£42,000 after tax
A salary of £42,000 leaves you £33,759.60 a year after tax: £2,813.30 a month, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for 2026/27. That is £5,886.00 income tax and £2,354.40 National Insurance, so you keep 80.4% of what you earn.
- Annual
- £33,760
- Monthly
- £2,813.30
- Weekly
- £649.22
- Daily (5-day week)
- £129.84
Where the money goes
| Item | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £42,000.00 | £3,500.00 |
| Income tax | −£5,886.00 | −£490.50 |
| National Insurance | −£2,354.40 | −£196.20 |
| Take-home pay | £33,759.60 | £2,813.30 |
Income tax, band by band
| Basic rate (20%) | on £29,430.00 | £5,886.00 |
Personal allowance £12,570.00, so £29,430.00 is taxable.
Is £42,000 a good salary in the UK?
By HMRC's own income distribution (SPI 2023/24, the latest published), £42,000 puts you in roughly the top 29% of UK taxpayers, the median is £29,700, so this salary out-earns about 71% of everyone who pays income tax. As an hourly figure, £42,000 is £21.54 an hour at a 37.5-hour week, and £17.31 an hour after tax. Exact rank on the salary percentile calculator.
What a £1,000 pay rise is worth
On £42,000, a £1,000 rise leaves you £720.00 better off after tax and National Insurance, you keep 72% of it. Your marginal rate is 28%.
If you live in Scotland
Scotland sets its own income tax bands. On £42,000 a Scottish taxpayer takes home £33,674.53, which is £85.07 less than in England. National Insurance is the same everywhere because it was never devolved.
Add pension and student loan →
The calculator handles all five student loan plans and the three pension arrangements.
2026/27 HMRC rates, checked 2026-08-28. Assumes the standard 1257L tax code, no pension and no student loan.