£21,000 after tax is £18,640 a year, £1,553 a month and £358 a week in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2026/27, after £1,686 Income Tax and £674 National Insurance. In Scotland the same salary takes home £18,679 a year, or £1,557 a month.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED £21,000 after tax is £18,640 a year, £1,553 a month and £358 a week in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2026/27, after £1,686 Income Tax and £674 National Insurance. In Scotland the same salary takes home £18,679 a year, or £1,557 a month.
- Monthly take-home: £1,553 (Scotland £1,557)
- Weekly: £358; hourly on a 37.5-hour week: £9.56
- Effective deduction rate: 11.2% of gross pay
- Marginal rate on the next pound: 28% (28% in Scotland)
£21,000 take-home pay, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27
| Period | Gross pay | Income Tax | National Insurance | Take-home |
| Year | £21,000 | £1,686 | £674 | £18,640 |
| Month | £1,750 | £141 | £56 | £1,553 |
| Week | £404 | £32 | £13 | £358 |
| Day (260 a year) | £81 | £6 | £3 | £72 |
| Hour (37.5-hour week) | £10.77 | £0.86 | £0.35 | £9.56 |
Source: GOV.UK Income Tax rates
KEY FACTS
- Annual take-home: £18,640
- Monthly take-home: £1,553
- Income Tax: £1,686
- National Insurance: £674
- Scotland take-home: £18,679 a year
- Tax year: 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027
How the Income Tax on £21,000 is worked out
The Personal Allowance for 2026/27 is £12,570. At £21,000 you are a basic-rate taxpayer: every pound above the £12,570 Personal Allowance is taxed at 20%, so the next pay rise keeps 72p in every pound after tax and National Insurance. Total Income Tax is £1,686 and your effective rate, counting tax and National Insurance together, is 11.2% of gross pay.
Income Tax bands applied to £21,000 (2026/27)
| Band | Income in band | Rate | Tax |
| Basic rate (20%) | £8,430 | 20% | £1,686 |
National Insurance on £21,000
Employees pay Class 1 National Insurance at 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above £50,270. On £21,000 that is £674 a year, or £56 a month. The 2% rate has no upper limit.
£21,000 after tax in Scotland
Scottish taxpayers use six Income Tax bands set by the Scottish Parliament; National Insurance is the same across the UK. On £21,000 a Scottish taxpayer pays £1,646 Income Tax and takes home £18,679 a year (£1,557 a month), which is £40 a year more than in the rest of the UK. The marginal rate on the next pound is 28%.
Scottish Income Tax on £21,000 (2026/27)
| Scottish band | Income in band | Rate | Tax |
| Starter (19%) | £3,967 | 19% | £754 |
| Basic (20%) | £4,463 | 20% | £893 |
£21,000 after tax with a student loan
Student loan repayments are taken through payroll at 9% of earnings above your plan's threshold (6% for a Postgraduate Loan). With a Plan 2 loan, £21,000 repays £0 a year, cutting monthly take-home to £1,553. Someone with both an undergraduate and a postgraduate loan repays both.
Student loan repayments on £21,000 (2026/27)
| Loan | Threshold | Repayment a year | Repayment a month | Take-home a month (outside Scotland) |
| Plan 1 | £26,900 | £0 | £0 | £1,553 |
| Plan 2 | £29,385 | £0 | £0 | £1,553 |
| Plan 4 | £33,795 | £0 | £0 | £1,553 |
| Plan 5 | £25,000 | £0 | £0 | £1,553 |
| Postgraduate Loan | £21,000 | £0 | £0 | £1,553 |
£21,000 after tax with a 5% pension
Paying 5% of salary (£1,050 a year) into a workplace pension under a net pay arrangement gives tax relief at your top rate, so take-home falls to £17,800 a year (£1,483 a month): £840 less in your pocket for £1,050 going into the pension. Salary sacrifice schemes also save National Insurance, so take-home would be slightly higher; check which method your employer uses.
How £21,000 compares with UK pay
The median full-time salary in the UK was £39,039 in April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. £21,000 is 46% below that figure. In take-home terms, a median full-time salary leaves about £2,636 a month outside Scotland, against £1,553 at this salary. See is £21,000 a good salary in the UK.
Salaries near £21,000
Each extra £1,000 of salary around this level adds about £60 a month to take-home pay.
Nearby salaries, 2026/27
| Salary | Monthly take-home | Scotland monthly |
| £16,000 | £1,253 | £1,256 |
| £20,000 | £1,493 | £1,497 |
| £22,000 | £1,613 | £1,617 |
| £26,000 | £1,853 | £1,857 |
DISCLAIMER
Figures are calculated by Kael Tripton from GOV.UK, Scottish Government and ONS rates for 2026/27, for an employee on a standard tax code (1257L, or S1257L in Scotland) with category A National Insurance and no other income or benefits. They are illustrations, not tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
How much is £21,000 a month after tax?
£1,553 a month in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2026/27, or £1,557 in Scotland, before any pension or student loan deductions.
How much is £21,000 a week after tax?
£358 a week, based on £18,640 a year divided by 52.
What is £21,000 an hour after tax?
£9.56 an hour after tax on a 37.5-hour week (1,950 hours a year). Before tax the hourly rate is £10.77.
How much tax do I pay on £21,000?
£1,686 Income Tax and £674 National Insurance, £2,360 in total, which is 11.2% of gross pay. In Scotland Income Tax is £1,646.
How much is £21,000 after tax with a Plan 2 student loan?
Plan 2 repayments are £0 a year (£0 a month), leaving £1,553 a month take-home in England.
SOURCES
- GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowance - accessed 15 October 2026
- GOV.UK: National Insurance rates - accessed 15 October 2026
- Scottish Government: Income Tax 2026 to 2027 - accessed 15 October 2026
- GOV.UK: student loan repayment thresholds - accessed 15 October 2026
- ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 - accessed 15 October 2026
