How £16 an hour adds up
To turn an hourly wage into a yearly salary, multiply the rate by hours worked per week, then by weeks worked per year: £16 × 37.5 × 52 = £31,200 before tax. That is the standard full-time assumption; if you take unpaid time off, use fewer weeks (for example 50 weeks gives £30,000).
The £31,200 figure is gross pay. After Income Tax and National Insurance, take-home is about £25,984 a year for England, Wales & NI — £2,165 a month or £500 a week. The exact amount depends on your circumstances, so run it through the calculator below for your own numbers.
What £16 an hour looks like by pay period
Gross: £600 a week, £1,200 every two weeks, £2,600 a month, £31,200 a year. Take-home (after tax): about £500 a week, £2,165 a month, £25,984 a year.
Estimate for England, Wales & NI, 2026/27, Income Tax and National Insurance. Assumes 37.5 hours/week × 52 weeks and no overtime, bonuses or other income. Not tax advice — verify at GOV.UK.