First jobs · 5 min read
How much should I be paid at 16, 17 or 18?
UK minimum wage from 1 April 2026 by age: £8.00 at 16-17, £10.85 at 18-20, £12.71 at 21 and over, the apprentice rate, and what to do if you're paid less.
The short answer
From 1 April 2026 the legal minimum in the UK is £8.00 an hour at 16 and 17, £10.85 an hour from 18 to 20, and £12.71 an hour at 21 and over. Apprentices under 19, or in the first year of their apprenticeship, get £8.00. Your rate rises on the pay period after your birthday. If you're paid less, you can claim the difference going back six years.
Key takeaways
- 16-17: £8.00. 18-20: £10.85. 21 and over (National Living Wage): £12.71. All from 1 April 2026.
- The apprentice rate is £8.00 for apprentices under 19 or in year one; after that you move to your age rate.
- Tips, service charges and deductions for uniform can't be used to bring your pay below the minimum.
- A new rate applies from the first full pay period after 1 April or your birthday, not the exact day.
On this pageThe 2026 rates by age
The 2026 rates by age
| Who | Hourly rate | Change on 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 21 and over (National Living Wage) | £12.71 | +50p (4.1%) |
| 18 to 20 | £10.85 | +85p (8.5%) |
| 16 to 17 | £8.00 | +45p (6.0%) |
| Apprentices under 19, or in year one | £8.00 | +45p (6.0%) |
| Accommodation offset (per day) | £11.10 | +44p |
The 18-20 rate took the biggest jump because the government has asked the Low Pay Commission to narrow the gap with the adult rate over time. Every rate changes on 1 April each year, so a figure you read in a job advert from last winter may already be out of date. The government has already announced a further 3.9% rise for the adult and 18-20 rates from April 2027.
Who counts as an apprentice for pay
The £8.00 apprentice rate is narrower than people think. It covers apprentices under 19 at any stage, and apprentices of any age during their first year. A 20 year old in the second year of a Level 3 apprenticeship is owed the 18-20 rate of £10.85, not £8.00. Your training hours, including a college day, are paid at the same rate as your working hours.
What can and can't come out of your pay
- Tips and service charges don't count towards the minimum. They're on top.
- Deductions for a uniform, tools or till shortages can't take you below the minimum for the hours worked.
- Unpaid time waiting to be let in, opening up, or doing a handover is working time.
- A salary-sacrifice scheme or a 'bonus' can't be used to make a low hourly rate look legal.
How to check your own payslip
- Write down the hours you actually worked, including training and any time you were required to be there.
- Divide your gross pay for the period by those hours.
- Compare the result with your age rate. Anything under is an underpayment, even by a few pence.
- Keep the payslip and your record. Six years of arrears can be claimed.
The rate is a floor, and many pay above it
Large supermarkets, coffee chains and some councils pay the adult rate to everyone from 16 or 18. Two shops on the same street can differ by £3 an hour for the same job, so ask the hourly rate before anything else, and whether it changes at 18.
Illustrative example: the birthday that didn't show up
A 17 year old on £8.00 turns 18 in March. The next two payslips still show £8.00. She checks the rules, sees the rate should have moved to £10.85 after the first full pay period past her birthday, and sends her manager a short message with the dates. The next payslip includes the difference. Nobody argued; the payroll system just hadn't been told.
Questions people ask
- Does the minimum wage go up on my 18th birthday?
- Yes. You move to the 18-20 rate of £10.85 from the start of the next pay reference period after your birthday. If you're paid monthly and turn 18 on the 10th, the new rate starts with the next month's pay period. Check the first payslip after the change and raise it with your manager if it hasn't moved.
- What's the apprentice minimum wage in 2026?
- £8.00 an hour from 1 April 2026, the same as the 16-17 rate. It applies to apprentices under 19 and to older apprentices in their first year. From the first day of your second year, if you're 19 or over, you're entitled to the minimum for your age, which at 19 is £10.85.
- Can my employer pay me less for a trial shift or training?
- Training time counts as working time and must be paid at least the minimum. A short unpaid trial can be lawful if it's a genuine test of ability, but a trial that's really a free shift isn't. If you're doing real work a customer is paying for, you should be paid for it.
- What do I do if I'm being paid under the minimum wage?
- Raise it with your employer first, in writing, with your hours and pay. If that doesn't fix it, call the Acas helpline or make a complaint to HMRC online; it's free and can be anonymous. HMRC can make the employer pay the arrears and a penalty. You can claim underpayments going back six years.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates · GOV.UK
- The National Minimum Wage in 2026 · Low Pay Commission, GOV.UK
- Young workers, apprentices and work experience · Acas
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.