£21,000 Salary — Take Home Pay UK 2026/27

See exactly what you take home on a £21,000 salary after tax, National Insurance and other deductions.

Your £21,000 Salary Breakdown

Annual

Gross
£21,000.00
Income Tax
−£1,686.00
NI
−£674.40
Take Home
£18,639.60

Monthly

Gross
£1,750.00
Income Tax
−£140.50
NI
−£56.20
Take Home
£1,553.30

Weekly

Gross
£403.85
Income Tax
−£32.42
NI
−£12.97
Take Home
£358.45

Daily

Gross
£80.77
Income Tax
−£6.48
NI
−£2.59
Take Home
£71.69

11.2%

Effective rate

Combined income tax + NI as a percentage of your gross salary. Lower than your marginal rate because of the tax-free Personal Allowance.

Based on 2026/27 tax rates, standard 1257L tax code, England & Wales. No pension contributions or student loan deductions.

Customise your calculation

Add pension contributions, student loans, salary sacrifice and more.

Open with £21,000

How Tax is Calculated on £21,000

Income tax is calculated by applying each band rate only to the slice of income that falls within that band — not to your whole salary.

BandRangeRateTax
Personal Allowance£0 – £12,5700%—
Basic Rate£12,570 – £21,00020%£1,686.00
Total income tax£1,686.00
Income tax −£1,686.00
National Insurance (Class 1) −£674.40
Total deductions −£2,360.40
Take-home pay £18,639.60

Impact of a 5% Pension Contribution

Contributing 5% of your salary into a salary sacrifice pension reduces your take-home pay by less than the contribution itself — because you save income tax and National Insurance on the amount sacrificed.

Without pension

Gross salary
£21,000.00
Income tax
−£1,686.00
National Insurance
−£674.40
Take home
£18,639.60

With 5% salary sacrifice

Gross salary
£21,000.00
Pension (5%)
−£1,050.00
Income tax
−£1,476.00
National Insurance
−£590.40
Take home
£17,883.60
Result: A £1,050.00/year pension contribution only reduces take-home by £756.00/year (£63.00/month) — a saving of £294.00 compared to contributing from net pay.
Model your own pension contribution

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the take-home pay on a £21,000 salary in 2026/27?
On a £21,000 salary in 2026/27, your estimated take-home pay is £18,639.60 per year, or £1,553.30 per month (£358.45 per week), after income tax and National Insurance deductions. This assumes a standard 1257L tax code with no pension contributions or student loan.
How much income tax do I pay on £21,000?
On a £21,000 salary you pay approximately £1,686.00 in income tax per year (£140.50/month). This is taxed entirely at the 20% basic rate on earnings above the £12,570 Personal Allowance.
How much National Insurance do I pay on £21,000?
Your National Insurance contributions on a £21,000 salary are approximately £674.40 per year (£56.20/month). You pay 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270.
What is the effective tax rate on £21,000?
Your effective tax rate on a £21,000 salary is approximately 11.2% when combining income tax and National Insurance. This is lower than your marginal rate because the Personal Allowance (£12,570) and the structure of the tax bands mean not all of your income is taxed at the highest rate.
Is £21,000 a good salary in the UK?
The UK median full-time salary is around £35,000 (ONS 2024). A £21,000 salary puts you below the national median. You are below the UK median salary.
How does a pension affect take-home pay on £21,000?
A 5% pension contribution on a £21,000 salary reduces your gross pay by £1,050.00 per year. With a salary sacrifice arrangement you save income tax and National Insurance on that amount, so the actual cost to your take-home is less than the headline contribution. Use the full calculator to model exact figures for your pension type.
Do I repay my student loan on a £21,000 salary?
It depends on your plan. On Plan 1 (threshold £24,990), you do not repay at this salary as it is below the £24,990 threshold. On Plan 2 (threshold £27,295), you do not repay at this salary. On Plan 5 (threshold £25,000), you do not repay at this salary.

Related Salary Brackets

£16,000£17,000£18,000£19,000£20,000£22,000£23,000£24,000£25,000£26,000
See this salary with Scottish tax rates