Apprentices Pay: The minimum wage for apprentices is increasing!

Apprentice pay is increasing again...

Apprentice pay is increasing yet again, which is absolutely fantastic. As of the 1st April 2022 the national minimum wage for apprentices will be £4.81.

This is yet another great step forward for apprentices and giving another boost to encourage young people to want to start an apprenticeship.

Apprentice pay historically:

Just for context the minimum wage for apprentices back in 2016 was £3.30, yes thats correct apprentices were expected to live on £3.30 per hour. I was getting paid that back in 1995 when I started my first job as a mail order packer and I’m telling you it was tough in those days.

The apprentice wages has come on leaps and bounds over recent years. Although an increase of £1.51 per hour over 5 years may not sound like a lot, you also need to take into account that you will also be receiving free training. What you also need to consider is the £4.81 is only paid if you (the apprentice) are under the age of 18 yrs or it is the first year of your apprenticeship, after this you will be paid as an apprentice the national minimum wage for your age group. Which just as an example if you are 23 yrs old will be £9.50 per hour.

Are companies actually paying this?

Now, the national minimum wage for apprentices may seem low, this is just a requirement of what apprentice employers are required to pay by law as a minimum wage. This doesn’t necessarily mean they will be paying this for their apprenticeships. In actual fact companies are paying much more.

If you are considering an apprenticeship now is a great time to start. The competition to attract apprentices to businesses is hotting up and the pandemic didn’t do it any favours, if anything it has increase the need for companies to recruit apprentices.

Due to the increased competition to attract apprentices the basic pay companies are offering is increasing with an average across the UK of £15,000 - £25,000. If you are looking for an apprenticeship in London the pay is even high with the average around £20,000 - £30,000. 

Another interesting fact is that apprentices in their twenties earn more on average than a recent university graduate be around £1,000 - £7,000 per year, so why would you want to go to university?