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National Minimum Wage (under 18) 2026
The UK statutory National Minimum Wage (under 18) from 1 April 2026 is £8.00 per hour — up 6.0% on the £7.55 April 2025 rate.
What is the UK National Minimum Wage (under 18) in 2026?
From 1 April 2026, the UK National Minimum Wage (under 18) is £8.00 per hour — a 6.0% rise from £7.55 in April 2025. At a 37.5-hour week that is about £15,600 gross per year. The under-18 rate applies to workers above compulsory school leaving age but under 18, who are not apprentices. Source: GOV.UK National Minimum Wage rates (OGL v3.0).
Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score
The National Minimum Wage (under 18) (£8.00) equals 40.7% of ONS median full-time hourly pay (£19.67, April 2025).
How this is calculatedNational Minimum Wage (under 18) — key figures
| Rate from April 2026 | £8.00 / hour |
| Rate April 2025 | £7.55 / hour |
| Year-on-year change | +6.0% |
| Annual gross (37.5h/week) | ~£15,600 before tax |
| Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score | 40.7 / 100 |
The under-18 rate applies to workers above compulsory school leaving age but under 18, who are not apprentices.
UK Minimum Wage Calculator
Pick a worker type and your weekly hours to see real gross pay at the statutory minimum from April 2026, using the official GOV.UK rates.
The April 2026 statutory minimum for National Minimum Wage (under 18) is £8.00 per hour.
On 37.5 hours/week you would earn about £300 gross per week and £15,600 gross per year before tax and National Insurance.
That rate has a Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score of 40.7 — it equals 40.7% of the ONS median full-time hourly pay of £19.67 (April 2025).
National Minimum Wage (under 18) — FAQ
- What is the National Minimum Wage (under 18) from April 2026?
- £8.00 per hour, effective 1 April 2026 — up 6.0% from £7.55. Source: GOV.UK (OGL v3.0).
- Who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (under 18)?
- The under-18 rate applies to workers above compulsory school leaving age but under 18, who are not apprentices.
- How much is the National Minimum Wage (under 18) per year?
- At £8.00 per hour over a 37.5-hour week, the National Minimum Wage (under 18) is about £15,600 gross per year before tax. Your pay depends on your contracted hours.
- How does the National Minimum Wage (under 18) compare to average UK pay?
- Its Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score is 40.7 — the rate equals 40.7% of ONS median full-time hourly pay (£19.67, April 2025 ASHE).
Get the new rate when it changes
UK statutory rates change every 1 April. Save your email and we’ll send the new figure as soon as it’s confirmed.
Other UK minimum wage rates
Source: GOV.UK National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, effective 1 April 2026 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Median pay context: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (OGL v3.0). The Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.