Minimum wage for 18 to 20 year olds

From 1 April 2026 the legal minimum for workers aged 18 to 20 is £10.85 an hour. That is £407 a week at 37.5 hours, or £21,157.50 over 52 weeks, before tax. The rate went up 85p (8.5 per cent) in April, and it is set by the government on the advice of the Low Pay Commission.

What £10.85 an hour adds up to

The sums are hours times rate times 52 weeks. Your contract and the number of paid weeks decide the real figure.

Hours a week	Weekly pay	Annual pay
20	£217.00	£11,284
30	£325.50	£16,926
37.5	£406.88	£21,157.50
40	£434.00	£22,568

A full-time 18-year-old on this rate pays income tax and National Insurance on the £8,587.50 above £12,570, which leaves about £18,753 a year before any pension. The take-home pay calculator will work it out for your own hours, and take-home pay on the National Living Wage shows the full workings for the adult rate.

Employers pay no employer National Insurance on earnings up to £50,270 for staff under 21. That makes under-21s cheaper to employ than a 21-year-old on the same salary.

How the rate has moved

From	Rate for 18 to 20
April 2024	£8.60
April 2025	£10.00
April 2026	£10.85

The rate rose by £2.25 in two years. The adult rate rose less over the same period, from £11.44 to £12.71, so the gap between 18 to 20 and 21 and over has narrowed, though it is still £1.86 an hour.

When the age bands may go

The government has told the Low Pay Commission it is committed to removing the age bands for adults and bringing the 18 to 20 rate into line with the National Living Wage. The Commission has full freedom over when that happens, and its remit asks it to put the job prospects of young workers first. No date has been set. The Commission recommends the April 2027 rates later this year, and the government decides whether to accept them. See when the minimum wage goes up for the timetable.

Public sector pay for 18 to 20 year olds

Most public sector pay is set by the job, not the age. Agenda for Change bands in the NHS, council pay spines and Civil Service grades do not have a youth rate, so an 18-year-old hired as a healthcare assistant on band 2 is on the same scale as everyone else at that band. In England that is £25,272 a year, about £12.92 an hour, from April 2026. The band 2 guide lists the jobs.

Where the minimum applies in practice is private contractors working for public bodies, casual and zero-hours posts, and apprenticeships. Public sector jobs for school leavers covers where to look. For apprentices, the £8.00 apprentice rate applies in the first year whatever your age, which is explained in the apprentice minimum wage guide.

The real Living Wage covers 18 to 20 year olds

The voluntary real Living Wage, £14.10 an hour across the UK and £15.45 in London for 2026 to 2027, applies to everyone aged 18 and over. An accredited employer cannot pay a young worker less than that rate. At 37.5 hours it is £6,337 a year more than £10.85. The real Living Wage guide explains who pays it, and the National Living Wage guide has every legal rate.

If you think you are underpaid

Compare your payslip with the rate for your age and your hours. Working time counts for travel between jobs and for required training, so those hours belong in the sum. If the figures do not match, raise it with your employer, then call ACAS for free advice. The HMRC Pay and Work Rights Helpline also takes calls about underpayment, and calls to it are confidential.