Income & Employment Guides UK — Maximise Your Earnings
Is £15 Per Hour Good Pay? — Annual Equivalent, Tax and UK Context
Is £15 an hour good pay in the UK? See what £15/hour works out to annually, your monthly take-home pay, how it compares to the minimum wage and UK average, and which jobs pay this rate.
£15 per hour is a common pay rate across many jobs in the UK. Here’s what it actually means for your finances.
What £15/Hour Equals Annually
| Weekly Hours |
Annual Salary |
Monthly Gross |
| 35 hours |
£27,300 |
£2,275 |
| 37.5 hours |
£29,250 |
£2,438 |
| 40 hours |
£31,200 |
£2,600 |
Most full-time contracts are 37.5 or 40 hours per week. The rest of this guide uses 37.5 hours (£29,250 annual) as the standard.
Your Take-Home Pay
| Scenario |
Annual Take-Home |
Monthly Take-Home |
| No student loan |
£23,595 |
£1,966 |
| Plan 2 student loan |
£23,419 |
£1,952 |
| Plan 1 student loan |
£23,165 |
£1,930 |
How £15/Hour Compares
| Benchmark |
Hourly Rate |
Annual (37.5hrs) |
| National Living Wage (21+) |
£12.21 |
£23,810 |
| Real Living Wage (national) |
£12.60 |
£24,570 |
| Real Living Wage (London) |
£13.85 |
£27,008 |
| Your rate: £15/hour |
£15.00 |
£29,250 |
| UK median hourly (all workers) |
~£15.50 |
~£30,225 |
| UK median full-time salary |
— |
~£35,000 |
At £15/hour, you’re earning just below the UK median hourly rate but below the median full-time salary (because median full-time workers tend to work more hours and include salaried workers with longer weeks).
Monthly Budget on £15/Hour
Outside London
| Expense |
Monthly Cost |
| Rent (room in shared house) |
£500 |
| Council tax (share) |
£60 |
| Bills (share) |
£70 |
| Food |
£200 |
| Transport |
£80 |
| Phone |
£20 |
| Socialising |
£100 |
| Total essentials |
£1,030 |
| Remaining |
£936 |
London
| Expense |
Monthly Cost |
| Rent (room in shared house, Zone 3-4) |
£750 |
| Council tax (share) |
£60 |
| Bills (share) |
£70 |
| Food |
£220 |
| Transport (bus/Oyster) |
£150 |
| Phone |
£20 |
| Socialising |
£100 |
| Total essentials |
£1,370 |
| Remaining |
£596 |
Jobs That Pay Around £15/Hour
| Job |
Typical Hourly Rate |
| Experienced care worker |
£13-£16 |
| Warehouse team leader |
£14-£17 |
| Retail supervisor |
£13-£16 |
| Dental nurse |
£13-£16 |
| Administrative assistant |
£13-£16 |
| Lab technician |
£14-£17 |
| Teaching assistant (Level 3/HLTA) |
£13-£16 |
| Junior IT support |
£14-£17 |
| Delivery driver (employed) |
£13-£17 |
| Security guard (SIA licensed) |
£13-£16 |
| Chef (experienced) |
£14-£17 |
| Pharmacy technician |
£13-£16 |
Can You Afford To…?
| Goal |
Feasible on £15/hour? |
| Live independently (outside London) |
Tight — studio/1-bed £550-£800/month |
| Flatshare |
✅ Comfortable |
| Save for a deposit (LISA) |
✅ £100-£300/month possible |
| Run a car |
✅ Budget carefully (£150-£250/month total) |
| Get a mortgage (solo) |
~£131,000 max borrowing (4.5x) |
| Support a family (sole income) |
Very tight — would need benefits support |
| Holiday abroad |
✅ Budget trips, 1-2 per year |
Overtime and Shift Enhancements
If your employer offers overtime or shift premiums, £15/hour base rate can earn significantly more.
| Enhancement |
Effective Rate |
Extra per Month (10 hours/week OT) |
| Time and a quarter |
£18.75 |
£812 |
| Time and a half |
£22.50 |
£975 |
| Double time (bank holidays) |
£30.00 |
Per shift |
10 hours of overtime per week at time and a half adds nearly £12,000 per year.
How to Move Beyond £15/Hour
| Strategy |
Potential Increase |
Timeline |
| Get supervisor/team leader role |
£16-£19/hour |
1-2 years |
| Gain qualifications (NVQ, City & Guilds) |
£17-£22/hour |
6-18 months |
| Switch to higher-paying employer |
£16-£18/hour |
Immediate |
| Move into skilled trade |
£18-£30+/hour |
2-4 years |
| Build experience for public sector role |
£15-£20/hour + pension |
1-3 years |