How do workplace pensions work if you work part-time?

Auto-enrolment in one paragraph

Under auto-enrolment, your employer must automatically put you into a workplace pension if you're a worker aged 22 or over and under State Pension age, you work in the UK, and you earn at least £10,000 a year from that job. The minimum going in is 8% of your qualifying earnings: at least 3% from your employer and the rest from you, which includes tax relief from the government. Our lesson Auto-enrolment has the basics.

The three earnings zones

The rules depend on what one employer pays you. For 2026/27:

• Earn £10,000 or more: you're enrolled automatically, and your employer must pay in.
• Earn between £6,240 and £10,000: you won't be enrolled automatically, but you can ask to join, and your employer must still contribute. GOV.UK puts the line at more than £520 a month or £120 a week.
• Earn £6,240 or less: your employer doesn't have to contribute, but GOV.UK says you can usually still join their pension if you want to, and your employer cannot refuse.

If you're under 22, the same opt-in rights apply: you won't be enrolled automatically, but you can ask.

What it costs, with real numbers

Minimum contributions are worked out on qualifying earnings: the slice of your pay between £6,240 and £50,270 a year. Some employers use your whole pay instead, or pay more than the minimum, so check your scheme.

• Earn £15,000 a year (enrolled automatically): qualifying earnings are £8,760. Your employer pays at least £262.80 a year, and you pay £438 including tax relief.
• Earn £8,000 a year (you ask to join): qualifying earnings are £1,760. Your employer pays at least £52.80 a year. Not life-changing, but it's money you don't get if you don't ask.

Employer money is the bit people forget. It's part of your pay package, and you only get it if you're in the scheme. Free money from your boss shows how it adds up over decades.

Two part-time jobs?

Each employer looks at what it pays you. So two jobs of £7,000 each won't trigger auto-enrolment at either, even though together you earn more than £10,000. You can still ask each employer to let you join, and because each job is over £6,240, both must contribute. Having several small pots is fine; just keep track of them. Lost pots and many jobs explains how.

How to ask to join

Write to your employer or HR (an email is fine) saying you want to opt in to the workplace pension. They must tell you in writing about the scheme, how much goes in and how tax relief works.

Opting out

You can leave if you want to, and it's your decision. But if you opt out you stop getting your employer's contributions too. Your employer will also usually re-enrol you every few years, and you'd have to opt out again. Before deciding, it's worth seeing The real cost of opting out. Never let an employer pressure you to opt out: that's not allowed.

Your State Pension is separate

A workplace pension sits on top of the State Pension. The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week in 2026/27, and you build it up through your National Insurance record, not your workplace scheme. Low earners can still get NI credits in some situations: see Your National Insurance record.

The bit to remember

Over £10,000: you're in. Between £6,240 and £10,000: ask to join and your employer pays in. Below that: you can still join. Want the bigger picture? The pensions library has bite-size games on all of it.