£16.50 an hour a year
On a 37.5-hour week, £16.50 an hour is £32,175 a year before tax and £2,224 a month after Income Tax and National Insurance.
Before tax
£32,175
a year · £2,681 a month · £619 a week
After tax
£2,224
a month · £26,686 a year · £513 a week
37.5 hours a week, paid for 52 weeks (paid holiday included). You keep about £13.68 of each hour.
£16.50 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 | £13,728 | £1,117 | £258 |
| 20 | £17,160 | £1,323 | £305 |
| 25 | £21,450 | £1,580 | £365 |
| 30 | £25,740 | £1,838 | £424 |
| 35 | £30,030 | £2,095 | £483 |
| 37.5 | £32,175 | £2,224 | £513 |
| 40 | £34,320 | £2,353 | £543 |
| 45 | £38,610 | £2,610 | £602 |
The tax on £16.50 an hour, full-time
- Income Tax: £3,921 a year, £327 a month, after the £12,570 Personal Allowance.
- National Insurance: £1,568 a year, 8% of earnings above £12,570.
- In Scotland, take-home pay is £2,225 a month — £13 a year more, because Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands.
£16.50 and the minimum wage
£16.50 is £3.79 an hour more than the National Living Wage of £12.71 — 30% above it, or £7,391 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 £16.50 an hour compares
£16.50 is more than about 35% 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 £16.50
Median hourly pay excluding overtime, full-time employees, ONS ASHE 2025-provisional.
Questions about £16.50 an hour
How much is £16.50 an hour a year?
On a 37.5-hour week, £16.50 an hour is £32,175 a year before tax (37.5 hours × 52 weeks), £2,681 a month or £619 a week.
How much is £16.50 an hour after tax?
About £26,686 a year, £2,224 a month or £513 a week in the 2026/27 tax year, after £3,921 Income Tax and £1,568 National Insurance — £13.68 for each hour worked. That assumes full-time hours, no pension contributions and no student loan, in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Is £16.50 an hour above the minimum wage?
£16.50 is £3.79 an hour more than the National Living Wage of £12.71 — 30% above it, or £7,391 a year on a 37.5-hour week.
How much is £16.50 an hour part-time?
On 20 hours a week it comes to £17,160 a year before tax and £1,323 a month after; on 30 hours, £25,740 a year and £1,838 a month.
Is £16.50 an hour a good wage in the UK?
£16.50 is more than about 35% 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.