UK Prime Minister salary 2026: how much the PM is paid
The UK Prime Minister is paid £174,039 a year in 2026-27: £75,440 for the role of Prime Minister plus the £98,599 salary every MP receives. The PM is actually entitled to £83,837 for the role, but ministers have frozen their own pay, so the amount claimed is lower. According to gov.uk, the Prime Minister since 20 July 2026 is Andy Burnham.
In 2026-27 the Prime Minister claims £75,440 for the job, below the £83,837 they are entitled to, plus the £98,599 every MP gets, so £174,039 a year in total. That is about 7 times a full-time National Living Wage salary.
The Prime Minister's salary in numbers
| Per year (2026-27) | |
|---|---|
| Ministerial salary as Prime Minister, claimed | £75,440 |
| Ministerial salary as Prime Minister, entitled | £83,837 |
| MP salary | £98,599 |
| Total claimed | £174,039 |
| Total if the full entitlement were claimed | £182,436 |
Sources: gov.uk, "Salaries of Members of His Majesty's Government" (updated 24 September 2026), and IPSA's decision on MPs' pay for 2026-27. The entitled ministerial salaries apply from 1 April 2026.
Why the PM claims less than the entitlement
Ministerial salaries are set by law, but ministers can choose to take less. Successive governments have kept a voluntary freeze on ministerial pay, so the Prime Minister claims £75,440 rather than the £83,837 the role carries. The MP salary is different: it is set independently by IPSA, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, and every MP receives it, including the Prime Minister.
That is per month roughly £14,500 before tax in total, of which about £6,290 is the PM salary and £8,220 the MP salary.
What the Prime Minister gets on top
- Official residences: the Prime Minister has the use of Downing Street and of Chequers, the country residence.
- After leaving office: former Prime Ministers can claim the Public Duty Costs Allowance, up to £115,000 a year. It reimburses real office and staff costs for continuing public duties; it is not a salary.
How it compares with your pay
The National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour from April 2026. Full time at 37.5 hours a week that is £24,784.50 a year, so the Prime Minister earns about 7 times a full-time minimum wage salary. You have every rate in our UK minimum wage guide, and what most people earn in the average salary in the UK.
How it compares with other leaders
In euros, at the European Central Bank rate of 12 October 2026 (€1 = £0.84478), £174,039 is about €206,000. That is less than the US President (US$400,000), the Prime Minister of Canada (C$435,400) or the Prime Minister of Australia (A$622,102), and more than the President of the Government of Spain (€95,944 in 2025). Full ranking in world leaders' salaries in 2026.
What a salary does not tell you
A high salary is not the same as wealth. What builds it is the gap between what comes in and what goes out, month after month, and what you do with it. If you want to know where you stand, a net worth figure says more than any salary: Neto adds up your accounts, savings, investments and debts into one number, in pounds or any of 62 currencies, without connecting your bank. It is free to start, on iPhone and Android.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the UK Prime Minister paid in 2026?
£174,039 a year in 2026-27: £75,440 claimed as Prime Minister plus the £98,599 MP salary.
How much is the Prime Minister entitled to?
£83,837 for the role of Prime Minister from 1 April 2026, plus the MP salary, so £182,436 in total. Because of the ministerial pay freeze, £75,440 is claimed for the role.
How much does the Prime Minister earn a month?
About £14,500 before tax: roughly £6,290 as Prime Minister and £8,220 as an MP.
Who is the UK Prime Minister in 2026?
According to gov.uk, Andy Burnham has been Prime Minister since 20 July 2026.
Do former Prime Ministers get paid?
Not a salary, but they can claim the Public Duty Costs Allowance, up to £115,000 a year, to cover the real costs of their continuing public duties.
Where does the UK Prime Minister live?
The Prime Minister has the use of Downing Street in London and of Chequers, the official country residence.
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Keep reading
All guidesAverage salary UK 2026: £39,039 and take-home pay
World leaders' salaries 2026: how much presidents earn
UK minimum wage 2026: £12.71 an hour, all rates
This guide is general information and is not financial or investment advice.