How much is £42,000 a year after tax?
On £42,000 you take home about £33,760 a year, or £2,813 a month, in the 2026/27 tax year. Here is where the rest goes.
The short answer
For someone in England, Wales or Northern Ireland with no student loan and no pension contribution, a £42,000 salary leaves about £33,760 a year. That is about £2,813 a month or £649 a week, in the 2026/27 tax year. Use the take-home pay calculator for your own details.
Where the money goes
- Income tax: £5,886.
- National Insurance: £2,354.
- Take-home pay: £33,760. That is £42,000 less the tax and National Insurance above.
You pay 20% tax on everything above the £12,570 Personal Allowance, and 8% National Insurance on earnings above £12,570. You are in the basic rate band. In total about 19.6% of your gross pay goes in tax and National Insurance.
Per month, week and hour
| Period | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Year | £42,000 | £33,760 |
| Month | £3,500 | £2,813 |
| Week | £808 | £649 |
| Hour (37.5 hours a week) | £21.54 | £17.31 |
If your situation is different
| Situation | Take-home |
|---|---|
| Standard (England, Wales, NI) | £33,760 |
| Scotland | £33,675 |
| 5% pension, taken before tax | £32,080 |
| Student loan Plan 1 | £32,401 |
| Student loan Plan 2 | £32,624 |
| Student loan Plan 5 | £32,230 |
Each row changes one thing from the standard case. Scottish income tax has its own bands, see mygov.scot. Student loan repayments are 9% of earnings above your plan's threshold, see GOV.UK. A pension contribution lowers take-home pay but also saves for retirement.
Where to learn more
These figures are estimates for the 2026/27 tax year. Your payslip is the final word.