The apprentice minimum wage is £8.00 an hour from 1 April 2026. It applies if you are under 19, or 19 or over and in your first year. Once you are 19 or over and have finished the first year, you are owed the normal rate for your age: £10.85 at 18 to 20, £12.71 at 21 and over.
Your training time counts as paid working time, and at least 20% of your normal working hours must be spent on training (GOV.UK). The most common underpayment is an employer keeping someone on £8.00 after they have passed both tests for the higher rate.
To check the tax, NI and hourly rate on your own slip, see How do I check my payslip is correct?.
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Apprentice pay rates for 2026/27
| Who | Minimum hourly rate from 1 April 2026 | Rate from April 2025 to March 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice aged under 19 | £8.00 | £7.55 |
| Apprentice aged 19 or over, in the first year | £8.00 | £7.55 |
| Apprentice aged 19 or over, first year completed, aged 19 or 20 | £10.85 | £10.00 |
| Apprentice aged 21 or over, first year completed | £12.71 | £12.21 |
| Any worker under 18 | £8.00 | £7.55 |
Source: HMRC and DBT, National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates.
Both columns are dated, because the underpayment this page exists to catch is an employer still applying last year's rate, or still applying the apprentice rate after the reader has qualified for their age rate. Rates re-read at GOV.UK on 27 September 2026.
Other 2026/27 figures that affect an apprentice's pay
| Figure | 2026/27 value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Training time | At least 20% of normal working hours, paid | GOV.UK |
| Paid holiday | At least 20 days a year, plus bank holidays | GOV.UK |
| NI category for apprentices under 25 | H | HMRC |
| Employee NI on category H | 8% from £12,570 to £50,270, 2% above | HMRC |
| Employer NI on category H | 0% up to £50,270 (Apprentice Upper Secondary Threshold) | HMRC |
| Apprenticeship Levy | 0.5% of an employer's pay bill, less a £15,000 allowance; only employers with a pay bill over £3 million pay it | HMRC |
| Workplace pension auto-enrolment | Aged 22 to State Pension age and earning at least £10,000 a year | GOV.UK |
When the apprentice rate stops
You move off the £8.00 apprentice rate only when both of these are true (GOV.UK):
- you are 19 or over; and
- you have completed the first year of your apprenticeship.
An apprentice who starts at 21 is on £8.00 for the first year, then £12.71. An apprentice who starts at 16 stays on the apprentice rate until they turn 19, even after the first year, because the under-19 test still applies.
Worked example: the rise your employer should apply
Jamie started an apprenticeship on 1 September 2025, aged 19, working 37.5 hours a week including training.
| Period | Rate owed | Weekly pay for 37.5 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2026 (first year, old rates) | £7.55 | £283.13 |
| 1 April 2026 to 31 August 2026 (still first year) | £8.00 | £300.00 |
| From 1 September 2026 (aged 20, first year complete) | £10.85 | £406.88 |
From 1 September 2026 Jamie is owed £106.88 a week more than the apprentice rate. If the payslip still shows £8.00 an hour, Jamie is being underpaid. Arrears are worked out at the current rate for the age band that applied when the underpayment happened, and HMRC can fine an employer up to 200% of the arrears, capped at £20,000 per worker (HMRC).
Paid training time
You must be paid for your normal working hours, for training that is part of your apprenticeship, and for study towards English and maths qualifications if they are part of it (GOV.UK). Training can happen at work, at a college or training provider, or online, weekly or in blocks.
A contract that treats college days as unpaid study leave is wrong if those days are part of the apprenticeship's training.
Travel to training
For minimum wage purposes, travelling from work to a training venue counts as working time. Travelling between home and the training venue does not generally count, in the same way that your normal commute does not (HMRC). Your contract may be more generous.
National Insurance: category H
If you are an apprentice under 25, your employer should use NI category H. Your own NI is the same as category A: 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 a year and 2% above. Your employer pays no employer NI on your earnings up to £50,270 (HMRC).
For an apprentice earning £20,000, category H saves the employer (£20,000 − £5,000) × 15% = £2,250 a year compared with category A. If your payslip shows A instead of H, your take-home pay is not affected, but it is worth mentioning to payroll because the same classification error can sit alongside others. See the NI category letters guide.
Apprenticeship Levy
The levy is an employer tax: 0.5% of the pay bill, with a £15,000 annual allowance, paid only by employers whose pay bill is over £3 million (HMRC). It must never appear as a deduction from your pay.
Pension
Apprentices are auto-enrolled like other workers if they are aged 22 or over and earn at least £10,000 a year. The minimum total contribution is 8% of qualifying earnings, of which the employer pays at least 3% (GOV.UK). If you are under 22 or earn less, you can usually ask to join.
Common payslip errors for apprentices
- Still on £8.00 after turning 19 and finishing the first year.
- Training days unpaid when they are part of the apprenticeship.
- Working hours undercounted, for example travel from work to college left out.
- The Apprenticeship Levy shown as your deduction. It is an employer tax.
- Category A instead of H for an apprentice under 25. Your pay is unaffected, but ask payroll to check.
What to do if you think you are underpaid
- Work out your hourly rate: pay for the period divided by the hours worked, including paid training.
- Compare it with the rate you are owed from the table above.
- Raise it with your employer in writing. You can ask to see your pay records.
- Call the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 for free, confidential advice (Acas via GOV.UK).
- You can complain to HMRC, which enforces the minimum wage on behalf of the Fair Work Agency (GOV.UK).
Frequently asked questions
What is the apprentice minimum wage in 2026/27?
£8.00 an hour from 1 April 2026. It applies if you are under 19, or if you are 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship. The rate from April 2025 to March 2026 was £7.55.
When does an apprentice come off the apprentice rate?
When you are 19 or over and have completed the first year of your apprenticeship. You are then owed the minimum wage for your age: £10.85 at 18 to 20, or £12.71 at 21 and over, from 1 April 2026.
Do apprentices get paid for off-the-job training?
Yes. Training that is part of your apprenticeship is paid working time, and it must be at least 20% of your normal working hours. Study towards English and maths qualifications that are part of the apprenticeship is also paid.
Is travel to apprenticeship training paid?
Travelling from work to a training venue counts as working time for minimum wage purposes. Travelling between home and the training venue does not generally count, in the same way that a normal commute does not. Your contract may pay for more.
What is NI category H on an apprentice payslip?
Category H is for apprentices under 25. You pay the same employee National Insurance as category A. Your employer pays no employer National Insurance on your earnings up to £50,270 in 2026/27.
How much holiday does an apprentice get?
At least 20 days of paid holiday a year, plus bank holidays, like other employees.
Sources
All sources were opened and checked by PayslipIQ on 21 September 2026.
- HMRC and Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK): National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates. Rates from 1 April 2026 and April 2025. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- GOV.UK: Become an apprentice: what you'll get. Paid training of at least 20% of hours, holiday. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- HMRC (GOV.UK): Calculating the minimum wage: working hours. Travel to training. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- HMRC (GOV.UK): Calculating the minimum wage: enforcing the minimum wage. Arrears and penalties. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- HMRC (GOV.UK): Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027. NI thresholds and Apprenticeship Levy. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- HMRC (GOV.UK): National Insurance category letters. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- GOV.UK: Workplace pensions and what you, your employer and the government pay. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
- GOV.UK: Pay and work rights helpline and National Minimum Wage: worker disputes. Verified 21 Sep 2026.
Disclaimer
PayslipIQ provides educational guidance based on published government rules. It is not regulated employment-law advice. The GOV.UK apprenticeship pages above describe apprenticeships in England; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own apprenticeship programmes, although the minimum wage rates apply UK-wide.
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Check my payslip freePayslipIQ provides educational information and estimated calculations only. It does not provide tax, legal, financial, payroll, accounting, pension, benefits or employment advice. Always verify your payslip, tax code, deductions and take-home pay with your employer's payroll department, HMRC, your pension provider, a qualified accountant, tax adviser or another appropriately qualified professional.