£21,000 after tax Scotland (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 | £21,000.00 | £1,750.00 | £403.85 | £80.77 | £10.77 |
| Income Tax | -£1,646.33 | -£137.19 | -£31.66 | -£6.33 | -£0.84 |
| National Insurance | -£674.40 | -£56.20 | -£12.97 | -£2.59 | -£0.35 |
| Take-home pay | £18,679.27 | £1,556.61 | £359.22 | £71.84 | £9.58 |
Hourly figures assume 37.5 hours a week. Before tax, £21,000 is £10.77 an hour.
How your £21,000 take-home pay is worked out
- Personal Allowance (tax-free pay): £12,570.
- Pay that is taxed: £21,000 − £12,570 = £8,430.
- Starter rate: £3,967 × 19% = £753.73.
- Basic rate: £4,463 × 20% = £892.60.
- National Insurance: £8,430 × 8% = £674.40.
- Take-home: £21,000 − £1,646.33 − £674.40 = £18,679.27.
Your top Scottish tax band is the basic rate (20%). Only the part of your pay inside that band is taxed at 20%.
Pay rise tip: from every extra £100 you earn at this level, you keep about £72.
What a pay rise is worth on £21,000
| Pay rise | New salary | Extra take-home a month | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| +£1,000 | £22,000 | +£60.00 | 72% |
| +£2,000 | £23,000 | +£120.00 | 72% |
| +5% | £22,050 | +£63.00 | 72% |
| +10% | £23,100 | +£126.00 | 72% |
£21,000 after tax: Scotland vs England
Scotland sets its own Income Tax rates, with six bands. On £21,000 you take home £18,679.27 in Scotland, which is £39.67 a year more than England, Wales and NI (£18,639.60). National Insurance is the same everywhere. See £21,000 after tax in England, Wales and NI.
£21,000 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 4 (Scotland) | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,556.61 |
| Plan 1 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,556.61 |
| Plan 2 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,556.61 |
| Plan 5 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,556.61 |
| Postgraduate Loan | £0.00 | £0.00 | £1,556.61 |
£21,000 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% | £630.00 | £453.60 | £1,518.81 |
| 5% | £1,050.00 | £756.00 | £1,493.61 |
| 8% | £1,680.00 | £1,209.60 | £1,455.81 |
| 10% | £2,100.00 | £1,512.00 | £1,430.61 |
Salaries close to £21,000
| Salary | Take-home a year | A month | Difference a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| £17,000 | £15,799 | £1,317 | −£240 |
| £18,000 | £16,519 | £1,377 | −£180 |
| £19,000 | £17,239 | £1,437 | −£120 |
| £20,000 | £17,959 | £1,497 | −£60 |
| £21,000 | £18,679 | £1,557 | – |
| £22,000 | £19,399 | £1,617 | +£60 |
| £23,000 | £20,119 | £1,677 | +£120 |
| £24,000 | £20,839 | £1,737 | +£180 |
| £25,000 | £21,559 | £1,797 | +£240 |
Add your own pension or student loan
Frequently asked questions
How much is £21,000 a month after tax in Scotland?
How much is £21,000 a week after tax?
What tax band is £21,000 in in Scotland?
Is £21,000 after tax different in England, Wales and NI?
If I get a pay rise from £21,000, 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.