£15.50 an hour a year
On a 37.5-hour week, £15.50 an hour is £30,225 a year before tax and £2,107 a month after Income Tax and National Insurance.
Before tax
£30,225
a year · £2,519 a month · £581 a week
After tax
£2,107
a month · £25,282 a year · £486 a week
37.5 hours a week, paid for 52 weeks (paid holiday included). You keep about £12.96 of each hour.
£15.50 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 | £12,896 | £1,067 | £246 |
| 20 | £16,120 | £1,261 | £291 |
| 25 | £20,150 | £1,502 | £347 |
| 30 | £24,180 | £1,744 | £402 |
| 35 | £28,210 | £1,986 | £458 |
| 37.5 | £30,225 | £2,107 | £486 |
| 40 | £32,240 | £2,228 | £514 |
| 45 | £36,270 | £2,470 | £570 |
The tax on £15.50 an hour, full-time
- Income Tax: £3,531 a year, £294 a month, after the £12,570 Personal Allowance.
- National Insurance: £1,412 a year, 8% of earnings above £12,570.
- In Scotland, take-home pay is £2,110 a month — £33 a year more, because Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands.
£15.50 and the minimum wage
£15.50 is £2.79 an hour more than the National Living Wage of £12.71 — 22% above it, or £5,441 a year on a 37.5-hour week.
| 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 £15.50 an hour compares
£15.50 is more than about 29% of full-time employees in the UK earn an hour, excluding overtime. 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 £15.50
Median hourly pay excluding overtime, full-time employees, ONS ASHE 2025-provisional.
Questions about £15.50 an hour
How much is £15.50 an hour a year?
On a 37.5-hour week, £15.50 an hour is £30,225 a year before tax (37.5 hours × 52 weeks), £2,519 a month or £581 a week.
How much is £15.50 an hour after tax?
About £25,282 a year, £2,107 a month or £486 a week in the 2026/27 tax year, after £3,531 Income Tax and £1,412 National Insurance — £12.96 for each hour worked. That assumes full-time hours, no pension contributions and no student loan, in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Is £15.50 an hour above the minimum wage?
£15.50 is £2.79 an hour more than the National Living Wage of £12.71 — 22% above it, or £5,441 a year on a 37.5-hour week.
How much is £15.50 an hour part-time?
On 20 hours a week it comes to £16,120 a year before tax and £1,261 a month after; on 30 hours, £24,180 a year and £1,744 a month.
Is £15.50 an hour a good wage in the UK?
£15.50 is more than about 29% of full-time employees in the UK earn an hour, excluding overtime. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (2025-provisional). The full-time median is £19.67 an hour.