Minimum wage 2027: the new UK rates and what they mean for your job search

The Low Pay Commission (LPC), the independent body of employers, trade unions and experts that advises the Government, sent its recommendations on 23 October 2026. The Government announced on 28 October that it accepted them in full. The new rates start on 1 April 2027.

Weekly figures are our own calculation, before tax and National Insurance. Over a year, a full-time worker on the National Living Wage earns about £910 more before tax, according to the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals, which puts the number of workers who benefit at around 2.3 million.

The National Minimum Wage applies to almost every worker above school leaving age, and the National Living Wage to workers aged 21 and over. It does not matter how small the employer is. According to gov.uk, you are also entitled to it if you are:

• Part-time, casual or hired for a single day, including seasonal and temporary jobs. If you are looking for that kind of work, read our guide to Christmas jobs.
• An agency worker, a trainee or on probation.
• An apprentice: the apprentice rate (£8.31 from April 2027) applies if you are under 19, or 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship. After that first year, from 19, you get the rate for your age.

A contract that pays less than the minimum wage is not legally binding: you are still owed the correct rate. The rates are the same in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Some agricultural workers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate rules and minimum rates, which can be higher than the National Minimum Wage.

The Government wants to lower the age for the National Living Wage from 21 to 18, and the 18 to 20 rate had risen faster than the adult rate in recent years. This year the LPC recommended a pause: the 18 to 20 rate rises by the same 3.9% as the National Living Wage, because demand for young workers has slowed. The gap between the two rates stays at £1.94 an hour.

For 16 and 17 year olds, most of whom are in full-time education, and for apprentices, the rate rises by 31p. The LPC notes that apprenticeship vacancies have fallen faster than vacancies overall. If you are applying for your first job or a placement, our student CV example shows how to fill a CV with school, volunteering and part-time work.

The two names are easy to mix up in a job advert. The National Living Wage is the legal minimum for workers aged 21 and over. The real Living Wage, calculated by the Living Wage Foundation from the cost of living, is a voluntary rate that accredited employers commit to pay, from age 18.

• Real Living Wage 2026 to 2027: £14.10 an hour across the UK and £15.45 in London, announced on 15 October 2026. Accredited employers have until 1 May 2027 to pay it.
• National Living Wage from April 2027: £13.21, a legal minimum that every employer must pay.

When an advert says "Living Wage employer", it usually means the higher, voluntary rate. Check the hourly figure rather than the label.

For entry-level jobs, the new rate sets the floor for every offer made for next year. Use it in three places:

1. Reading the job advert: a job that starts after 1 April 2027 at "£12.71 an hour" will have to move to at least £13.21 for workers aged 21 and over. An advert that says "competitive" without a figure is worth asking about.
2. Comparing offers: convert each one to an hourly rate. A salary of £24,000 for 40 hours a week is about £11.54 an hour, below the 2027 rate for a worker aged 21 and over.
3. Talking pay at interview: if the employer pays the minimum, the hourly rate is fixed by law, but hours, shift premiums, training and progression are not. Ask about them. Our list of questions to ask at the end of an interview has the ones that work.
4. Adverts with no salary: the Government announced on 5 November 2026 that it will make salaries in job adverts a legal requirement. Until then, ask the recruiter for the range before you apply.

• Your payslip: divide your gross pay by the hours worked in the pay period. Gov.uk has a minimum wage calculator for workers.
• Your age: the minimum wage depends on your age, so check your rate again when you turn 18 or 21.
• Deductions: tools, uniform or safety equipment you pay for yourself and are not refunded for come off the pay used to check the minimum wage. Accommodation provided by your employer can only count up to the accommodation offset.
• If something is wrong: talk to your employer first, then ask in writing to see your payment records. The Acas helpline (0300 123 1100, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm) gives free, confidential advice, and you can complain to HMRC about your employer or agency.