£21,000 after tax in the UK (2026/27)

On a salary of £21,000 in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, your take-home pay in 2026/27 is £18,640 per year, or £1,553 per month, after £1,686 Income Tax and £674 National Insurance.

£21,000 by pay period

PeriodGrossTake-home
Yearly£21,000£18,640
Monthly£1,750£1,553
Weekly£404£358
Daily (260 working days)£81£72
Hourly (37.5-hour week)£10.77£9.56

Where the deductions go

DeductionAnnualMonthly
Income Tax£1,686£141
National Insurance£674£56
Take-home pay£18,640£1,553

Effective deduction rate: 11.2% · Marginal rate on your next pound: 28.0%.

Common variations at £21,000

ScenarioTake-home / yearvs standard
Living in Scotland£18,679£40
With a Plan 2 student loan£18,640£0
With 5% salary-sacrifice pension£17,884-£756

Adjust every option, pension, student loan plans, Scottish rates, in the interactive UK salary calculator.

Scottish taxpayer? See £21,000 after tax in Scotland.

Nearby salaries

£18,500£19,000£19,500£20,000£20,500£21,500£22,000£22,500£23,000£23,500

Frequently asked questions

Is £21,000 a good salary in the UK?

Median gross annual earnings for full-time employees in the UK were around £37,000 in 2025, so £21,000 is below the full-time median. How far it goes depends heavily on region and housing costs.

How much tax do I pay on £21,000?

£1,686 in Income Tax and £674 in employee National Insurance in 2026/27, assuming tax code 1257L, NI category A and no other deductions.

What assumptions does this page make?

Tax year 2026/27, England/Wales/NI rates (Scotland shown above), tax code 1257L, no pension, no student loan, no benefits in kind. See how we calculate UK figures.

Rates verified against HMRC's published 2026/27 rates and thresholds. Last updated 2026-11-04.