£42,000 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 | £42,000.00 | £3,500.00 | £807.69 | £161.54 | £21.54 |
| Income Tax | -£5,886.00 | -£490.50 | -£113.19 | -£22.64 | -£3.02 |
| National Insurance | -£2,354.40 | -£196.20 | -£45.28 | -£9.06 | -£1.21 |
| Take-home pay | £33,759.60 | £2,813.30 | £649.22 | £129.84 | £17.31 |
Hourly figures assume 37.5 hours a week. Before tax, £42,000 is £21.54 an hour.
How your £42,000 take-home pay is worked out
- Personal Allowance (tax-free pay): £12,570.
- Pay that is taxed: £42,000 − £12,570 = £29,430.
- Basic rate: £29,430 × 20% = £5,886.00.
- National Insurance: £29,430 × 8% = £2,354.40.
- Take-home: £42,000 − £5,886.00 − £2,354.40 = £33,759.60.
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 £42,000
| Pay rise | New salary | Extra take-home a month | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| +£1,000 | £43,000 | +£60.00 | 72% |
| +£2,000 | £44,000 | +£120.00 | 72% |
| +5% | £44,100 | +£126.00 | 72% |
| +10% | £46,200 | +£252.00 | 72% |
£42,000 after tax: England vs Scotland
Scotland has its own six Income Tax bands. On £42,000 you take home £33,759.60 in England, Wales or NI, which is £85.07 a year more than Scotland (£33,674.53). National Insurance is the same everywhere. See £42,000 after tax in Scotland.
£42,000 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 | £1,135.35 | £94.61 | £2,718.69 |
| Plan 5 | £1,530.00 | £127.50 | £2,685.80 |
| Plan 1 | £1,359.00 | £113.25 | £2,700.05 |
| Plan 4 (Scotland) | £738.45 | £61.54 | £2,751.76 |
| Postgraduate Loan | £1,260.00 | £105.00 | £2,708.30 |
£42,000 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% | £1,260.00 | £907.20 | £2,737.70 |
| 5% | £2,100.00 | £1,512.00 | £2,687.30 |
| 8% | £3,360.00 | £2,419.20 | £2,611.70 |
| 10% | £4,200.00 | £3,024.00 | £2,561.30 |
Salaries close to £42,000
| Salary | Take-home a year | A month | Difference a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| £38,000 | £30,880 | £2,573 | −£240 |
| £39,000 | £31,600 | £2,633 | −£180 |
| £40,000 | £32,320 | £2,693 | −£120 |
| £41,000 | £33,040 | £2,753 | −£60 |
| £42,000 | £33,760 | £2,813 | – |
| £43,000 | £34,480 | £2,873 | +£60 |
| £44,000 | £35,200 | £2,933 | +£120 |
| £45,000 | £35,920 | £2,993 | +£180 |
| £46,000 | £36,640 | £3,053 | +£240 |
Add your own pension or student loan
Frequently asked questions
How much is £42,000 a month after tax in the UK?
How much is £42,000 a week after tax?
What tax band is £42,000 in?
Is £42,000 after tax different in Scotland?
If I get a pay rise from £42,000, 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.