£21,000 after tax (2026/27)
Tax year 2026/27 · England, Wales and Northern Ireland unless stated
On a £21,000 salary you take home £1,553.30 a month, £18,640 a year, or £358.45 a week.
That’s an effective deduction rate of 11.2%: £1,686 income tax and £674 National Insurance a year.
Pay: £21000 a year · England, Wales or NI · 2026/27
Your take-home pay
£1,553.30 a month
£18,640 a year · £358.45 a week
| Item | Year | Month | Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £21,000 | £1,750.00 | £403.85 |
| Taxable pay | £21,000 | £1,750.00 | £403.85 |
Income tax
| −£1,686 | −£140.50 | −£32.42 |
| National Insurance | −£674 | −£56.20 | −£12.97 |
| Take-home pay | £18,640 | £1,553.30 | £358.45 |
| Item | Month |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | £1,750.00 |
| Taxable pay | £1,750.00 |
Income tax
| −£140.50 |
| National Insurance | −£56.20 |
| Take-home pay | £1,553.30 |
Where your pay goes
- Take-home pay: £18,640 a year (88.8%)
- Income tax: £1,686 a year (8%)
- National Insurance: £674 a year (3.2%)
Key rates
Effective deduction rate: 11.2%
Of your next £100 of pay you keep £72.00
Things to know
Warning: Below the National Living Wage
At 37.5 hours a week this works out at £10.77 an hour, below the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over (£12.71 an hour).
Employer cost
- Employer National Insurance
- £2,400 a year
- Total cost to your employer
- £23,400 a year
Excludes any employer pension contribution.
Estimate for the 2026/27 tax year using 1257L (default code). Rates verified against HMRC on 5 October 2026. Estimate only, not financial or tax advice. How we calculate →
Full breakdown of £21,000 after tax
| Item | Year | Month | 4 weeks | Week | Day | Hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £21,000 | £1,750.00 | £1,615.38 | £403.85 | £80.77 | £10.77 |
| Taxable pay | £21,000 | £1,750.00 | £1,615.38 | £403.85 | £80.77 | £10.77 |
| Income tax | −£1,686 | −£140.50 | −£129.69 | −£32.42 | −£6.48 | −£0.86 |
| National Insurance | −£674 | −£56.20 | −£51.88 | −£12.97 | −£2.59 | −£0.35 |
| Take-home pay | £18,640 | £1,553.30 | £1,433.82 | £358.45 | £71.69 | £9.56 |
Day figures assume 5 days a week; hour figures assume 37.5 hours a week.
£21,000 after tax in Scotland
| Item | England, Wales, NI | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax a year | £1,686.00 | £1,646.33 |
| National Insurance a year | £674.40 | £674.40 |
| Take-home a month | £1,553.30 | £1,556.61 |
| Take-home a year | £18,640 | £18,679 |
Scottish taxpayers take home £40 more a year on £21,000.
Compared with last tax year
In 2025/26 a £21,000 salary gave £18,640 a year after tax (£1,553.30 a month). In 2026/27 it’s £18,640, exactly the same.
£21,000 after tax with a pension
| Contribution | Relief at source | Salary sacrifice | Extra with sacrifice (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% (£630 a year) | £1,511.30 | £1,515.50 | £50 |
| 5% (£1,050 a year) | £1,483.30 | £1,490.30 | £84 |
| 8% (£1,680 a year) | £1,441.30 | £1,452.50 | £134 |
| 10% (£2,100 a year) | £1,413.30 | £1,427.30 | £168 |
Salary sacrifice also saves National Insurance, so it leaves you with more each month for the same pension contribution. Relief at source figures exclude any extra relief higher-rate taxpayers can claim back.
£21,000 after tax with a student loan
| Plan | Repayment a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £0.00 | £1,553.30 |
| Plan 2 | £0.00 | £1,553.30 |
| Plan 4 | £0.00 | £1,553.30 |
| Plan 5 | £0.00 | £1,553.30 |
| Postgraduate Loan | £0.00 | £1,553.30 |
If you earned more
If you earned £1,000 more you’d keep £720.00 of it after tax and National Insurance.
You’re £29,270 below the higher-rate threshold of £50,270.
How £21,000 compares
A £21,000 salary is lower than about 90% of full-time employees in the UK (ONS ASHE 2024).
Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2024, gross annual pay for full-time employees.
Things to know at £21,000
Below the National Living Wage
At 37.5 hours a week this works out at £10.77 an hour, below the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over (£12.71 an hour).
Nearby salaries
- £19,000 after tax
- £20,000 after tax
- £20,500 after tax
- £21,500 after tax
- £22,000 after tax
- £23,000 after tax
Paid by the hour? £21,000 full-time (37.5 hours a week) is about £10.77 an hour. See £10.85 an hour after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much is £21,000 a month after tax?
£21,000 a year is £1,553.30 a month after income tax and National Insurance in 2026/27, for someone in England, Wales or Northern Ireland on the standard tax code with no pension or student loan.
How much is £21,000 a week after tax?
You take home £358.45 a week (£18,640 a year divided by 52).
How much income tax do I pay on £21,000?
You pay £1,686.00 income tax a year (£140.50 a month) in 2026/27. Your Personal Allowance is £12,570.
How much National Insurance do I pay on £21,000?
You pay £674.40 National Insurance a year (£56.20 a month) in 2026/27.
Figures for 2026/27, verified against HMRC on 5 October 2026.
Sources:HMRC rates and thresholds for employers, Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances, Income Tax in Scotland. Methodology →