Weekly Wage Calculator UK 2026-27
Enter a weekly figure and say whether it is before or after tax. The calculator turns it into every other pay period — fortnightly, four-weekly, monthly and annual, gross and take-home — at 2026-27 rates, with income tax, employee National Insurance, student loan repayments and pension contributions. In after-tax mode it tells you the gross weekly wage you would need to clear that amount.
“I want to earn £600 a week” — here is what that means before tax, after tax, and by the month and year.
| Pay period | Gross | Take-home |
|---|
52 paid weeks, rest-of-UK bands, no student loan or pension unless stated. 2026-27 rates, checked August 2026.
One weekly figure, every other pay period
Before tax
Weekly wage × 52 paid weeks gives the annual figure PAYE works from. £600 a week is £31,200 a year — £1,200 a fortnight, £2,400 every four weeks and £2,600 a month (a calendar month is 4.33 weeks, which is why monthly pay always looks bigger than four weekly pays).
After tax
The calculator applies the 2026-27 personal allowance and income tax bands (rest of UK or Scottish), employee National Insurance at 8% then 2%, and any student loan and pension deductions. On £31,200 that is £5,216 a year out, so £600 gross becomes £500 in hand.
After-tax mode
Press After tax and type the weekly amount you want to keep. The calculator solves the bands backwards for the gross that produces it — £500 in hand needs about £600 gross.
Weekly gross and what you actually keep
| Per week (gross) | Per year | Take-home per week | Take-home per month | Keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £500 | £26,000 | £428 | £1,853 | 85.5% |
| £600 | £31,200 | £500 | £2,165 | 83.3% |
| £800 | £41,600 | £644 | £2,789 | 80.5% |
| £1,000 | £52,000 | £783 | £3,393 | 78.3% |
Rest-of-UK bands, 52 paid weeks, no loan or pension. The share you keep falls as pay rises because the £12,570 personal allowance is a fixed amount: it covers half of a £500 week but only a quarter of a £1,000 week, and the £1,000 row tips into the 40% band. Weekly-paid workers are taxed on a cumulative basis, so a quiet week is partly refunded through the next payslip.
The lines on a weekly payslip
| Threshold | Per year | Per week | Above it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal allowance | £12,570 | £241.73 | 20% income tax |
| NI primary threshold | £12,570 | £242 | 8% employee NI |
| Higher-rate threshold | £50,270 | £966.73 | 40% tax, 2% NI |
| Additional-rate threshold | £125,140 | £2,406.54 | 45% tax |
Between £242 and £967 a week every extra pound loses 20p income tax and 8p NI — a 28% marginal wedge. That is why a £100 weekly rise on £600 adds £144 to a £200 rise, not £200. Scottish taxpayers use six bands (19% starter to 48% top); the calculator switches at the Detailed level.
The two deductions that depend on you
Student loan. Repayments are a flat percentage of income above your plan’s threshold, taken through PAYE: Plan 1 9% over £26,900, Plan 2 9% over £29,385, Plan 4 (Scotland) 9% over £33,795, Plan 5 9% over £25,000, Postgraduate 6% over £21,000. On £600 a week (£31,200) Plan 2 costs £163 a year and Plan 5 £558; on £1,000 a week Plan 2 rises to £2,035.
Pension. Auto-enrolment takes a minimum 5% employee contribution (8% total with the employer’s 3%) on qualifying earnings. The calculator models a percentage of gross deducted before tax: 5% on £600 a week is £1,560 a year into your pot, £312 less income tax, and take-home of £476 instead of £500. Every £1 saved costs 80p of take-home at the basic rate.
Frequently asked Frequently asked questions
How much is £600 a week per year?
£31,200 before tax (52 weeks). At 2026-27 rest-of-UK rates take-home is about £25,984 a year, or £500 a week.
How do I convert a weekly wage to monthly?
Multiply by 52 and divide by 12 — a month is 4.33 weeks, not four. £600 a week is £2,600 a month gross and about £2,165 after tax and NI.
What weekly wage do I need to take home £500 a week?
About £600 a week gross, or £31,223 a year, at 2026-27 rates. Switch the calculator to After tax and enter £500 to see the breakdown.
How much tax and NI comes out of £600 a week?
£3,726 income tax and £1,490 National Insurance over the year — £100 a week — leaving £500.
Does the calculator include student loan repayments?
Yes — choose your plan at the Standard level. On £600 a week, Plan 2 takes £163 a year (9% of income over £29,385) and Plan 5 takes £558 (9% over £25,000).
What are the weekly tax thresholds for 2026-27?
The personal allowance is £241.73 a week (£12,570 a year); employee NI starts at £242 a week; the 40% band starts at £966.73 a week (£50,270 a year).
Does the calculator work for Scotland?
Yes — switch the Scottish taxpayer option at the Detailed level to use Scotland’s six 2026-27 bands (19% starter to 48% top). National Insurance is the same UK-wide.
Is the Weekly Wage Calculator free and up to date?
Yes — free, no account is required, and calculator arithmetic runs in your browser. It uses 2026-27 HMRC income tax and NI thresholds and April 2026 student loan thresholds, checked August 2026.
Where these figures come from
Every rate and threshold on this page comes from the GOV.UK and HMRC — the sources of record.
- Income Tax rates and personal allowance — GOV.UK — Income Tax rates.
- National Insurance rates and thresholds — GOV.UK — Rates and allowances: National Insurance contributions.
- Scottish Income Tax — gov.scot — Scottish Income Tax.
- Student loan repayment thresholds — GOV.UK — Repaying your student loan.
- Minimum wage rates from April 2026 — GOV.UK — National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates.
Last checked: August 2026. Tax and NI use 2026-27 thresholds; student loan thresholds are the April 2026 values.
Select the question that matches where you are right now.
Your result is one weekly figure expanded into the whole pay picture — gross and take-home by the week, fortnight, four weeks, month and year at 2026-27 rates.
Budget from the monthly take-home, compare job ads on the annual gross, and use the after-tax mode to turn the weekly amount you need into the gross wage to ask for.
Not a payslip. Tax codes, benefits in kind and cumulative PAYE adjustments move individual weeks; this is the steady-state annual picture.
Annual figures assume you are paid for 52 weeks (statutory holiday is paid). Term-time or seasonal contracts should use fewer paid weeks at the Standard level.
What moves the answer most on a weekly wage.
Between £242 and £967 a week every extra pound loses 20p tax and 8p NI. Above £967 it is 40p and 2p.
Plan 5 starts £4,385 lower than Plan 2 — on £600 a week that is the difference between £558 and £163 a year.
A 5% contribution costs £24 a week of take-home but puts £30 a week into your pot — the tax relief covers the gap.
Small structural changes move weekly take-home more than a small rise.
Weekly-paid workers with two jobs or a mid-year start often sit on an emergency code and over-pay. 1257L is the standard code for 2026-27.
Sacrificing pay for pension saves NI as well as income tax — 28p per £1 at the basic rate instead of 20p.
Decide the weekly take-home you need, use After tax to find the gross, and negotiate from there.
Your weekly wage connects to the rest of your pay picture.