Apprentice Pay Progression: What Happens After Your First Year (2026)
The Apprentice Rate only applies for your first year or while you're under 19 — after that, your pay jumps to the full age-based minimum wage. Here's exactly how the progression works.
The Apprentice Rate — who it applies to
The National Minimum Wage has a specific Apprentice Rate, lower than the standard age-based rates, but it only applies in narrow circumstances:
| Apprentice's situation | Rate that applies |
|---|---|
| Aged under 19 (any year of apprenticeship) | Apprentice Rate |
| Aged 19+, in the first year of their apprenticeship | Apprentice Rate |
| Aged 19+, past their first year | Full age-based National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage rate |
| Aged 18 or under, past their first year | The 16–17 or 18–20 rate (whichever applies to their age), NOT the Apprentice Rate, once past year one |
Minimum Wage Calculator
Check the UK National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates for 2025.
Open Minimum Wage calculator2026/27 rates in full
| Category | Hourly rate |
|---|---|
| Apprentice Rate (under 19, or 19+ in first year) | £8.00 |
| 16–17 (past first year, still under 18) | £8.00 |
| 18–20 (past first year) | £10.85 |
| National Living Wage (21+, past first year) | £12.71 |
Because the 16–17 rate and the Apprentice Rate are currently aligned at £8.00, a younger apprentice may not notice a pay change at the one-year mark — but an apprentice who is 19+ when they complete year one sees a substantial jump, potentially straight to £12.71/hour if they're 21 or over by that point.
Worked example: pay progression over an apprenticeship
Consider an apprentice who starts at age 20, on a 2-year apprenticeship:
| Period | Age | Year of apprenticeship | Rate that applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Months 1–12 | 20 | Year 1 | £8.00/hour (Apprentice Rate) |
| Months 13–24 | 21 | Year 2 | £12.71/hour (National Living Wage — 21+) |
The pay roughly 59% higher from month 13 onward, because both conditions (past year one, and 21+) are satisfied simultaneously at the anniversary.
What counts towards "the first year"
The first year is measured from the start date of the apprenticeship, not from the calendar year or the apprentice's start date with the employer if they were already working there in a different role before starting the apprenticeship. If someone converts from a non-apprentice role into an apprenticeship, the year-one clock starts from the apprenticeship start date.
Paid training and study time
Apprentices must be paid for:
- Normal contracted working hours
- Time spent training, whether on-site or at a college or training provider, as part of the apprenticeship
- Time spent studying for apprenticeship-related qualifications where this is a required part of the apprenticeship (not personal, voluntary extra study)
Take-Home Pay Calculator
Calculate your net salary after income tax, National Insurance and student loan deductions.
Open Take-Home Pay calculatorUnpaid "shadowing" or unpaid extra hours beyond the apprenticeship agreement are not lawful if the apprentice is in fact required to be present and working.
What to check on your payslip
- Confirm your apprenticeship start date and calculate your one-year anniversary.
- Check your date of birth against the National Minimum Wage age bands.
- If you're 19+ and past your one-year anniversary but still being paid £8.00/hour, raise this with your employer or HR immediately — this is a common (and costly) payroll error.
- Keep payslips and your apprenticeship agreement in case you need to evidence historic underpayment.
Recovering underpaid wages
If an employer fails to move an apprentice onto the correct rate on time, the apprentice can:
- Raise it informally with payroll/HR first, referencing the relevant anniversary and age.
- Contact ACAS for free advice if it isn't resolved.
- Complain to HMRC, which enforces minimum wage compliance and can order arrears plus penalties.
- Bring an employment tribunal claim for unlawful deduction from wages, with arrears potentially recoverable going back up to 6 years.
Use the National Minimum Wage calculator to check the exact rate you should be receiving at each stage of your apprenticeship.
Frequently asked questions
When does an apprentice stop being paid the Apprentice Rate?
An apprentice moves off the Apprentice Rate and onto the full age-based National Minimum Wage rate as soon as they turn 19 AND have completed the first year of their apprenticeship — whichever of those two conditions happens later.
What is the Apprentice Rate for 2026/27?
The Apprentice Rate is £8.00 an hour for 2026/27, and applies to apprentices aged under 19, or aged 19 and over but still in the first year of their apprenticeship.
If I'm 22 and in my first year of an apprenticeship, what do I get paid?
You are still entitled only to the Apprentice Rate (£8.00/hour for 2026/27) during your first year, even though you're over 21 — the Apprentice Rate applies to anyone in year one of an apprenticeship regardless of age, as long as you're 16 or over.
What happens the day after my apprenticeship's first anniversary if I'm already 19+?
You must move onto the full National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage rate for your age band from that date — for example, £12.71/hour if you're 21 or over in 2026/27, a substantial pay rise compared with the Apprentice Rate.
Does the employer have to give a pay rise automatically, or do I need to ask?
Employers are legally required to move an apprentice onto the correct rate as soon as they qualify — it's not something the apprentice needs to formally request, though it's sensible to check your payslip carefully around your anniversary date and your birthday.
Can an apprentice be paid less than the Apprentice Rate for unpaid study time?
No. Apprentices must be paid for their normal working hours plus any time spent training or studying as part of their apprenticeship (whether at their employer's premises or a college/training provider), even if that time isn't spent doing 'productive' work.
Try the calculators
Related reading
Are Unpaid Internships Legal in the UK? Minimum Wage Rules 2026
Most unpaid internships are illegal in the UK if the intern is doing real work as a 'worker'. Here's how to tell the difference between a genuine work-experience placement and an unlawfully unpaid job.
Agency Worker Rights UK 2026: The 12-Week AWR Rule Explained
The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 give temps equal pay and conditions after 12 weeks in the same job. Here's how the qualifying period works, what changes, and what doesn't.
Casual Worker Employment Status UK 2026: What Rights Do You Have?
'Casual worker' isn't a fixed legal category — your actual rights depend on whether you're an employee, worker, or genuinely self-employed. Here's how to work out your status and what it means for pay and protection.