Salary to hourly rate calculator
Find out what your annual salary works out to per hour, before and after tax. Set your hours per week, choose whether to count holiday time, and see how income tax, National Insurance, student loan and pension affect your real hourly rate.
For every £1 you earn
| Period | Gross | After tax |
|---|---|---|
| Per hour | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Per day (8 hrs) | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Per week | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Per month | £0 | £0 |
| Per year | £0 | £0 |
Deductions per hour worked
Want the full picture? The Take-Home Pay calculator shows a monthly payslip, salary sacrifice pension, employer National Insurance and an income-tax band breakdown.
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How this is calculated
- Enter your gross salary (before any tax or deductions) and select Scotland or the rest of the UK, because Scottish income-tax bands differ from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Set your hours per week using the slider. Most 9-5 office jobs are 37 or 37.5 hours; many shift and retail roles use 40 hours; part-time is typically 16 to 30.
- Choose your working weeks per year. The default deducts 28 days statutory holiday (5.6 weeks) from 52, leaving 46.4 working weeks. This gives your true hourly rate for the hours you actually sit at your desk. Switch to 52 if you want the raw calendar rate.
- If you have a student loan, pick your plan so we can subtract the right repayment. Tick the postgraduate box if you have both.
- Add your pension contribution percentage if you pay into a workplace scheme. Auto-enrolment is typically 5% from the employee.
- We run all the numbers through the current tax rates for your region, then divide the annual figures by your total working hours to give you a gross and after-tax hourly rate alongside the full breakdown.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert my annual salary to an hourly rate?
Divide your annual salary by your total working hours in the year. If you work 37 hours a week over 46.4 working weeks (52 weeks minus 28 days holiday), that is 1,716.8 hours. A £30,000 salary divided by 1,716.8 hours gives a gross hourly rate of about £17.47. This calculator does that maths automatically and then subtracts your tax and National Insurance to show you what you actually take home per hour.
Should I include holiday time when calculating my hourly rate?
It depends what question you are answering. If you want to know what you earn for every hour you actually work, exclude your holiday (use 46.4 weeks for standard statutory leave). If you want to compare your salary to a contractor day rate or check whether your contract is paying you correctly based on 52 weeks, use 52. The calculator defaults to 46.4 weeks because most people asking this question want to know their real working rate.
What is the National Living Wage and how do I know if I am being paid enough?
The National Living Wage is the legal minimum hourly rate for workers aged 21 and over, set each April by the government. In 2026/27 it is £12.71 per hour. Workers aged 18 to 20 have a lower minimum of £10.85, and under-18s have a rate of £8.00. This calculator shows whether your gross hourly rate sits above, at, or below the minimum for your age. If it shows below, your employer may not be paying you correctly.
Which student loan plan am I on?
Plan 1 covers students from England and Wales who started before September 2012, and most Northern Irish students. Plan 2 covers English and Welsh students who started between September 2012 and July 2023. Plan 4 is for Scottish students. Plan 5 covers English and Welsh students who started from August 2023. If you have a postgraduate or master's loan, tick the postgraduate loan box as well. Not sure? Check your student loan statement or the Student Loans Company website.
Why is my after-tax hourly rate so much lower than my gross rate?
Income tax, National Insurance, student loan repayments and pension contributions all come out before you see the money. Once you are earning above the Personal Allowance (£12,570 in 2026/27), income tax starts at 20% in England and Wales or 19% in Scotland, and you also pay 8% National Insurance on earnings above the threshold. For a typical graduate salary of around £28,000, total deductions are usually between 25% and 30% of gross pay.
Does this account for pension auto-enrolment?
Yes, if you enter a pension percentage. Auto-enrolment requires most workers aged 22 to State Pension age, earning over £10,000 a year, to contribute at least 5% of qualifying earnings. This calculator treats your pension as a standard workplace contribution taken before income tax, which slightly reduces your tax bill. For a more detailed pension and payslip breakdown, use the Take-Home Pay calculator.
A practical, no-jargon personal finance guide aimed at people in their 20s and 30s who want to understand tax, pay and saving without the complexity.
This calculator is for general guidance only. It does not replace advice from a tax adviser or accountant on your personal circumstances.
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