£12 an hour a year
On a 37.5-hour week, £12 an hour is £23,400 a year before tax and £1,697 a month after Income Tax and National Insurance.
Before tax
£23,400
a year · £1,950 a month · £450 a week
After tax
£1,697
a month · £20,368 a year · £392 a week
37.5 hours a week, paid for 52 weeks (paid holiday included). You keep about £10.44 of each hour.
£12 an hour at different hours
England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
| Hours a week | A year before tax | A month after tax | A week after tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | £9,984 | £832 | £192 |
| 20 | £12,480 | £1,040 | £240 |
| 25 | £15,600 | £1,229 | £284 |
| 30 | £18,720 | £1,417 | £327 |
| 35 | £21,840 | £1,604 | £370 |
| 37.5 | £23,400 | £1,697 | £392 |
| 40 | £24,960 | £1,791 | £413 |
| 45 | £28,080 | £1,978 | £456 |
The tax on £12 an hour, full-time
- Income Tax: £2,166 a year, £181 a month, after the £12,570 Personal Allowance.
- National Insurance: £866 a year, 8% of earnings above £12,570.
- In Scotland, take-home pay is £1,701 a month — £40 a year more, because Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands.
£12 and the minimum wage
£12 is £0.71 an hour below the National Living Wage of £12.71, so it is below the legal minimum for anyone aged 21 or over. It is above the £10.85 minimum for 18 to 20 year olds.
| Legal minimum from April 2026 | An hour | A year, 37.5 h/week |
|---|---|---|
| National Living Wage (21 and over) | £12.71 | £24,785 |
| 18 to 20 | £10.85 | £21,158 |
| Under 18 and apprentices | £8.00 | £15,600 |
Source: GOV.UK, National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates.
How £12 an hour compares
Over 90% of full-time employees in the UK earn more than £12 an hour, excluding overtime: the lowest-paid tenth earn up to £12.93. The full-time median is £19.67 an hour. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025-provisional.
Jobs where the typical full-time hourly rate is close to £12
Median hourly pay excluding overtime, full-time employees, ONS ASHE 2025-provisional.
Questions about £12 an hour
How much is £12 an hour a year?
On a 37.5-hour week, £12 an hour is £23,400 a year before tax (37.5 hours × 52 weeks), £1,950 a month or £450 a week.
How much is £12 an hour after tax?
About £20,368 a year, £1,697 a month or £392 a week in the 2026/27 tax year, after £2,166 Income Tax and £866 National Insurance — £10.44 for each hour worked. That assumes full-time hours, no pension contributions and no student loan, in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Is £12 an hour above the minimum wage?
£12 is £0.71 an hour below the National Living Wage of £12.71, so it is below the legal minimum for anyone aged 21 or over. It is above the £10.85 minimum for 18 to 20 year olds.
How much is £12 an hour part-time?
On 20 hours a week it comes to £12,480 a year before tax and £1,040 a month after; on 30 hours, £18,720 a year and £1,417 a month.
Is £12 an hour a good wage in the UK?
Over 90% of full-time employees in the UK earn more than £12 an hour, excluding overtime: the lowest-paid tenth earn up to £12.93. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (2025-provisional). The full-time median is £19.67 an hour.