UNITED KINGDOM · APRIL 2026 WAGE RATES
National Minimum Wage Calculator 2026
Know the legal hourly rate before accepting a new shift or checking a payslip. The minimum depends on your age and whether the apprentice rate legally applies.
Enter your figures
Figures are calculated in this browser; entered personal amounts are not required to be sent to our servers.
Calculation results
Estimate only. A bank, employer, tax office or lender may apply additional conditions. See the scope and source below.
When and how to use this calculator
From April 2026, workers aged 21+ normally have a £12.71 hourly minimum. Forty paid hours at £12.00 is £28.40 below that hourly minimum over an example week, before payroll complexities.
- Enter age at the point the hours are worked. Rates changed on 1 April 2026; do not apply these figures to an earlier period.
- Count paid hours rather than all time spent on premises. Certain deductions, accommodation benefits, apprenticeships and salaried-hour calculations need separate treatment.
- Only choose the apprentice indicator if the legal apprentice rate actually applies: under 19, or aged 19+ and in the FIRST year of apprenticeship.
Understand your result
Estimates only the simple hourly rate difference, not an employment tribunal entitlement, worker-status judgement, annual salaried-hours compliance, tips, accommodation offset or all pay deductions.
Questions people ask
Do workers aged 21 and above always get £12.71?
Usually as the basic National Living Wage from April 2026, but employment status, accommodation and other specific rules affect compliance.
Does this calculate take-home pay after tax?
No. It compares gross pay with an hourly statutory minimum. PAYE, NI and workplace pension deductions are outside this calculation.
Is £8 automatically the rate for every apprentice?
No. An apprentice aged 19+ beyond the first apprenticeship year is usually due the age-based rate instead.
Reference and calculation scope
Source material is provided for independent checking. Our calculator is not a government or bank service.