Check whether pay meets the UK National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for any pay period from April 2023 to 2026/27. Works for hourly and salaried workers and apprentices, and shows any potential underpayment straight away.
Runs entirely in your browser — nothing you enter is sent anywhere or stored. Rules last checked against the official sources on 15 October 2026.
Your result
Fill these in and your result appears here straight away:
Estimate only, based on what you entered. Rules checked 15 October 2026.
Hourly rates by age. Each rate applies to pay periods that start on or after 1 April of that year. Source: GOV.UK
| Pay periods starting | 21 and over | 18 to 20 | Under 18 | Apprentice | Accommodation offset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 | £12.71 | £10.85 | £8.00 | £8.00 | £11.10 a day |
| 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 | £12.21 | £10.00 | £7.55 | £7.55 | £10.66 a day |
| 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 | £11.44 | £8.60 | £6.40 | £6.40 | £9.99 a day |
| 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 | £10.42 (23+)£10.18 (21–22) | £7.49 | £5.28 | £5.28 | £9.10 a day |
Until 31 March 2024 the National Living Wage started at 23, with a separate rate for 21 and 22 year olds. The accommodation offset has a weekly maximum of 7 times the daily rate. Source: GOV.UK
The M in our logo is two people shaking hands: an employer and the person they hire. We build software for both of them: MadyHR.ai for employers, MadyJobSearch.com for job seekers, and the useful parts are free.
For employers
MadyHR.ai keeps employee records, compliance tasks and reminders together, for UK employers of any size.
Free tools like this one stay free, with no email asked for.
For job seekers and employers100% free
Post UK jobs or find your next role on MadyJobSearch.com — free for employers and job seekers. No guaranteed interviews, hires or sponsorship.
Every rule and figure this calculator uses comes from the legislation and official guidance below. All links were checked on 15 October 2026.
From 1 April 2026 it is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over (the National Living Wage), £10.85 for ages 18 to 20, £8.00 for under-18s and £8.00 for apprentices.
Source: GOV.UK
The rate depends on the worker’s age on the first day of the pay period. After a birthday, the higher rate starts from the next pay period.
Source: GOV.UK
Apprentices get the apprentice rate if they are under 19, or 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship. After the first year, apprentices aged 19 or over get the rate for their age.
Source: GOV.UK
No. The check uses gross pay before tax and National Insurance, so take-home pay is not the figure to use.
Source: GOV.UK
No. Tips, gratuities and service charges can’t be used to make up the minimum wage.
Source: GOV.UK
Yes. If a worker pays for a uniform, tools or other costs the job needs, that amount is taken off their pay for the minimum wage check.
Source: GOV.UK
Yes, up to a limit — the accommodation offset, which is £11.10 a day (£77.70 a week) from April 2026. Any rent above that limit reduces pay for the minimum wage check.
Source: GOV.UK
The contracted hours for the year are divided by the number of pay periods (12 for monthly, 52 for weekly), and the salary paid for the period is compared with those hours. Where a contract gives weekly hours, employers may multiply by 52, 52.14 or 52.18 to get yearly hours — this checker uses 52.14.
Source: GOV.UK
No. It’s a free, independent tool from MadyHR.ai, not affiliated with HMRC or GOV.UK. GOV.UK has its own minimum wage calculator.
Source: GOV.UK
This checker gives an estimate for general information only, based on the figures you enter. It is not legal, payroll, employment or financial advice, and it does not decide anyone’s legal entitlement or confirm that an employer has met every legal requirement.
It covers workers paid by the hour or by yearly salary. Piece-rate work, sleep-in shifts, on-call time, unpaid absence and some deductions follow extra rules it does not handle. Penalties, interest and tax adjustments are not included. Source: GOV.UK
MadyHR.ai is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice through this checker. We accept no responsibility for decisions made using its results — always check the official guidance or take professional advice.
This is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by HM Revenue & Customs, GOV.UK, HM Government or any other government body.
The minimum wage rates are the same in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is an independent MadyHR.ai tool based on official sources, not legal or payroll advice. For anything unusual, check the sources above, use the GOV.UK calculator for employers or contact the pay and work rights helpline.
We always use a few necessary cookies to sign you in and keep that sign-in safe — those cannot be turned off. We would also like to set marketing cookies (the Meta Pixel and the Reddit Pixel) to measure our advertising. Those are entirely your choice, and everything on this site works exactly the same either way. What each category does.
