a birthday that moves you into the next band brings a higher minimum. Choose a band in the calculator to see what each age group is entitled to and how much moving up a band changes weekly and annual pay.

Turning an hourly rate into weekly and annual pay

The calculator multiplies the rate by your weekly hours for weekly pay, then by 52 for an annual figure. At the National Living Wage, 37.5 hours a week is about £476.63 a week, or £24,784.50 a year.

The annual figure assumes the same hours every week. Variable shifts, unpaid breaks and time off change the real total, so treat it as a baseline and adjust it if your hours are irregular.

Gross pay, not take-home pay

The figures are before deductions. Most workers pay Income Tax and National Insurance once earnings pass the thresholds, and pension contributions or student loan repayments can reduce pay further. Use the gross figure to check the legal minimum and to compare roles, and a take-home pay calculator for a household budget.

What you need to enter

Choose the age band that applies to you and enter your usual weekly hours. If your hours vary, use a typical week or an average. Full-time roles are often 35 to 40 hours a week, but part-time and shift patterns can be very different.

If you are an apprentice, the apprentice rate applies only while you are under 19 or in the first year of the apprenticeship; after that, the rate for your age applies. Choosing the wrong band is the most common reason an estimate looks wrong.

When to use this tool

• To check that an hourly rate meets the legal minimum for your age band.
• To convert a minimum wage rate into weekly and annual gross pay.
• To compare a part-time or shift role with a salaried job.
• To estimate the pay on offer before accepting a role.

The rates are reviewed and usually rise each April, so recalculate when new rates take effect or you move into a different band. For your exact entitlement, including how overtime and holiday pay are treated, check your contract and the official National Minimum Wage guidance.

Other pay rules to keep in mind

Deductions for items such as uniforms or tools, and some payments you make back to your employer, can take your effective hourly rate below the legal minimum even when the headline rate looks fine. Employers must not let such deductions take pay under the minimum, so check the rate after them.

Accommodation provided by an employer is treated specially: only a limited daily amount, £11.10 for 2026/27, can count towards minimum wage pay, and anything charged above that reduces your effective rate. Time spent training, travelling between assignments or waiting on shift may also count as working time that must be paid. If your pay is close to the minimum once these are included, check each element against the official guidance.

This is general information only and not financial advice.

About This UK Minimum Wage Calculator

Use this UK minimum wage calculator to get an instant, accurate estimate. The figures follow official GOV.UK guidance and every rate and threshold is kept up to date for 2026. Adjust the inputs above to match your situation, or browse all our calculators to plan your next step.