£20,000 after tax
A gross salary of £20,000 leaves you with £17,920 a year in 2026/27 — about £1,493 a month. That is £17,430 below the UK median full-time salary of £37,430.
- A month
- £1,493
- A week
- £345
- Effective tax rate
- 10.4%
- Marginal rate
- 28%
Full breakdown
| Year | Month | Week | Day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £20,000 | £1,667 | £384.62 | £76.92 |
| Income Tax | −£1,486 | −£124 | −£28.58 | −£5.72 |
| National Insurance | −£594 | −£50 | −£11.43 | −£2.29 |
| Take-home pay | £17,920 | £1,493 | £344.61 | £68.92 |
How your Income Tax is worked out
Personal allowance (tax free): £12,570
| Band | Rate | Taxed on | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic rate | 20% | £7,430 | £1,486 |
| Total Income Tax | £1,486 |
England vs Scotland on £20,000
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 | £1,486 | £594 | £17,920 |
| Scotland | £1,446 | £594 | £17,959 |
A Scottish taxpayer keeps £40 more a year — about £3.31 a month.
£20,000 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 | £17,920 | £1,493 |
| With a Plan 2 student loan | £17,920 | £1,493 |
| With a Plan 5 student loan | £17,920 | £1,493 |
| With a 5% salary sacrifice pension | £17,200 | £1,433 |
| With a 5% pension and Plan 2 loan | £17,200 | £1,433 |
Want to model your own combination? Open it in the full calculator →
What £20,000 actually means month to month
On £1,667 a month gross, £124 goes to Income Tax and £50 to National Insurance, leaving £1,493. Spread across a 37.5-hour week that is £9.19 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 £20,000 salary
How much is £20,000 a year after tax?
A £20,000 salary leaves £17,920 a year after Income Tax and National Insurance in 2026/27 — about £1,493 a month, or £345 a week. That assumes a standard 1257L tax code and no pension or student loan deductions.
How much tax do I pay on £20,000?
You pay £1,486 in Income Tax and £594 in National Insurance, a total of £2,080. That is an effective rate of 10.4% of your gross salary.
What is £20,000 a year per month?
Before tax it is £1,667 a month. After tax and National Insurance you take home £1,493 a month.
What is £20,000 a year per hour?
On a 37.5-hour week it works out at £10.26 an hour gross, or £9.19 an hour after tax and National Insurance.