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Pay and benefits
We’re all interested in how much money we’re going to get! Did you know that the more qualifications you have, the more you'll earn. Employers say they would offer a starting salary of £1,700 more to applicants who had five good GCSEs or equivalent*.
How much?
To find out what you could earn in the job you're interested in have a look on Jobs4U or read the CODES leaflets which you can find in your school Connexions library or local Connexions centre.
National Minimum Wage
When it comes to being paid, there’s no minimum wage if you’re still at school but if you’re 16 and 17 and have left school you should be paid at least £3.30 an hour. This goes up to £4.45 for 18 to 21 year olds and if you're 22 or over it is £5.35 an hour.
- 16-17 year olds = £3.30
- 18-21 year olds = £4.45
- 22 years old and over = £5.35
From 1 October 2006
Your wages or salary
When you recieve your wages - either once a week or once a month - you'll notice that some money will already have been taken off. Once you start earning a certain amount of money (usually about £5,000), you'll start paying PAYE (Pay As You Earn) tax. This tax goes to the government and helps pay for things such as schools, hospitals and roads.
You'll also pay National Insurance contributions which go towards health and social care. This is what your National Insurance number is for. If you've started a pension or have joined a union then these payments may also be taken off your wages.
For more on working out your salary go to the earning money pages. To see what your payslip might look like go to Vacancies Online.
Useful links:
The starting work section gives lots more information on getting paid and what happens when you change jobs.
Links to other useful websites.
* Learning and Skills Council
