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how much is national insurance

National Insurance (NI) in the UK is not a single fixed amount – it’s a percentage of your earnings above certain thresholds, and the rate depends on whether you’re employed, an employer, or self‑employed. For most employees in 2025/26, the main rate is 8% on a middle band of earnings and 2% on higher earnings, while employers usually pay 15% on what they pay you above a lower threshold.

What “how much is National Insurance” really means

To get an actual figure, you need three pieces of info:

  • How much you earn (per week or per month).
  • Whether you’re employed (on PAYE) or self‑employed.
  • Whether you’re asking about what you pay, what your employer pays, or both.

For a typical employee on PAYE, NI is taken automatically from your wages, so you’ll see it on your payslip as a separate line from income tax.

Typical employee rates (2025/26)

For most workers with a standard NI category (letter A on your payslip), the current structure is broadly:

  • 0% on earnings up to about £242 a week (around £1,048 a month) – you don’t pay NI on this slice.
  • 8% on earnings between roughly £242 and £967 a week (about £1,048 to £4,189 a month).
  • 2% on anything above £967 a week (above about £4,189 a month).

Your exact percentage can differ slightly if your payslip shows a different NI letter (for example for certain apprentices, under‑21s, or people with older “reduced rate” arrangements).

How much might you actually pay?

Here’s a simple example for a typical employee with standard NI (letter A), earning £2,500 a month before tax:

  • First ~£1,048: 0% NI.
  • Next portion (up to ~£4,189): charged at 8%.
  • Anything above ~£4,189: 2% (in this example, there isn’t any).

So NI each month is roughly 8% of about £1,450 (the slice between £1,048 and £2,500), which comes out to just over £100 a month in NI contributions. (The exact figure can vary slightly with rounding and real thresholds, so this is a ballpark illustration.)

What about employers and self‑employed?

  • Employers
    • Pay about 15% NI on most of your earnings above a lower “secondary threshold” (around £5,000 per year), separate from what you pay as an employee.
* This doesn’t come out of your pay; it’s an extra cost to the employer.
  • Self‑employed
    • Pay different classes of NI (mainly Class 2 and Class 4), with fixed weekly or yearly rates plus a percentage of profits above certain profit thresholds.
* If profits are low enough, you might pay less or nothing, or you might choose to pay voluntary contributions to protect your state pension.

Quick way to find your own figure

To know exactly “how much is national insurance” for you right now:

  1. Look at your latest payslip (if employed) and find the “NI” or “National Insurance” line.
  2. Check your NI category letter (usually near your tax code).
  3. Use the official online NI calculator for the current tax year and enter:
    • your pay period (weekly, monthly, etc.),
    • your gross pay before tax,
    • your NI letter.

That will show the precise amount you pay each pay period. TL;DR:
There isn’t one flat answer to “how much is National Insurance” – for most employees it’s roughly 8% on a band of earnings and 2% on the slice above a higher threshold, with nothing due on your lowest slice of pay. The exact pounds and pence depend on your income and work status, so using the official calculator or your payslip is the most accurate way to see your own number.