How much can I earn before paying National Insurance?
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In short: For employees, Class 1 NI starts at £12,570 a year (£242 a week). For the self-employed, Class 4 NI starts at £12,570 of annual profit.
Employees pay Class 1 National Insurance at 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 a year, and 2% above that. The £12,570 primary threshold was aligned with the Personal Allowance from July 2022.
Self-employed people pay Class 4 NI at 6% on profits between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% above that. Class 2 NI was effectively abolished from April 2024 — you only pay it voluntarily to top up your State Pension record.
If you have multiple jobs, each employer applies the threshold separately, so it is possible to pay less NI overall than someone earning the same amount in a single job.
Primary source: gov.uk/national-insurance-rates-letters