Class 2 (C) take-home pay calculator
| Base pay | £32,000 |
| Income tax | −£3,628 |
| National Insurance | −£1,451 |
| Pension (auto-enrolment) | −£1,288 |
| Take-home pay | £25,632 |
2026/27 tax model. Auto-enrolment pension is 5% of qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270).
At a glance
On £32,000 a year gross, including night premiums and overtime, you'd keep about £2,136 a month after tax, National Insurance and pension.
How reliable is this figure?
This is an estimate, not a payslip preview. It runs on the 2026/27 tax model (Personal Allowance £12,570; employee National Insurance at 8% up to £50,270, then 2%) and the pay dataset named on this page, reviewed 23 September 2026.
Your actual take-home depends on your tax code, contract terms, overtime patterns and any benefits or deductions your employer applies. If a figure here looks surprising, check it against your latest payslip and the HMRC guidance linked under Sources below.
Scotland uses different income tax bands — toggle your nation in the calculator above. Wales follows the England bands.
| Measure | Class 2 (C), rigid | Class 1 (C+E), artic |
|---|---|---|
| Aspion standard permanent salary range, 2026 | £28,000–£36,000 a year | £38,000–£50,000 a year |
| RHA median basic hourly rate, 2026 report | £14.50 | £15.05 |
| RHA average basic hourly rate, 2026 report | £14.78 | £15.48 |
| RHA average gross weekly pay and hours | £741 at 49 hours | £883 at 55 hours |
Worked example: £32,000 gross salary, 2026/27 (England, auto-enrolment on)
| Gross annual salary | £32,000.00 |
| Auto-enrolment pension (5% of qualifying earnings) | −£1,288.00 |
| Income tax | −£3,628.40 |
| Employee National Insurance | −£1,451.36 |
| Annual take-home pay | £25,632.24 |
| Monthly take-home pay | £2,136.02 |
Assumptions and pay data
- The RHA figures are national member-survey benchmarks in the Pay Report 2026; individual employers and regions vary.
- Aspion salary ranges describe standard permanent roles in its 2026 guide, not guaranteed pay for every job.
- The worked example uses England 2026/27 tax, auto-enrolment pension at 5% of qualifying earnings and no student loan or other deductions.
- The calculator defaults to Class 2. For an articulated Class 1 offer, follow the Class 1 calculator link below.
How lorry driver pay is set
First identify the vehicle and licence
Class 2, or category C, covers rigid vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. The cab and load body form one vehicle, so the work often involves local or regional rounds: supermarket deliveries, builders’ merchants, refuse, tippers and multi-drop distribution. Class 1, or C+E, covers articulated vehicles where a tractor unit pulls a separate trailer. Those jobs include trunking between depots, retail distribution, container work and some specialist loads.
The words in an advert do not always make the distinction clear. Ask what vehicle you will drive on a normal shift, whether you will be expected to load or unload, and whether the work is multi-drop or depot-to-depot. The answers help you compare like with like and decide which calculator to use. Our Class 1 pay page covers artic roles in more detail; the Class 2 calculator page is aimed at rigid work.
Licence class is not the only factor. A local Class 2 job with a predictable finish may suit someone better than a higher-paid Class 1 night trunk. Conversely, a driver with C+E who is willing to work nights, weekends or specialist routes may find more ways to increase gross pay. A pay comparison is useful only when the hours and duties are visible alongside the rate.
Hourly rates and salaries answer different questions
The RHA report measures basic hourly rates and average weekly earnings among its member respondents. Its 2026 national table puts the Class C median basic rate at £14.50 an hour and the C+E median at £15.05. The average basic rates are £14.78 and £15.48. The gap between median and average is a reminder that a few higher-paid observations can pull an average upwards; neither number is a promise about a particular depot.
The same report gives average gross weekly earnings of £741 for Class C drivers working 49 hours, and £883 for C+E drivers working 55 hours. The weekly total combines the rate with the hours reported. It should not be read as a clean annual salary comparison: shifts vary, overtime treatment differs, and allowances such as nights-out are not in the report’s hourly table.
Aspion’s salary guide is a different kind of evidence. It gives annual ranges for permanent work: £28,000–£36,000 for Class 2 and £38,000–£50,000 for Class 1. Recruitment guides help describe advertised market expectations, while a trade association survey captures member-reported rates. Treat these as separate reference points and check the contract in front of you.
Compare the whole offer, not just the headline
A salary is easy to compare, but it hides the length of the working week. Divide annual gross by 52 and then by the expected weekly hours to get a rough hourly equivalent. For an hourly offer, multiply the rate by paid hours and weeks actually worked. Check whether breaks are paid, whether overtime is guaranteed, and how bank holidays, nights and weekends are treated. Do not assume the premium from one advert applies to every shift.
Ask how the rota behaves over a full month. A four-on-four-off pattern, an alternating weekend rota and a fixed Monday-to-Friday shift can produce different hours and different amounts of premium pay. Confirm the average paid hours, the start and finish times, and whether the quoted salary already includes overtime. If those details are missing, request them before converting the offer into a monthly figure.
Then add the employment package. Permanent roles may include paid holiday, pension contributions, sick pay, uniform, training or a bonus. Agency roles can offer a higher hourly figure and more choice of shifts, but compare the written holiday arrangement, pension, guaranteed hours and gaps between assignments. The agency-versus-employed page lays out those trade-offs for HGV work.
What the take-home estimate includes
The worked example above is generated from the site’s 2026/27 tax engine. It starts with £32,000 gross, then applies the employee auto-enrolment pension assumption, income tax and National Insurance. The result is an estimate for England with no student loan or additional deductions. It is a worked scenario, not a claim that £32,000 is the salary every rigid driver receives.
Your payslip may differ because tax code, pension scheme, student loan, salary sacrifice and payment frequency affect deductions. Scotland has separate income tax bands; select Scotland in the calculator if that is where you pay tax. Wales currently follows the England bands in this model. The methodology page explains the tax engine and its assumptions, and the UK tax guide sets out the band treatment.
For an hourly rate, switch the calculator to hourly mode and enter the hours you expect to be paid each week. If those hours fluctuate, run a low and high week separately. Include overtime only where the employer has described how it is paid. That gives you a useful range for budgeting without pretending every week will match the best one.
Sources and review method
How we selected the benchmarks
The RHA Pay Report 2026 supplies the class-specific hourly and weekly survey figures. Aspion’s 2026 salary guide supplies permanent salary ranges. They measure different things, so this page labels them separately and does not combine them into a single national “average salary”. We reviewed the figures on 4 October 2026 and link the material pay data to its source and date below.
Our editorial and calculator method is described on the site’s methodology page. For a question about a page or a source, use the contact page. The About page explains who runs Private Sector Calculators and how the site is maintained.
Lorry driver pay FAQs
How much does a lorry driver earn in the UK?
It depends on whether the job is Class 2 rigid or Class 1 artic, along with hours, location and shift. Aspion’s 2026 guide gives standard permanent ranges of £28,000–£36,000 for Class 2 and £38,000–£50,000 for Class 1. The RHA Pay Report 2026 reports median basic hourly rates of £14.50 and £15.05 respectively. Those sources describe market benchmarks, not a guaranteed offer.
Do Class 1 lorry drivers earn more than Class 2 drivers?
The cited salary guide and RHA survey both show higher figures for Class 1 C+E work than Class 2 C work. In the RHA report, the median basic hourly rates differ by 55p. The average weekly pay also reflects different reported hours: 49 for Class C and 55 for C+E. Compare duties and time worked as well as the total pay.
What is £32,000 a year after tax and pension?
In the worked example on this page, £32,000 gross leaves £25,632.24 a year, or £2,136.02 a month, after the modelled pension, income tax and National Insurance. It assumes England tax bands for 2026/27, auto-enrolment pension and no student loan or other deductions. Your own payslip can differ.
Are lorry drivers paid by the hour or by salary?
Both arrangements are common. The RHA report publishes hourly rates and weekly pay observations, while many permanent adverts state annual salary. Some agency assignments pay hourly or by the shift. For a fair comparison, establish the paid hours, overtime rules, paid breaks and holiday terms before converting the figure.
Does the calculator cover articulated lorries?
This page opens with the Class 2 calculator because many people use “lorry driver” for rigid delivery work. The calculator also asks for annual salary or hourly pay, but the Class 1 calculator is the better starting point for a C+E artic offer. Both account for nation, pension and student loan selection.
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Sources
- Road Haulage Association — Pay Report 2026. National Class C and C+E hourly rate and weekly pay tables. The RHA describes these as member survey responses and notes that allowances such as nights-out are not included in its hourly table. Published December 2025; accessed 4 October 2026.
- Aspion — HGV Driver Salary Guide 2026. Permanent salary guide ranges by licence class, including standard Class 1 and Class 2 roles. Published 2026; accessed 4 October 2026.
- GOV.UK — Income Tax rates and allowances 2026/27. Tax bands used by the take-home example; accessed 4 October 2026.
- Private Sector Calculators — Methodology. Tax calculation, pension treatment and editorial review method; accessed 4 October 2026.
These are estimates for guidance only, not financial advice. Figures are taken from the sources listed above and were correct when this page was reviewed. Your actual pay depends on your contract, hours and tax code — check your payslip and HMRC guidance if anything looks off.