Enter any pay amount and select its period. The calculator converts it to hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and annual equivalents using your specified working hours and days. All figures are gross (before tax and NI). Use the take-home pay calculator to see net-of-tax figures.
Standard calculation: To convert to an hourly rate, the calculator first finds annual pay (e.g. monthly × 12), then divides by total annual hours (hours per week × weeks per year). For a 37.5-hour, 52-week year this is 1,950 hours. Daily rate uses hours per week ÷ days per week to get hours per day, then multiplies by the hourly rate.
Holiday-adjusted hourly rate shows the "true cost per productive hour" — the rate that accounts for the fact that salaried employees receive pay during holiday. UK workers are entitled to a minimum of 28 days (5.6 weeks) paid holiday per year. Deducting 5.6 weeks from 52 leaves 46.4 working weeks. The adjusted rate = annual salary ÷ (46.4 × hours per week). This is useful when comparing salaried roles with day-rate contracts.
Contractor day rates: A contractor does not receive paid holiday, so their day rate must cover their own holiday time. To compare a £400/day contract to a salaried role, you would typically use 220–230 billing days (allowing for holidays, bank holidays and between-contract gaps).
Frequently Asked Questions
A standard full-time UK employee works 37.5 hours per week over 52 weeks — 1,950 gross hours per year. After deducting the statutory minimum of 28 days (5.6 weeks) of paid holiday, actual working hours are approximately 1,740 per year. Bank holidays are not included in the statutory minimum but are commonly given in addition, reducing working hours further.
From April 2026 the National Living Wage (for workers aged 21 and over) is £12.21 per hour. The National Minimum Wage for 18–20 year olds is £10.00/hour, under-18s and apprentices is £7.55/hour. These rates apply to all UK employers. Workers receiving less than the minimum wage can report this to HMRC's National Minimum Wage team.
Divide annual salary by total working hours per year. For a 37.5-hour week over 52 weeks (1,950 hours): £35,000 ÷ 1,950 = £17.95/hour. To calculate the holiday-adjusted rate, use 46.4 working weeks (52 minus 5.6 weeks holiday): £35,000 ÷ (46.4 × 37.5) = £20.12/hour. The holiday-adjusted rate is higher because it reflects the cost of an hour of productive work including paid leave.
For salaried employees, yes — holiday pay is included in your annual salary and you receive the same monthly pay whether working or on leave. For hourly-paid workers, holiday pay is typically accrued separately at 12.07% of hours worked (equivalent to 5.6 weeks out of 46.4 working weeks). Some employers pay a "rolled-up" hourly rate that includes holiday pay — this is permissible for workers with irregular hours.
Multiply your day rate by working days per year. A 5-day week over 52 weeks is 260 days. Subtract public holidays (typically 8 in England and Wales) = 252 days. A £400/day rate = £400 × 252 = £100,800 annual equivalent. However, contractors typically bill fewer days (220–230) due to holidays, gaps between contracts and non-billable admin time. Use our day rate calculator for a full contractor comparison.
The UK median full-time hourly rate is approximately £16.50 (ONS 2024 data), equivalent to around £32,000/year. An hourly rate of £25.77/hour represents the higher-rate tax threshold at £50,270/year (37.5h/week). Professional and technical roles typically command £18–£35/hour, while senior management and specialist roles can exceed £50/hour. Use our salary calculator to compare take-home pay at different rates.