National Living Wage (21+)vsUnder 18
National Living Wage (21+) +£4.71/hr· ~£9,796.80/yr FT
£12.71 vs £8.00
12 pair pages · NLW £12.71
Minimum Wage UK Comparison 2026
Compare any two UK National Minimum Wage age bands for 2026. See who has the higher floor, hourly and full-time annual gaps, and eligibility — NLW, 18–20, under-18, and apprentice.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
£4.71
Largest featured gap
6
Featured corridors
12
Pair URLs
£12.71
NLW (21+)
Compare any two age bands
Opens a dedicated page with scoreboard, hours ladder, and FAQ.
vs
Minimum wage by age band
All four statutory bands ranked by hourly rate, plus the accommodation offset note. Use the picker above to open any pair comparison.
| # | Band | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Living Wage (21+)Workers aged 21 and over | £12.71 |
| 2 | 18 to 20 year oldsWorkers aged 18, 19, or 20 | £10.85 |
| 3 | Under 18Workers under 18 who are above school leaving age | £8.00 |
| 4 | ApprenticeApprentices under 19, or aged 19+ in the first year of their apprenticeship | £8.00 |
Featured comparisons
High-intent corridors ranked by hourly gap. Open either direction for the full scoreboard.
National Living Wage (21+)vsApprentice
National Living Wage (21+) +£4.71/hr· ~£9,796.80/yr FT
£12.71 vs £8.00
18 to 20 year oldsvsUnder 18
18 to 20 year olds +£2.85/hr· ~£5,928.00/yr FT
£10.85 vs £8.00
18 to 20 year oldsvsApprentice
18 to 20 year olds +£2.85/hr· ~£5,928.00/yr FT
£10.85 vs £8.00
National Living Wage (21+)vs18 to 20 year olds
National Living Wage (21+) +£1.86/hr· ~£3,868.80/yr FT
£12.71 vs £10.85
ApprenticevsUnder 18
Both £8.00/hr
£8.00 vs £8.00
What this UK minimum wage comparison covers
Each age-band vs age-band page lines up the same legal floor metric for 2026: the statutory hourly rate, full-time annual gross at 40 hours/week, and eligibility. The winner is the higher statutory floor for workers—not average wages or take-home pay.
Statutory floor
The legal hourly minimum under UK National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage rules.
FT annual gap
Hourly gap × 40 hrs × 52 weeks — gross income difference before tax and NI.
National Living Wage
Workers aged 21+ get £12.71/hr — the highest statutory UK band.
UK-wide rates
England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland share the same NMW/NLW bands.
Wage layers
National Living Wage and age-band NMW work together
The National Living Wage is the statutory rate for ages 21+. Younger workers and apprentices have separate National Minimum Wage bands. These are not the same as voluntary Living Wage Foundation rates. The accommodation offset (£11.10/day) is a daily limit for lodging provided by employers — not an hourly wage.
National Living Wage
Ages 21+ at £12.71/hour — highest statutory floor.
Younger / apprentice bands
18–20, under-18, and apprentice rates sit below the NLW.
Accommodation offset
£11.10/day maximum that can count toward NMW/NLW when lodging is provided.
How to choose a band pair
Start with NLW vs 18–20 (largest high-intent gap), NLW vs under-18, or under-18 vs apprentice (same rate, different eligibility). Use the picker for any other combination.
Before you change payroll
- Confirm the worker's age and apprenticeship status on GOV.UK guidance.
- Verify the in-effect rates on GOV.UK National Minimum Wage pages.
- Model take-home with the UK tax and hourly calculators — floors are gross, not net.
Related hubs
Not legal advice
Rates are for educational reference from published GOV.UK National Minimum Wage sources. Always confirm with GOV.UK before changing payroll.
Frequently asked questions
Each pair compares statutory age-band floors from our 2026 tracker: hourly rates, full-time annual gross at 40 hours, and eligibility. The “winner” is the band with the higher statutory rate. Take-home after tax is separate — use our hourly and UK tax calculators.
National Living Wage (21+) vs Under 18 shows a £4.71/hour gap (National Living Wage (21+) higher), or about £9,796.80 more gross per year at 40 hrs/week. Open any pair for the hours ladder and FAQ.
Yes. Use the picker on this page or go to /minimum-wage-uk/compare/{band-a}-vs-{band-b} (for example national-living-wage-vs-18-to-20). Featured corridors are highlighted below; every valid pair resolves the same way with scoreboard, hours ladder, and FAQ.
Not necessarily. Gross floors differ, but tax code, National Insurance, and student loan deductions affect net pay. Our scoreboard is about the legal wage floor; model net pay with the tax tools.
The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71/hour — the highest statutory UK band. It is not the same as voluntary Living Wage Foundation rates.
People search both ways. Each URL is a full comparison with the same data; the scoreboard still labels the higher-wage band. Related links include the reverse matchup and each band page.
We multiply the hourly gap by 40 hours/week and 52 weeks/year. That is gross income at the statutory floor before overtime, tips, taxes, or unpaid time off.
Open the main UK minimum wage table for all four age bands plus the accommodation offset note, then return here to compare any two floors head-to-head.
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