Updated October 2026
April 2026 Statutory Rate • Official HMRC 2026/27 Legislation

£8.00 per hour — the 2026/27 Under-18 & Apprentice Minimum Wage salary

Key takeaway: At £8.00/hr for a 40-hour week you earn £16,640 gross per year. After income tax and National Insurance, take-home is about £1,292 per month. At 37.5 hours it is about £1,229 (labelled separately — the site default is 40 hours).

£8.00 per hour is the UK National Minimum Wage from April 2026 for workers under 18 and apprentices. Here is exactly what you take home after income tax and National Insurance at every common hours pattern.

Adjust your hours

40 hours

Annual Take-Home

£15,500

Weekly Gross

£320.00

Annual Gross

£16,640

Monthly Take-Home

£1,292

Net Hourly

£7.45/hr

Income Tax

£814

Employee NI

£326

Uses 2026/27 GOV.UK tax bands

Personal allowance £12,570, basic rate 20%, employee NI 8%. This site is not HMRC-endorsed.

£8.00/hr Take-Home by Hours Worked

Hours Gross / Yr Tax + NI Net / Mo Net / Hr
16 hrs£6,656£0£555£8.00
20 hrs£8,320£0£693£8.00
25 hrs£10,400£0£867£8.00
30 hrs£12,480£0£1,040£8.00
35 hrs£14,560£557£1,167£7.69
37.5 hrs£15,600£848£1,229£7.57
40 hrs£16,640£1,140£1,292£7.45
45 hrs£18,720£1,722£1,416£7.26
48 hrs£19,968£2,071£1,491£7.18

What is £8.00 per hour?

£8.00 per hour is the official National Minimum Wage for Under 18s and Apprentices (in their first year or under 19) in the UK, effective from April 2026.

Apprentice vs Under-18: Same rate, different rules

While the rate is identical, the rules are different depending on which group you fall into:

  • Under 18s: This rate applies until the day before your 18th birthday. After that, you automatically move to the 18-20 rate.
  • Apprentices: This rate applies to apprentices under 19, OR those aged 19+ who are in the first year of their apprenticeship.

How tax is calculated at £8.00/hr

If you work 37.5 hours a week at £8.00 per hour, your gross annual salary is £15,600.

  • Personal Allowance: The first £12,570 you earn is completely tax-free.
  • Taxable Income: You pay 20% Income Tax on the remaining £3,030, which equals £606.
  • National Insurance: You pay 8% NI on earnings above the £12,570 threshold, which comes to £242.

Living at home vs renting on £8.00

For many school leavers (under 18) living with parents, taking home £1,229 a month is manageable and allows for saving. However, for an adult apprentice trying to rent independently, this budget is extremely restrictive and almost always requires shared accommodation or external support.

When does an apprentice stop getting £8.00?

You stop getting the £8.00 rate as an apprentice under two conditions: (1) You complete the first 12 months of your apprenticeship AND (2) You are aged 19 or older. Once both are true, you must be paid the minimum wage rate for your age bracket (e.g. £10.85 for 19-20 year olds, or £12.71 for 21+).

Need a full payslip breakdown?

Use the detailed take-home calculator to see exactly what you keep at any hours, with annual, monthly and weekly figures and a full deductions breakdown.

Custom hours on the take-home calculator →

Frequently Asked Questions

A 40-hour week at £8.00/hr is about £1,292 take-home per month after income tax and National Insurance (tax code 1257L). At 37.5 hours it is about £1,229 — that 37.5-hour figure is labelled separately; the site default is 40 hours.
£8.00 × 40 hours × 52 weeks = £16,640 gross per year. After tax and NI the net annual figure is approximately £15,500. At 37.5 hours the gross is £15,600 and net about £14,752.
Yes, if you earn enough. Your first £12,570 is tax-free. A 40-hour week at £8.00 is £16,640 a year, so you pay 20% income tax and 8% National Insurance on the amount above the personal allowance.
A 40-hour week at £8.00 is £320.00 gross. After tax and NI you take home about £298 a week. At 37.5 hours gross weekly pay is £300.00.
Only if they are in the first year of an apprenticeship. If you are 19 or older and not an apprentice (or have completed your first year), it is illegal for your employer to pay you £8.00 an hour.

About this guide

This calculator is maintained by UKMinimumWage.co.uk using published GOV.UK rates for 2026/27. Last updated October 2026. This site is not HMRC-endorsed.