Do apprentices get the minimum wage?

Apprentices are covered by the National Minimum Wage — there is a dedicated apprentice rate, and a common and unlawful mistake by employers is leaving apprentices on it for too long.

Which rate applies to you

From 1 April 2026:

• Apprentice rate: £8.00 an hour — only if you are under 19, or aged 19+ and still in the first year of your apprenticeship
• 16–17 rate: £8.00
• 18–20 rate: £10.85
• National Living Wage (21+): £12.71

The switch point is the key: once you are aged 19 or over AND have completed the first year of the apprenticeship, you are entitled to the full rate for your age group. A 22-year-old in the second year of an apprenticeship must be paid £12.71 an hour — paying the £8.00 apprentice rate at that point is unlawful.

The rate must be paid for all working time, including time spent training or studying as part of the apprenticeship. Watch for deductions too: if your employer requires you to buy tools or a uniform and the deduction takes your effective hourly rate below the minimum, that is unlawful for NMW purposes. Tips can never be used to top wages up to the minimum.

If you are being underpaid

Check your payslips: divide total qualifying pay by total hours worked in the pay period, and compare against your rate. If it falls short:

• Raise it in writing with your employer — it may be an administrative error, especially around birthdays and apprenticeship anniversaries.
• Report it — anonymously if you prefer — to the Fair Work Agency via the Pay and Work Rights helpline (0300 123 1100). It can order up to six years of back pay plus a penalty of up to 200% of the underpayment.
• Or bring an Employment Tribunal claim for unlawful deduction from wages, via Acas Early Conciliation.

You cannot lawfully be dismissed or penalised for asserting your right to the minimum wage — that would be automatically unfair with no qualifying period of service.