£21,000 after tax in 2026/27
On a £21,000 salary you take home £18,639.60 a year, which is £1,553.30 a month or £358.45 a week, after £1,686 income tax and £674.40 National Insurance.
Take-home a month
£1,553.30
Take-home a year
£18,639.60
A week
£358.45
An hour
£9.56
Full breakdown
| Year | Month | Week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £21,000 | £1,750 | £403.85 |
| Tax-free personal allowance | £12,570 | ||
| Basic rate (20%) on £8,430 | -£1,686 | -£140.50 | -£32.42 |
| National Insurance | -£674.40 | -£56.20 | -£12.97 |
| Take-home pay | £18,639.60 | £1,553.30 | £358.45 |
Your effective tax rate is 11.2%, but the rate on your next pound is higher: of the next £100 you earn you'd keep £72. Your employer also pays about £2,400 employer National Insurance on top, so you cost them around £23,400 a year.
How it changes for you
The same £21,000 salary in different situations.
| Situation | Year | Month | vs standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (England, Wales, NI) | £18,639.60 | £1,553.30 | – |
| Living in Scotland | £18,679.27 | £1,556.61 | +£3.31/mo |
| With 5% pension (salary sacrifice) | £17,883.60 | £1,490.30 | −£63/mo |
| With Plan 2 student loan | £18,639.60 | £1,553.30 | – |
| With Plan 5 student loan | £18,639.60 | £1,553.30 | – |
A pension lowers take-home but the money goes into your pension pot, with tax relief added.
Questions
How much is £21,000 after tax a month?+
£1,553.30 a month, based on 2026/27 rates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland with no pension or student loan. That's £18,639.60 a year or £358.45 a week.
How much tax do I pay on £21,000?+
£1,686 income tax and £674.40 National Insurance a year, £2,360.40 in total. That's an effective rate of 11.2% of your salary.
What is £21,000 a year as an hourly rate?+
Working 37.5 hours a week, £21,000 is about £10.77 an hour before tax, or £9.56 an hour after tax.
Is £21,000 after tax different in Scotland?+
Yes. Scotland has its own income tax bands, so on £21,000 you'd take home £18,679.27 a year (£1,556.61 a month), £39.67 more than in the rest of the UK.
Estimates for information only, using 2026/27 rates. Not financial or tax advice; check your own situation with HMRC or a qualified adviser.