£42,000 a year is how much an hour?
£42,000 a year is £21.54 an hour for a 37.5 hour week, before tax. That is £161.54 a day or £807.69 a week.
Pay before tax over 52 weeks. After-tax figures use HMRC's 2026 to 2027 rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, checked 13 November 2026.
Result
£42,000.00 a year for 37.5 hours a week is £21.54 an hour.
an hour, before tax
| A year | £42,000.00 |
|---|---|
| A month | £3,500.00 |
| A week | £807.69 |
| A day | £161.54 |
| An hour | £21.54 |
That is at least the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour for people aged 21 and over. Check the rate for your age.
Show the workings
| Step | Sum | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Pay for a year | as entered | £42,000.00 |
| A month | £42,000.00 ÷ 12 | £3,500.00 |
| A week | £42,000.00 ÷ 52 weeks | £807.69 |
| A day | £807.69 ÷ 5 days | £161.54 |
| An hour | £807.69 ÷ 37.5 hours | £21.54 |
What this leaves out or assumes
- A year is 52 weeks, the usual way to convert pay. A month is a twelfth of a year.
- These are amounts before tax and National Insurance.
Where the figures come from
- Minimum hourly wage, aged 21 and over (National Living Wage): £12.71 an hour. Source: GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates. Checked 13 November 2026.
£42,000 an hour for different hours
| Hours a week | An hour |
|---|---|
| 35 | £23.08 |
| 36 | £22.44 |
| 37 | £21.83 |
| 37.5 | £21.54 |
| 39 | £20.71 |
| 40 | £20.19 |
After tax
With tax code 1257L and no student loan or pension, £42,000 leaves £33,761.40 a year after tax, or £2,813.45 a month. That is £17.31 an hour after tax for a 37.5 hour week. £42,000 after tax, in full.