Free tool

UK minimum & living wage calculator

Check the correct hourly rate for each age band, then see what it adds up to a week and a year. Rates from April 2026.

Age / status band

Hourly rate: £12.71

Hours worked per week: 37.5h

Full-time is typically 35–40 hours a week.

Per hour

£12.71

statutory minimum

Per week

£477

gross, before tax

Per year

£24,785

52 weeks, gross

Flag underpayment automatically with WagePilot

Indicative guide using the National Minimum / Living Wage rates from April 2026 (GOV.UK). Rates are reviewed every April. Gross figures only — actual pay depends on tax, National Insurance and your contract. Not legal advice. WagePilot warns you when a pay rate would breach minimum wage.

How the UK minimum wage works

Almost every UK worker of school-leaving age must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage, and those aged 21 and over the higher National Living Wage. The rate depends on age, and for apprentices on the year of their apprenticeship. From 1 April 2026 the headline rate is £12.71 an hour for the 21-and-over band (GOV.UK).

The figure that matters legally is average pay per hour across the pay reference period, so it is easy to slip below the line without meaning to: rounding clock-in times down, unpaid time spent opening up or cashing up, deductions for a uniform, or a 17-year-old turning 18 and moving up a band. HMRC can name employers who underpay and order back-pay plus penalties.

This is exactly the kind of quiet risk WagePilot removes: every person’s rate is stored against their profile, hours come from real clock-ins rather than guesswork, and the app flags a rate that would breach the minimum before it reaches payroll.

Minimum wage questions

What is the UK National Living Wage in 2026?

From 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour. Workers aged 18 to 20 get at least £10.85, and under-18s and apprentices at least £8.00. The government reviews these rates every April, so always confirm the current figure on GOV.UK.

What is the difference between the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage?

They are part of the same legal framework. The National Living Wage is simply the top band — the rate that applies to workers aged 21 and over. The National Minimum Wage is the term used for the lower age-based bands (18 to 20, under 18) and the apprentice rate. Every worker of school-leaving age is entitled to at least their band’s rate.

Does the minimum wage apply to tips and service charge?

No. Tips, gratuities and service charges cannot count towards minimum wage pay — your basic pay must already meet the rate before any tips. Since the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023, qualifying tips must also be passed on to staff fairly and in full.

How do I make sure I never underpay minimum wage?

The risk areas are unpaid time (rounding clock-ins, working through breaks), deductions for uniforms or tools, and birthdays that bump someone into a higher band. WagePilot stores each person’s rate and warns you when a pay rate would fall below the legal minimum for their age, so a quiet underpayment does not slip through.

Never underpay by accident

WagePilot stores each rate, tracks real hours and warns you before a pay rate dips below minimum wage. From £10 a month per site — staff always free.

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