£21,000 Salary After Tax

On a £21,000 salary in the 2026-27 tax year, your annual take-home pay is £18,639.6 (£1,553.3 per month, £358.45 per week). You will pay £1,686 in income tax and £674.4 in National Insurance contributions.

If you earn £21,000 a year, your monthly take-home pay is £1,553.3 after tax and National Insurance. That works out to £358.45 per week or £71.69 per day. This is 40% below the UK median salary of £34,963.

How your income tax is calculated

Your first £12,570 is tax-free (personal allowance). The remaining £8,430 is your taxable income, split across tax bands:

• Basic rate (20%): £8,430 taxed = £1,686

Total income tax: £1,686 per year (£140.5 per month).

National Insurance

You pay £674.4 per year in Class 1 National Insurance contributions (£56.2 per month). NI is charged at 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% on earnings above £50,270.

How does this compare?

• Earning £26,000 would increase your monthly take-home by £300 to £1,853.3
• Earning £16,000 would decrease your monthly take-home by £300 to £1,253.3

What mortgage could you afford?

On a £21,000 salary, most UK lenders would offer you a mortgage of up to £94,500 (4.5x your annual income). See monthly repayments on a £100,000 mortgage. For a full breakdown, check your mortgage affordability on £21,000.

Frequently asked questions

What is the take-home pay on £21,000?

After income tax and National Insurance, you take home £1,553.3 per month (£18,639.6 per year).

How much tax do I pay on £21,000?

You pay £1,686 in income tax and £674.4 in National Insurance, totalling £2,360.4 per year.

How much can I borrow on £21,000?

At the standard 4.5x income multiple, you could borrow up to £94,500. Your monthly mortgage payment would be around £580 at 5.5% interest over 25 years.