Rates by age and apprentices
Apprentice minimum wage: the rate and who it covers
Enter your age, the start date of the apprenticeship and your weekly hours: the tool gives the minimum now and once the first year is over.
Apprentice minimum: first year and after
Minimum at the start
£8.00
| First year ends | 31 August 2027 |
| From 1 September 2027 | £11.27 (National Minimum Wage (18 to 20)) |
| Weekly pay at the start | £240 |
| Weekly pay after year one | £338.10 |
After year one, an apprentice aged 19 or over moves to the rate for their age; under 19 stays on the apprentice rate. Age a year on is assumed one year older.
The apprentice rate of the minimum wage is £8.00 an hour from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, up 6.0% on April 2025. It applies to apprentices under 19, and to apprentices aged 19 or over during the first year of their apprenticeship with their current employer. After that first year, an apprentice aged 19 or over is owed the rate for their age: £10.85 at 19 or 20, £12.71 from 21. The apprentice rate has matched the 16 to 17 rate since April 2022. On 28 October 2026 the government announced £8.31 from 1 April 2027, still to be set in regulations. The lower rate needs a genuine apprenticeship, under a statutory apprenticeship agreement, a contract of apprenticeship or a recognised government programme; giving a worker the title is not enough. Apprentices are paid for their normal working hours and for the off-the-job training that is part of the apprenticeship. On 30 hours a week the apprentice rate comes to at least £240 a week; in April 2019 it was £3.90 an hour.
Minimum wage per week, month and year
Legal minimum per hour
£8.00
| Rate that applies | Apprentice rate |
| Per week | £300 |
| Per month | £1,300 |
| Per year (52 weeks) | £15,600 |
Rates and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Who counts as an apprentice
HMRC's eligibility guidance recognises three routes to the apprentice rate. The first is a statutory apprenticeship agreement, which in England comes with a contract of employment, an apprenticeship agreement and a commitment statement signed with the training provider. The second is a contract of apprenticeship, which can even be agreed orally, though a written one is good practice. The third covers workers treated as apprentices because they are on a qualifying government programme.
| Nation | Programmes treated as apprenticeships |
|---|---|
| England | Apprenticeships, Advanced Apprenticeships, Intermediate Level and Advanced Level Apprenticeships, Trailblazer Apprenticeships |
| Scotland | Modern Apprenticeships |
| Wales | Foundation Apprenticeships, Apprenticeships, Higher Apprenticeships |
| Northern Ireland | ApprenticeshipsNI |
A trainee is not the same thing. HMRC notes that the word has no legal meaning: a trainee who does work for the business is a worker and is owed the rate for their age, unless they are a genuine apprentice. Workers on government pre-apprenticeship schemes are outside the minimum wage altogether.
When the apprentice rate applies
The rate depends on age and on how far into the apprenticeship the worker is. Under 19, the year makes no difference.
| Age of the apprentice | In the first year | After the first year |
|---|---|---|
| 16 to 18 | £8.00 | £8.00 |
| 19 to 20 | £8.00 | £10.85 |
| 21 and over | £8.00 | £12.71 |
The first year is counted with the current employer. An apprentice who reaches 19 after the first year is over moves to the age rate from the first pay period that begins on or after the 19th birthday. The page on pay after the first year works through the dates.
The apprentice rate since 2019
| From April | Apprentice rate | Under 18 rate | Week of 30 hours, apprentice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | £3.90 | £4.35 | £117 |
| 2020 | £4.15 | £4.55 | £124.50 |
| 2021 | £4.30 | £4.62 | £129 |
| 2022 | £4.81 | £4.81 | £144.30 |
| 2023 | £5.28 | £5.28 | £158.40 |
| 2024 | £6.40 | £6.40 | £192 |
| 2025 | £7.55 | £7.55 | £226.50 |
| 2026 | £8.00 | £8.00 | £240 |
| 2027 (announced) | £8.31 | £8.31 | £249.30 |
Until March 2022 apprentices could be paid less than any other worker. Since then the apprentice rate and the under 18 rate have been one figure, which is why a 17 year old apprentice and a 17 year old shop worker are owed the same.
Your rise on 1 April 2027
More per week from 1 April 2027
£9.30
| Today | £8.00 an hour |
| From 1 April 2027 | £8.31 an hour |
| Rise | 3.9% |
| More per year | £483.60 |
Same age and apprenticeship on both dates. A birthday before April moves you into the next band sooner.
What an apprentice must be paid for
The GOV.UK page for apprentices says apprentices are paid for their normal working hours and for training that is part of the apprenticeship. HMRC warns that apprentices are exposed to underpayment in four ways in particular:
- time added to a shift that goes unpaid, such as handover meetings or passing through security checks;
- deductions for items connected with the job, such as uniforms and tools;
- being overcharged for accommodation the employer provides;
- tips from customers being used to make up minimum wage pay.
Training time is the biggest of these for many apprentices: a college day left unpaid lowers the real hourly rate for the whole pay period. The page on off-the-job training shows the calculation. An apprentice who thinks they have been paid too little can call Acas on 0300 123 1100, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, or use the pay and work rights complaint form.