£15 an hour after tax at a glance
| Pay period | Gross pay | Take-home pay |
|---|---|---|
| Per year (2,080 hours) | £31,200 | £25,984 |
| Per month | £2,600 | £2,165 |
| Per biweekly paycheck | £1,200 | £999 |
| Per week | £600 | £500 |
| Per hour | £15 | £12 |
Where your £31,200 goes: the 2026/27 deductions
| Deduction | Amount per year |
|---|---|
| Gross annual pay (£15 × 2,080 hours) | £31,200 |
| Income tax (after £12,570 personal allowance) | −£3,726 |
| National Insurance (8% / 2%) | −£1,490 |
| Take-home pay | £25,984 |
Scotland has its own income tax bands with lower thresholds — the Scottish income tax calculator shows the exact difference on the same salary.
Making £25,984 work: the monthly rhythm of £15 an hour
£15 an hour is the point where full-time pay starts to feel like a salary rather than a wage. A 2,080-hour year converts to £31,200 gross and £25,984 in your bank — £5,216 handed over in income tax and National Insurance, an effective rate of about 17%. Here is how to think about the money once it arrives.
Where £2,165 a month actually goes
Monthly take-home of £2,165 covers a comfortable flatshare in most UK cities, or a modest one-bedroom place in the North, Scotland or Wales. After rent of £700–£850, a typical month still leaves room for council tax, utilities, a food budget and a genuine holiday fund. If you are budgeting to the penny, pay attention to the biweekly figure of £999: two paychecks a month is the norm, but twice a year there are three — plan those windfall months for annual costs like car insurance rather than lifestyle creep.
Overtime math worth doing before you say yes
At this rate every extra hour is taxed at your marginal rate of 28% (20% income tax plus 8% National Insurance). Time-and-a-half overtime at £22.50 an hour puts £16.20 net in your pocket per hour. A Saturday shift of six hours is therefore worth about £97 net — useful money, but compare it honestly against the cost of the childcare or travel it triggers.
Pay rises land harder than they look
Because you are deep inside the basic-rate band, a rise from £15 to £16 an hour adds roughly £1,850 net over a year — you keep 72% of it. That single pound of hourly rate is worth more than most annual "cost of living" uplifts, which is a good argument for negotiating hourly rates rather than accepting a one-off bonus, and a reason to log every extra responsibility that might justify one.
Automatic enrolment: the £100 question
Standard auto-enrolment takes 5% of qualifying earnings — around £97 a month at this salary. That feels steep on a tight budget, but your employer's 3% comes with it and the government adds relief. If cash is genuinely tight, opt out and revisit it at the next pay rise rather than treating the decision as permanent.
The numbers on one page
| What | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home pay | £2,165 | £25,984 |
| Needs (50%) | £1,083 | £12,992 |
| Wants (30%) | £650 | £7,795 |
| Savings (20%) | £433 | £5,197 |
| Typical pension (5% + 3% employer) | £97 + £58 | £1,166 + £700 |
A £433 monthly savings rate compounds impressively over a decade: roughly £52,000 of contributions alone before any investment growth, enough for a first-deposit in most regional cities or a meaningful emergency fund plus a car replaced twice. The trick at £15 an hour is consistency, not size — automated transfers on the 1st survive every temptation a cash budget does not.
More UK hourly rates after tax
- £12 an hour after tax
- £18 an hour after tax
- £20 an hour after tax
- £25 an hour after tax
- £30 an hour after tax
- £35 an hour after tax
- £40 an hour after tax
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
£15 an hour is how much a year after tax UK?
At £15 an hour, a full 2,080-hour year is £31,200 gross and about £25,984 after tax. That is £3,726 of income tax and £1,490 of National Insurance.
How much is £15 an hour a month after tax UK?
£2,165 per month. £15 an hour works out to £25,984 a year after income tax and National Insurance.
How much is £15 an hour a week after tax?
About £500 per week after tax (£999 on a biweekly paycheck). These figures assume a standard 40-hour week and 2026/27 rates.
What is £15 an hour per year before taxes?
£31,200 gross per year at £15 an hour, based on 2,080 hours (40 hours a week for 52 weeks). After tax, take-home is about £25,984.
Is £15 an hour good pay in 2026?
£15 an hour is roughly the equivalent of a £31,200 annual salary — £25,984 take-home. Judge it against the UK average salary and your own rent and commuting costs.
Does £15 an hour take-home differ in Scotland?
Yes. Scottish income tax bands kick in earlier — the 42% rate starts at £43,663 compared with 40% at £50,271 elsewhere. Use the Scottish income tax calculator for exact Scottish figures on the same pay.