🇬🇧 UK · 2026/27 tax year

£20,000 after tax — UK take-home pay 2026/27

A £20,000 salary in the UK leaves £17,920 a year after tax and National Insurance in 2026/27 — about £1,493 a month or £345 a week. Total deductions are £2,080 (£1,486 income tax + £594 NI), an effective rate of 10.4%.

CHECKED 2026/27 verified 2026-09-25 12 primary sources next review 2026-12-15
£20,000 salary breakdown — England, Wales & NI
Line Yearly Monthly Weekly
Gross salary £20,000 £1,667 £385
Income tax −£1,486 −£124 −£29
National Insurance −£594 −£50 −£11
Take-home pay £17,920 £1,493 £345
You keepIncome taxNational Insurance

What this means in practice

Of every £100 you earn at this level, you keep £90. You are a basic-rate taxpayer: each extra £1 loses 28p to tax and NI combined. Compare this salary in Germany or India.

£20,000£25,000 →Any salary →

Common questions

Is £20,000 a year a good salary in the UK? +

It depends on region and household, but for context the UK median full-time salary is around £37,000–£38,000. £20,000 is below that, and after tax it provides £1,493 a month in 2026/27 (England, Wales & NI).

How much tax do I pay on £20,000? +

Income tax of £1,486 plus £594 employee National Insurance — 10.4% of your gross salary in total deductions for 2026/27.

What is £20,000 a year per hour? +

Assuming a 37.5-hour week, £20,000 gross is about £10.26 an hour before tax, or roughly £9.19 an hour after tax and NI.

Sources & method. Personal allowance frozen at £12,570 (due to remain to 2030/31). Employee NI main rate 8% between £12,570–£50,270, 2% above. Self-employed Class 4 NI is 6% then 2% on the same bands (compulsory Class 2 abolished). The take-home calculator can add Scottish income tax (19%–48%; NI stays UK-wide), Plan 1/2/4/5 and Postgraduate Loan repayments on annual thresholds, and an employee pension by salary sacrifice, net pay or relief at source. Salary pages show rUK income tax and NI only.
  1. House of Commons Library CBP-10618 — Direct taxes: rates and allowances 2026/27
  2. GOV.UK — Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances
  3. GOV.UK — National Insurance rates and categories
  4. GOV.UK — Self-employed National Insurance rates
  5. GOV.UK — Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (PAYE incl. Scotland, NI, student loans)
  6. GOV.UK — Income Tax in Scotland
  7. gov.scot — Scottish Income Tax rates and bands 2026 to 2027
  8. GOV.UK — Repaying your student loan: what you pay
  9. GOV.UK — Student loan and postgraduate loan repayment guidance for employers
  10. HMRC National Insurance Manual NIM02365 — NICs on pay before pension contributions
  11. GOV.UK — Tax relief on private pension contributions
  12. GOV.UK — Salary sacrifice for employers
Cite this page APA · MLA · BibTeX

APA

WorldCalculators.org. (2026, June 13). £20,000 After Tax UK 2026/27 — Take-Home Pay £1,493/month. https://worldcalculators.org/salary/uk/20000-after-tax/

MLA

“£20,000 After Tax UK 2026/27 — Take-Home Pay £1,493/month.” WorldCalculators.org, 13 June 2026, worldcalculators.org/salary/uk/20000-after-tax/.

BibTeX

@misc{worldcalculators2026salaryuk20000aftertax,
  title        = {£20,000 After Tax UK 2026/27 — Take-Home Pay £1,493/month},
  author       = {{WorldCalculators.org}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://worldcalculators.org/salary/uk/20000-after-tax/}}
}

Figures change when tax years or guidance change. Cite the date shown and link the page so readers see the current version.