£18,000 after tax
A gross salary of £18,000 leaves you with £16,480 a year in 2026/27 — about £1,373 a month. That is £19,430 below the UK median full-time salary of £37,430.
- A month
- £1,373
- A week
- £317
- Effective tax rate
- 8.4%
- Marginal rate
- 28%
Full breakdown
| Year | Month | Week | Day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £18,000 | £1,500 | £346.15 | £69.23 |
| Income Tax | −£1,086 | −£91 | −£20.88 | −£4.18 |
| National Insurance | −£434 | −£36 | −£8.35 | −£1.67 |
| Take-home pay | £16,480 | £1,373 | £316.92 | £63.38 |
How your Income Tax is worked out
Personal allowance (tax free): £12,570
| Band | Rate | Taxed on | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic rate | 20% | £5,430 | £1,086 |
| Total Income Tax | £1,086 |
England vs Scotland on £18,000
Income Tax is devolved, so where you live changes the answer. National Insurance is the same across the UK.
| Where you live | Income Tax | National Insurance | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| England, Wales & N. Ireland | £1,086 | £434 | £16,480 |
| Scotland | £1,046 | £434 | £16,519 |
A Scottish taxpayer keeps £40 more a year — about £3.31 a month.
£18,000 with a pension or student loan
Most people have at least one of these coming off. Here is what each does to the same salary.
| Scenario | Take-home a year | A month |
|---|---|---|
| No deductions beyond tax and NI | £16,480 | £1,373 |
| With a Plan 2 student loan | £16,480 | £1,373 |
| With a Plan 5 student loan | £16,480 | £1,373 |
| With a 5% salary sacrifice pension | £15,832 | £1,319 |
| With a 5% pension and Plan 2 loan | £15,832 | £1,319 |
Want to model your own combination? Open it in the full calculator →
What £18,000 actually means month to month
On £1,500 a month gross, £91 goes to Income Tax and £36 to National Insurance, leaving £1,373. Spread across a 37.5-hour week that is £8.45 an hour of take-home pay.
Your marginal rate is 28%. That is the figure that matters when you are weighing up overtime, a bonus or a pay rise: of the next £100 you earn, £28 disappears in tax and National Insurance and you keep £72.
Questions about a £18,000 salary
How much is £18,000 a year after tax?
A £18,000 salary leaves £16,480 a year after Income Tax and National Insurance in 2026/27 — about £1,373 a month, or £317 a week. That assumes a standard 1257L tax code and no pension or student loan deductions.
How much tax do I pay on £18,000?
You pay £1,086 in Income Tax and £434 in National Insurance, a total of £1,520. That is an effective rate of 8.4% of your gross salary.
What is £18,000 a year per month?
Before tax it is £1,500 a month. After tax and National Insurance you take home £1,373 a month.
What is £18,000 a year per hour?
On a 37.5-hour week it works out at £9.23 an hour gross, or £8.45 an hour after tax and National Insurance.