Answers · UK 2025/26

How much is the apprentice minimum wage in 2026/27?

The apprentice minimum wage for 2026/27 is £8.00 an hour. It applies to apprentices aged under 19, and to apprentices aged 19 or over who are in the first year of their apprenticeship. After the first year, over-19s move up to the normal minimum wage for their age.

Last updated: 7 June 2026Last reviewed: 7 June 2026How we verify

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The apprentice rate of the National Minimum Wage for 2026/27 is £8.00 an hour. This is the lowest of the statutory minimum wage rates and is designed to reflect the training element of an apprenticeship. You are entitled to the apprentice rate only if you are aged under 19, or aged 19 or over but in the first year of your apprenticeship. As soon as you are 19 or older and have completed that first year, your employer must pay you at least the standard minimum wage for your age. For 2026/27 the age-related rates are £10.85 an hour for 18 to 20-year-olds and £12.71 an hour, the National Living Wage, for those aged 21 and over. So a 21-year-old apprentice in their second year is entitled to £12.71, far above the £8.00 apprentice rate. As an example, an apprentice on £8.00 an hour working 37.5 hours a week earns about £300 a week, or roughly £15,600 a year, which is above the £12,570 Personal Allowance, so a small amount of Income Tax and National Insurance would be due. Apprentices must be paid for all the hours they work and for off-the-job training that forms part of the apprenticeship. Holiday pay, rest breaks and other employment rights apply just as they do to other workers. The apprentice wage is only a legal minimum, and employers are free to pay more, with many doing so to attract and keep apprentices. Use a take-home pay calculator to convert your hourly apprentice rate into a weekly, monthly or annual figure after deductions.