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£21 Per Hour — Annual Salary & Take Home Pay

£21 per hour is £40,950 per year (based on 37.5 hours/week). In the 2026-27 tax year, after income tax and National Insurance, your take-home pay is £2,750.3 per month or £33,003.6 per year.

If you earn £21 per hour and work a standard 37.5 hours per week, your annual salary is £40,950. Here's what that looks like after tax and National Insurance:

PeriodGrossTake Home
Hourly£21.00£16.92
Daily (7.5h)£157.50£126.94
Weekly (37.5h)£787.5£634.68
Monthly£3,412.5£2,750.3
Annual£40,950£33,003.6

Tax and NI on £40,950

On an annual salary of £40,950, your deductions are:

  • Income tax: £5,676 (£473/month)
  • National Insurance: £2,270.4 (£189.2/month)
  • Total deductions: £7,946.4 per year
Your effective tax rate is 19.4%.

How £21/hour compares

At £21/hour, you earn 17% more than the UK median hourly rate of ~£17.93/hour. The National Living Wage is £12.21/hour (£23,809.5/year).

Hourly rate comparison

Hourly rateAnnual salaryMonthly take homeAnnual take home
£19£37,050£2,516.3£30,195.6
£20£39,000£2,633.3£31,599.6
£22£42,900£2,867.3£34,407.6
£23£44,850£2,984.3£35,811.6

Related calculations

Frequently asked questions

What is £21 an hour annually?

At £21 per hour working 37.5 hours per week, your annual salary is £40,950 before tax.

How much is £21 an hour after tax?

After income tax and National Insurance, £21/hour gives you £2,750.3 per month or £33,003.6 per year take-home pay in 2026-27.

Is £21 an hour a good wage in the UK?

The National Living Wage for 2025/26 is £12.21/hour. At £21/hour, you earn above the UK median hourly rate of ~£17.93.

How many hours is a full-time week in the UK?

A standard full-time week in the UK is 37.5 hours (7.5 hours per day, 5 days per week). This means 1,950 working hours per year (52 weeks minus statutory holidays). At £21/hour, that's £40,950 per year before tax.

What is the tax-free hourly rate?

With a £12,570 personal allowance and 1,950 working hours, you can earn up to £6.45/hour before paying any income tax. Above that, the basic rate of 20% applies. National Insurance also starts at the same threshold, charged at 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270.

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Calculator inputs

Take-home pay

Monthly take-home£2,750.30
Weekly£635
Daily£127

Annual breakdown

Gross salary£40,950
Personal allowance£12,570
Income tax-£5,676.00
Basic rate (20%)-£5,676.00
National Insurance-£2,270.40
Take-home pay£33,004

Tax rates

Effective tax rate19.4%
Marginal tax rate28%

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