Wage Details
Conversion direction
£
£0 – £200,000
Results show gross (pre-tax) rates. Visit the Take-Home Calculator to see after-tax figures.
How Hourly Rate Conversion Works
This calculator converts between annual salaries and hourly rates using your specified working pattern. The formula is:
Hourly rate = Annual salary ÷ (Hours per week × Weeks per year)
For example, a £35,000 salary with 37.5 hours per week over 52 weeks: £35,000 ÷ (37.5 × 52) = £17.95/hour.
Daily Rate
Daily rate = Annual salary ÷ (Working days per week × Weeks per year). For a standard 5-day/52-week year: £35,000 ÷ 260 = £134.62/day.
Holiday Deduction
If you want to see your rate excluding holiday pay, enter your holiday weeks above. For example, 5.6 weeks statutory holiday on a 52-week year leaves 46.4 paid working weeks.
Worked Examples
Part-Time Worker — 20 hrs/week
Annual salary£24,000
Calculation÷ 52 ÷ 20
Monthly£2,000
Daily (4d/wk)£92.31
Hourly rate£23.08
Full-Time — 37.5 hrs/week
Annual salary£35,000
Calculation÷ 52 ÷ 37.5
Monthly£2,917
Daily (5d/wk)£134.62
Hourly rate£17.95
Senior Role — 40 hrs/week
Annual salary£65,000
Calculation÷ 52 ÷ 40
Monthly£5,417
Daily (5d/wk)£250.00
Hourly rate£31.25
2025/26 Hourly Rate Reference Table
| Annual Salary | Hourly (37.5h/52w) | Daily (5d/52w) | Weekly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £10.26 | £76.92 | £384.62 | £1,666.67 |
| £25,000 | £12.82 | £96.15 | £480.77 | £2,083.33 |
| £30,000 | £15.38 | £115.38 | £576.92 | £2,500.00 |
| £35,000 | £17.95 | £134.62 | £673.08 | £2,916.67 |
| £40,000 | £20.51 | £153.85 | £769.23 | £3,333.33 |
| £50,000 | £25.64 | £192.31 | £961.54 | £4,166.67 |
| £60,000 | £30.77 | £230.77 | £1,153.85 | £5,000.00 |
2025/26 Hourly Tax Thresholds (37.5 hrs/week, 52 weeks)
| Tax Band | Annual Threshold | Equivalent Hourly Rate | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | Up to £12,570 | Up to £6.04/hr | 0% |
| Basic Rate | £12,571 – £50,270 | £6.04 – £25.78/hr | 20% |
| Higher Rate | £50,271 – £125,140 | £25.78 – £64.17/hr | 40% |
| Additional Rate | Over £125,140 | Over £64.17/hr | 45% |
| NLW (21+) | — | £12.21/hr | Legal minimum |
| NMW (18–20) | — | £10.00/hr | Legal minimum |
Hourly equivalents based on 37.5 hours per week × 52 weeks = 1,950 hours per year. Source: HMRC 2025/26.
National Living & Minimum Wage — Age Bands 2025/26
Your hourly rate must meet the legal minimum for your age group. Below are the statutory rates from April 2025.
| Age Group | Rate Apr 2025 | Rate Apr 2024 | Annual Equiv. (37.5h/52w) | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 and over | £12.21/hr | £11.44/hr | £23,810 | National Living Wage |
| 18 – 20 | £10.00/hr | £8.60/hr | £19,500 | National Minimum Wage |
| Under 18 (school leaving age+) | £7.55/hr | £6.40/hr | £14,723 | National Minimum Wage |
| Apprentices (year 1 or under 19) | £7.55/hr | £6.40/hr | £14,723 | Apprentice Rate |
Annual equivalent based on 37.5 hrs/week × 52 weeks = 1,950 hours. Source: GOV.UK / Low Pay Commission 2025/26.
📊 April 2026 NLW — What's Expected?
The Low Pay Commission is expected to recommend a further increase to the National Living Wage from April 2026. The 2025 rise was 6.7% (£11.44 → £12.21). If a similar uplift applies, the 21+ rate could reach approximately £12.40–£13.00/hr. We'll update this page as soon as the rate is confirmed. Check how a pay rise affects your take-home →
⏱ Apr 2026 ~£12.40?
Important Notes
Overtime — How Is It Calculated?Overtime pay depends on your contract. Some employers pay a flat hourly rate for all hours; others pay a premium (e.g. "time and a half" = 1.5×, "double time" = 2×) for hours above your contracted hours. Overtime is subject to Income Tax and NI in the same way as your regular pay. Use the Take-Home Pay Calculator to see the net effect of a bonus or overtime payment on your annual earnings.
Holiday PayUK workers receive a statutory minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year (28 days for a 5-day week worker). Your true hourly cost to an employer includes a holiday pay uplift of approximately 12.07% on top of your base rate. From April 2024, irregular-hours workers accrue holiday at 12.07% of hours worked each pay period.
Zero-Hours ContractsIf your hours vary week to week, HMRC and employment law require a 12-week reference period to calculate your average hours for holiday pay purposes. For this calculator, enter your average weekly hours over the past 12 weeks. Zero-hours workers are still entitled to the National Minimum Wage for every hour worked and must receive their statutory holiday pay accrual.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert my annual salary to an hourly rate?
Divide your annual salary by the total number of hours you work per year. Total hours = hours per week × paid weeks per year. For example: £35,000 ÷ (37.5 hrs × 52 weeks) = £35,000 ÷ 1,950 = £17.95/hour. For a standard 9–5 of 7.5 hours/day, 5 days/week over 52 weeks, the divisor is 1,950. Adjust the calculator inputs to match your actual pattern. To see what that translates to after tax, use our Take-Home Pay Calculator.
How is overtime paid and taxed?
Overtime pay depends entirely on your employment contract — there is no legal requirement to pay a premium rate. Many employers pay the same flat hourly rate for all hours worked; others pay "time and a half" (1.5×) or "double time" (2×) for hours above the contracted amount. All overtime is treated as ordinary employment income by HMRC: it is added to your salary and taxed through PAYE at your marginal Income Tax rate and subject to National Insurance. If an overtime payment pushes your total earnings above £50,270 in the tax year, the excess is taxed at 40% rather than 20%. There is no special reduced rate for overtime pay.
How do zero-hours contracts affect my hourly rate and holiday pay?
On a zero-hours contract your weekly pay will vary with the hours worked, but you are still entitled to the National Minimum Wage for every hour. Since April 2024, workers with irregular hours accrue statutory holiday at 12.07% of the hours worked in each pay period — this is paid as you go rather than built up for a fixed leave entitlement. To calculate your representative hourly rate for this calculator, use your average hours over the most recent 12-week reference period. Zero-hours workers have the same rights to the NLW, written terms of employment and protection from unlawful deduction from wages as any other worker.
What is the National Living Wage for 2025/26 and what's changing in April 2026?
From April 2025 the NLW (age 21+) is £12.21/hour. Workers aged 18–20 receive £10.00/hr; under-18s and first-year apprentices receive £7.55/hr. These are statutory minimums — employers can and often do pay more. For April 2026 the Low Pay Commission is expected to recommend a further uplift; based on the government's target to align the NLW with two-thirds of median hourly earnings, the rate is projected to rise to around £12.40–£13.00/hr. Confirm the final figure on GOV.UK once announced, and use our salary calculator to see the take-home impact.
Should I include holiday weeks when converting my salary to an hourly rate?
For most salaried employees the answer is no — your annual salary already includes payment for your statutory 5.6 weeks of holiday, so dividing by 52 weeks gives the correct hourly equivalent of your full-year pay. If instead you want to know the rate you are paid purely for the hours you actively work (as a freelancer might charge), deduct your holiday weeks: e.g. 52 − 5.6 = 46.4 paid working weeks. The calculator's "Holiday weeks (deduct)" field handles this. Note: the resulting rate will be higher, reflecting the fact you are not counting the weeks you are paid but not working.
How does my hourly rate compare to UK averages — and what about contractors?
The UK median gross hourly pay is approximately £17.10/hour (ONS ASHE 2024), meaning half of all employees earn above and half below this figure. Full-time workers average around £20.50/hr; part-time workers average around £13.80/hr. If you are comparing an employed hourly rate with a contractor day rate, remember that contractors must fund their own holiday, periods between contracts, employer-equivalent NI, pension and professional costs. A rule of thumb is that a contractor's day rate should be 1.5–2× the equivalent employee's daily rate to be comparable on a like-for-like basis. Use our Compare Two Salaries tool to model the after-tax difference between two income options.