£18 an hour a year
On a 37.5-hour week, £18 an hour is £35,100 a year before tax and £2,399 a month after Income Tax and National Insurance.
Before tax
£35,100
a year · £2,925 a month · £675 a week
After tax
£2,399
a month · £28,792 a year · £554 a week
37.5 hours a week, paid for 52 weeks (paid holiday included). You keep about £14.76 of each hour.
£18 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 | £14,976 | £1,192 | £275 |
| 20 | £18,720 | £1,417 | £327 |
| 25 | £23,400 | £1,697 | £392 |
| 30 | £28,080 | £1,978 | £456 |
| 35 | £32,760 | £2,259 | £521 |
| 37.5 | £35,100 | £2,399 | £554 |
| 40 | £37,440 | £2,540 | £586 |
| 45 | £42,120 | £2,821 | £651 |
The tax on £18 an hour, full-time
- Income Tax: £4,506 a year, £376 a month, after the £12,570 Personal Allowance.
- National Insurance: £1,802 a year, 8% of earnings above £12,570.
- In Scotland, take-home pay is £2,398 a month — £16 a year less, because Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands.
£18 and the minimum wage
£18 is £5.29 an hour more than the National Living Wage of £12.71 — 42% above it, or £10,316 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 £18 an hour compares
£18 is more than about 42% 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 £18
Median hourly pay excluding overtime, full-time employees, ONS ASHE 2025-provisional.
Questions about £18 an hour
How much is £18 an hour a year?
On a 37.5-hour week, £18 an hour is £35,100 a year before tax (37.5 hours × 52 weeks), £2,925 a month or £675 a week.
How much is £18 an hour after tax?
About £28,792 a year, £2,399 a month or £554 a week in the 2026/27 tax year, after £4,506 Income Tax and £1,802 National Insurance — £14.76 for each hour worked. That assumes full-time hours, no pension contributions and no student loan, in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Is £18 an hour above the minimum wage?
£18 is £5.29 an hour more than the National Living Wage of £12.71 — 42% above it, or £10,316 a year on a 37.5-hour week.
How much is £18 an hour part-time?
On 20 hours a week it comes to £18,720 a year before tax and £1,417 a month after; on 30 hours, £28,080 a year and £1,978 a month.
Is £18 an hour a good wage in the UK?
£18 is more than about 42% 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.