£20,000 after tax UK (2026/27)
How to read this table: each column is one pay period. Red numbers are taken out of your pay. The last row is what you actually get.
| Item | Year | Month | Week | Day | Hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | £20,000.00 | £1,666.67 | £384.62 | £76.92 | £10.26 |
| Income Tax | -£1,486.00 | -£123.83 | -£28.58 | -£5.72 | -£0.76 |
| National Insurance | -£594.40 | -£49.53 | -£11.43 | -£2.29 | -£0.30 |
| Take-home pay | £17,919.60 | £1,493.30 | £344.61 | £68.92 | £9.19 |
Hourly figures assume 37.5 hours a week. Before tax, £20,000 is £10.26 an hour.
How your £20,000 take-home pay is worked out
- Personal Allowance (tax-free pay): £12,570.
- Pay that is taxed: £20,000 − £12,570 = £7,430.
- Basic rate: £7,430 × 20% = £1,486.00.
- National Insurance: £7,430 × 8% = £594.40.
- Take-home: £20,000 − £1,486.00 − £594.40 = £17,919.60.
All of your taxable income falls in the 20% basic rate band.
Pay rise tip: from every extra £100 you earn at this level, you keep about £72.
What a pay rise is worth on £20,000
| Pay rise | New salary | Extra take-home a month | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| +£1,000 | £21,000 | +£60.00 | 72% |
| +£2,000 | £22,000 | +£120.00 | 72% |
| +5% | £21,000 | +£60.00 | 72% |
| +10% | £22,000 | +£120.00 | 72% |
£20,000 after tax: England vs Scotland
Scotland has its own six Income Tax bands. On £20,000 you take home £17,919.60 in England, Wales or NI, which is £39.67 a year less than Scotland (£17,959.27). National Insurance is the same everywhere. See £20,000 after tax in Scotland.
£20,000 with a student loan
Student loan repayments come out of your pay with your tax. Find your plan below:
| Plan | Paid a year | Paid a month | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 2 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,493.30 |
| Plan 5 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,493.30 |
| Plan 1 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,493.30 |
| Plan 4 (Scotland) | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,493.30 |
| Postgraduate Loan | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,493.30 |
£20,000 with a pension
Pension payments come out before tax, so your take-home pay drops by less than the amount you put in. Figures are for salary sacrifice.
| You pay in | Into pension a year | Cost to take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | £600.00 | £432.00 | £1,457.30 |
| 5% | £1,000.00 | £720.00 | £1,433.30 |
| 8% | £1,600.00 | £1,152.00 | £1,397.30 |
| 10% | £2,000.00 | £1,440.00 | £1,373.30 |
Salaries close to £20,000
| Salary | Take-home a year | A month | Difference a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| £16,000 | £15,040 | £1,253 | −£240 |
| £17,000 | £15,760 | £1,313 | −£180 |
| £18,000 | £16,480 | £1,373 | −£120 |
| £19,000 | £17,200 | £1,433 | −£60 |
| £20,000 | £17,920 | £1,493 | – |
| £21,000 | £18,640 | £1,553 | +£60 |
| £22,000 | £19,360 | £1,613 | +£120 |
| £23,000 | £20,080 | £1,673 | +£180 |
| £24,000 | £20,800 | £1,733 | +£240 |
Add your own pension or student loan
Frequently asked questions
How much is £20,000 a month after tax in the UK?
How much is £20,000 a week after tax?
What tax band is £20,000 in?
Is £20,000 after tax different in Scotland?
If I get a pay rise from £20,000, how much do I keep?
Where our numbers come from
- GOV.UK – Income Tax rates and allowances
- GOV.UK – Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027
- GOV.UK – National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
Rates checked against official sources on 2026-09-28. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.