Hourly Rate Calculator UK: Salary to Hourly and Back

How the hourly rate is calculated

The sum is short. The answer depends on which hours you put in, and a 35-hour week and a 40-hour week give very different rates for the same salary.

Count your paid hours for the year.
Paid hours a year = paid hours a week × paid weeks a year
A salaried job is paid for all 52 weeks, holiday included, so use 52.
Divide the salary by those hours.
Hourly rate = yearly salary ÷ paid hours a year
Going the other way, multiply the hourly rate by the paid hours to get the salary.
Work out the other intervals. A week is the hourly rate times your weekly hours. A day is the week divided by the days you work. A month is the year divided by 12.
Compare with the legal minimum. The calculator sets your hourly rate against the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for the age band you choose, and shows the gap.

Worked examples

A £30,000 salary on a 37.5-hour week

Five days a week, paid for 52 weeks, aged 21 or over.

Paid hours a year1,950
Per year£30,000
Per month£2,500.00
Per week£576.92
Per day£115.38
Legal minimum an hour: 21 and over (National Living Wage)£12.71
Hourly rate£15.38

£13.50 an hour for 40 hours a week

Hourly rate to salary. Five days a week, 52 paid weeks, aged 21 or over.

Paid hours a year2,080
Per year£28,080
Per month£2,340.00
Per week£540.00
Per day£108.00
Legal minimum an hour: 21 and over (National Living Wage)£12.71
Hourly rate£13.50

A 19-year-old offered £19,000 for 37.5 hours

The salary sounds fine until it is turned into an hourly rate. The 18 to 20 minimum applies.

Paid hours a year1,950
Per year£19,000
Per month£1,583.33
Per week£365.38
Per day£73.08
Legal minimum an hour: 18 to 20£10.85
Hourly rate (below the minimum)£9.74

Salary to hourly rate table

Each figure is the salary divided by 52 weeks at that number of hours.

Hourly rate before tax, 52 paid weeks a year. * marks a rate below the National Living Wage of £12.71 for workers aged 21 and over.
Yearly salary	35 hours a week	37.5 hours a week	40 hours a week	Per month
£20,000	£10.99 *	£10.26 *	£9.62 *	£1,666.67
£25,000	£13.74	£12.82	£12.02 *	£2,083.33
£30,000	£16.48	£15.38	£14.42	£2,500.00
£35,000	£19.23	£17.95	£16.83	£2,916.67
£40,000	£21.98	£20.51	£19.23	£3,333.33
£45,000	£24.73	£23.08	£21.63	£3,750.00
£50,000	£27.47	£25.64	£24.04	£4,166.67
£55,000	£30.22	£28.21	£26.44	£4,583.33
£60,000	£32.97	£30.77	£28.85	£5,000.00
£65,000	£35.71	£33.33	£31.25	£5,416.67
£70,000	£38.46	£35.90	£33.65	£5,833.33
£75,000	£41.21	£38.46	£36.06	£6,250.00
£80,000	£43.96	£41.03	£38.46	£6,666.67

For the amount that reaches your bank account, use the monthly salary calculator.

The minimum wage check

These hourly rates have applied since 1 April 2026. The rate you are due depends on your age, and on whether you are an apprentice.

National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage from 1 April 2026, with the yearly pay each rate gives for a full-time week.
Who	Hourly rate	A year at 35 hours	A year at 37.5 hours	A year at 40 hours
21 and over (National Living Wage)	£12.71	£23,132	£24,785	£26,437
18 to 20	£10.85	£19,747	£21,158	£22,568
Under 18	£8.00	£14,560	£15,600	£16,640
Apprentice rate	£8.00	£14,560	£15,600	£16,640

National Living Wage. This is the name for the minimum rate for workers aged 21 and over.
Under 18. The rate covers workers who are above school leaving age.
Apprentices. The apprentice rate applies if you are under 19, or 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship. After the first year, an apprentice aged 19 or over gets the rate for their age.

For a salaried worker, GOV.UK sets out the test this way: take the basic hours in your contract for the year, divide by the number of times you are paid in a year, and divide each pay packet by that figure. Its example is a 20-year-old contracted for 2,040 hours a year and paid monthly. That is 170 hours a month, so the monthly pay must be at least £1,844.50. Hours you work beyond your basic hours must also be paid at the minimum or more.

Which hours and weeks to use

Hours a week. Use the hours in your contract that you are paid for. If lunch is unpaid, leave it out. An 8.30 to 5 day with an unpaid hour for lunch is 7.5 paid hours, or 37.5 a week.
Weeks a year. Use 52 for a normal salaried job. Your paid holiday is inside the 52 weeks. A calendar year is 52 weeks and one day, which is 52.14 weeks. If your employer uses that figure, type it in.
Unpaid weeks. If you are only paid for some weeks, for example on a term-time contract with no retainer, enter the weeks you are paid for.
Days a week. This only changes the daily figure.

If your salary is a part-time share of a full-time salary, the pro rata salary calculator works that out first.

What the result leaves out

Tax. Every figure is before income tax and National Insurance.
Unpaid overtime. If you regularly work more hours than your contract says, your real hourly rate is lower. Enter the hours you really work to see it.
The detail of minimum wage law. The legal test is done for each pay period, on the hours and pay that the rules count. This tool compares one average rate with the minimum, which is a first check and not a ruling.
Bonuses, commission and benefits. Only basic pay is used.

Common mistakes

Assuming a 40-hour week. On £30,000, the rate is £16.48 at 35 hours and £14.42 at 40. Use your own contract.
Taking holiday weeks out. Dividing a salary by 46 or 48 weeks overstates the hourly rate, because you are paid during holiday.
Comparing a contractor rate with an employee rate. A self-employed hourly rate has to cover holiday, sick days and your own tax bill.
Using the wrong age band. The minimum rises when you turn 18 and again at 21, and the rates have changed every April in recent years.

Questions people ask

How do I work out my hourly rate from my salary?

Divide your yearly salary by the number of paid hours in a year. Paid hours are your contracted hours a week multiplied by 52. For 37.5 hours a week that is 1,950 hours.

What is £30,000 a year as an hourly rate?

£15.38 an hour on a 37.5-hour week, £16.48 on a 35-hour week and £14.42 on a 40-hour week. These are before tax.

What is £15 an hour as a yearly salary?

£29,250 a year at 37.5 hours a week, or £31,200 at 40 hours. That is £2,438 and £2,600 a month before tax.

What is the minimum wage in the UK right now?

From 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour. It is £10.85 for ages 18 to 20, and £8.00 for under-18s and for apprentices on the apprentice rate.

What salary is the minimum wage for a full-time job?

At £12.71 an hour, the National Living Wage comes to £23,132 a year for 35 hours a week, £24,785 for 37.5 hours and £26,437 for 40 hours.

Can a salaried job pay less than the minimum wage?

No. Workers on a salary are covered in the same way as hourly workers. The salary for each pay period, divided by the hours it covers, must be at least the minimum rate for your age.

How many working hours are there in a year?

Multiply your weekly hours by 52. That gives 1,820 hours for a 35-hour week, 1,950 for 37.5 hours and 2,080 for 40 hours. Paid holiday is inside those hours, because a salary is paid for all 52 weeks.

Is the hourly rate before or after tax?

Before tax. Hourly rates and salaries are quoted gross. Income tax, National Insurance and any pension or student loan come off afterwards.

Sources

Figures last checked against these sources on 10 October 2026. This page gives general information and estimates, not tax, legal or financial advice.