£20 an hour a year
On a 37.5-hour week, £20 an hour is £39,000 a year before tax and £2,633 a month after Income Tax and National Insurance.
Before tax
£39,000
a year · £3,250 a month · £750 a week
After tax
£2,633
a month · £31,600 a year · £608 a week
37.5 hours a week, paid for 52 weeks (paid holiday included). You keep about £16.20 of each hour.
£20 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 | £16,640 | £1,292 | £298 |
| 20 | £20,800 | £1,541 | £356 |
| 25 | £26,000 | £1,853 | £428 |
| 30 | £31,200 | £2,165 | £500 |
| 35 | £36,400 | £2,477 | £572 |
| 37.5 | £39,000 | £2,633 | £608 |
| 40 | £41,600 | £2,789 | £644 |
| 45 | £46,800 | £3,101 | £716 |
The tax on £20 an hour, full-time
- Income Tax: £5,286 a year, £441 a month, after the £12,570 Personal Allowance.
- National Insurance: £2,114 a year, 8% of earnings above £12,570.
- In Scotland, take-home pay is £2,629 a month — £55 a year less, because Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands.
£20 and the minimum wage
£20 is £7.29 an hour more than the National Living Wage of £12.71 — 57% above it, or £14,216 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 £20 an hour compares
£20 is more than about 51% 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 £20
Median hourly pay excluding overtime, full-time employees, ONS ASHE 2025-provisional.
Questions about £20 an hour
How much is £20 an hour a year?
On a 37.5-hour week, £20 an hour is £39,000 a year before tax (37.5 hours × 52 weeks), £3,250 a month or £750 a week.
How much is £20 an hour after tax?
About £31,600 a year, £2,633 a month or £608 a week in the 2026/27 tax year, after £5,286 Income Tax and £2,114 National Insurance — £16.20 for each hour worked. That assumes full-time hours, no pension contributions and no student loan, in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Is £20 an hour above the minimum wage?
£20 is £7.29 an hour more than the National Living Wage of £12.71 — 57% above it, or £14,216 a year on a 37.5-hour week.
How much is £20 an hour part-time?
On 20 hours a week it comes to £20,800 a year before tax and £1,541 a month after; on 30 hours, £31,200 a year and £2,165 a month.
Is £20 an hour a good wage in the UK?
£20 is more than about 51% 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.