What is a good hourly rate in the UK?

When you are offered work by the hour, the obvious question is whether the rate is any good. The honest answer is that it depends on the sector, your experience, where you live and the shifts involved. But there are clear benchmarks that help you judge any offer. Here is how to tell a fair hourly rate from a poor one in 2026.

Start with the legal minimum

No rate can legally fall below the minimum wage for your age. From April 2026 the rates are:

If you are 21 or over, any offer below £12.71 an hour is unlawful for standard work, so treat that as the floor rather than a target.

What counts as a good rate by sector

Above the minimum, "good" is relative to the job. As a rough 2026 guide for entry-level and skilled hourly work:

• Entry-level warehouse, retail, care, cleaning: £12.71 to £14 is standard, and anything from £14 up is strong for a beginner.
• Skilled and licensed work such as forklift, HGV Class 2 or door supervision: £14 to £18 is a solid rate.
• HGV Class 1, skilled trades, technical roles: £16 to £25 and up.

Rates in London and the South East run higher to reflect the cost of living, so compare like with like in your own area.

Look past the headline rate

The number per hour is only part of the story. Weigh up:

• Shift premiums: nights, weekends and bank holidays often pay more, which can lift a modest base rate considerably.
• Overtime: reliable overtime can matter more to your weekly pay than the base rate itself.
• Employed or self-employed: a self-employed rate must cover your own tax, holiday and costs, so it needs to be higher to match an employed one.
• Guaranteed hours: a good rate on unpredictable hours can pay less overall than a slightly lower rate on steady full-time work.

Turn hourly into annual

A quick way to compare an hourly rate with a salary is to multiply by the hours you work. A rough full-time year is about 37.5 hours a week for roughly 52 weeks. As a simple guide, £12.71 an hour is around £24,800 a year, £15 an hour is around £29,300, and £18 an hour is around £35,100. This helps you judge whether an hourly role or a salaried one leaves you better off.

Factor in the cost of getting there

A rate only means something after the costs of doing the job. A role paying a pound more an hour can leave you worse off if it is a long, expensive commute, involves unpaid travel between sites, or requires you to buy your own uniform or tools. Work near home at a slightly lower rate can beat a higher rate far away once fuel, parking or train fares are counted. Always weigh the take-home against what it actually costs you to turn up.

The bottom line

A good hourly rate is one that beats the minimum for your age, sits at or above the going rate for that job in your area, and comes with the shifts, overtime and security that suit your life. Do not fixate on the headline number alone. Check what you will realistically take home each week once shifts, overtime and any costs are counted, and you will judge any offer accurately.