£15 per hour is a meaningful step up from the minimum wage and is often described as a living wage benchmark for many workers. Here’s what it means for your actual take-home pay in 2026/27.
£15 an Hour: Annual Salary by Working Hours
| Weekly hours | Annual gross | Monthly gross | Weekly gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours | £15,600 | £1,300 | £300 |
| 25 hours | £19,500 | £1,625 | £375 |
| 30 hours | £23,400 | £1,950 | £450 |
| 35 hours | £27,300 | £2,275 | £525 |
| 37.5 hours | £29,250 | £2,438 | £562.50 |
| 40 hours | £31,200 | £2,600 | £600 |
Standard full-time at 37.5 hours/week = £29,250 per year. This is used throughout.
Take-Home Pay at £15 Per Hour (2026/27)
37.5 Hours Per Week — £29,250 Gross
| Element | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross annual salary | £29,250 |
| Personal Allowance (tax-free) | −£12,570 |
| Taxable income | £16,680 |
| Income tax at 20% | −£3,336 |
| National Insurance at 8% | −£1,334 |
| Net annual take-home | £24,580 |
| Monthly take-home | £2,048 |
| Weekly take-home | £473 |
| Daily take-home (5-day) | £95 |
NI: 8% × (£29,250 − £12,570) = 8% × £16,680 = £1,334.
40 Hours Per Week — £31,200 Gross
| Element | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross annual | £31,200 |
| Income tax (20%) | −£3,726 |
| National Insurance (8%) | −£1,490 |
| Net annual | £25,984 |
| Monthly net | ~£2,165 |
Where £15/hr Sits in the Pay Spectrum
| Benchmark | Hourly | Annual (37.5hr) |
|---|---|---|
| National Living Wage (21+, 2026) | £12.21 | £23,810 |
| Real Living Wage (outside London) | £12.60 | £24,570 |
| London Living Wage (2026) | £13.85 | £27,008 |
| Your rate | £15.00 | £29,250 |
| UK median hourly pay (ONS, 2025) | ~£16.80 | ~£32,760 |
At £15/hr you are:
- 23% above the National Living Wage
- 8.3% above the London Living Wage
- 10.7% below the UK median hourly pay
Is £29,250 a Good Salary?
An annual salary of £29,250 places you at approximately the 42nd–44th income percentile for individual UK earners. Roughly 55% of workers earn more, 45% earn less.
Practical context:
- Outside London: This is a comfortable single-person income in most UK regions — enough to rent privately, run a car, and save modestly
- In London: £15/hr is tight. Average private rent in London is ~£2,100/month vs a take-home of ~£2,048 — mathematically difficult without financial support or a very cheap living situation
- As a household: If both adults earn £15/hr, combined take-home is ~£4,100/month — genuinely comfortable in most UK cities
Jobs Paying Around £15 Per Hour
Healthcare (NHS):
- Band 4 roles: pharmacy technicians, clinical admin officers, therapy support workers
- Dental nurses (experienced)
Trades:
- Employed plumbers and gas engineers (entry to mid)
- Electricians in the early years
- HGV drivers (Class 2)
Technology:
- First-line IT support (experienced), helpdesk agents
- Junior data analysts
Office and public sector:
- PA/executive assistants in mid-market firms
- Local authority officers (grade 5–6)
- FE teachers on hourly contracts
Education support:
- Higher Level Teaching Assistants (top of scale)
- School business coordinators
Student Loan Repayments at £29,250
| Loan plan | Threshold | Annual deduction | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 (pre-2012) | £24,990 | £390 | £32.50 |
| Plan 2 (2012–2023) | £27,295 | £176 | £14.67 |
| Plan 5 (2023+) | £25,000 | £383 | £31.92 |
| Postgrad loan | £21,000 | £495 | £41.25 |
If you have a Plan 2 loan, you’ll now be making small repayments — this begins as soon as you earn above £27,295.
Effect of 5% Pension Contribution
At £29,250/year, auto-enrolment applies (above the £10,000 trigger):
| Without pension | With 5% pension | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual gross salary | £29,250 | £29,250 |
| Pension contribution | £0 | £1,463 |
| Employer adds (3%) | £0 | £878 |
| Net take-home per year | £24,580 | ~£22,994 |
| Monthly net | £2,048 | ~£1,916 |
| Total pension pot growth/year | £0 | ~£2,341 |
The roughly £132/month reduction in take-home builds a pension pot growing at ~£195/month including the employer. The employer’s 3% contribution is essentially free money.
Hourly Rate Progression
| Rate | Annual (37.5hr) | Monthly net | Progress from £15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £15.38/hr | £29,988 | ~£2,098 | Crosses £30k |
| £16.00/hr | £31,200 | ~£2,165 | +6.7% |
| £17.00/hr | £33,150 | ~£2,282 | +13.3% |
| £18.00/hr | £35,100 | ~£2,399 | +20% |
Each £1/hr pay rise adds £1,950 to annual gross and roughly £115 to monthly net take-home at this income level.