The short answer: take-home pay by band, 2026/27
In shortA Band 3 officer at pay point 3 takes home about the same share of gross as the table shows, and the best use of any figure is to check it against your own payslip.
- Band 3 pp1 net a month£2,28237 hours, National
- Band 3 pp3 net a month£2,366About 77% of gross
- Band 4 net a month£2,623Spot rate £41,328
- Band 5 pp3 net a month£2,946£47,057 gross
The table takes the published National-scale 37-hour annual pay figures from the Pay Review Body's 2026 report (these already include the 20% unsocial working hours allowance, 25% for Band 2, and the equivalent 20% Required Hours Addition for Band 7), subtracts the 2026/27 alpha pension contribution, income tax and employee National Insurance, and shows what is left.
A Band 3 officer at pay point 3 gets £2,366 a month, about 77% of gross.
For the pay scales themselves see prison officer pay bands; for the hourly equivalents, prison officer hourly rate; and for what each deduction is, prison officer tax and National Insurance. To run your own numbers, use the overtime and take-home calculator.
| Pay | Gross a year | Alpha pension (rate) | Income tax | National Insurance | Net a year | Net a month | Net a week | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 OSG (25% UWH) | £31,761 | £1,461 (4.6%) | £3,546 | £1,535 | £25,219 | £2,102 | £484 | 79% |
| Band 3 pay point 1 | £34,928 | £1,607 (4.6%) | £4,150 | £1,789 | £27,382 | £2,282 | £525 | 78% |
| Band 3 pay point 2 | £36,150 | £1,663 (4.6%) | £4,383 | £1,886 | £28,217 | £2,351 | £541 | 78% |
| Band 3 pay point 3 | £36,778 | £2,004 (5.45%) | £4,441 | £1,937 | £28,396 | £2,366 | £545 | 77% |
| Band 4 spot rate | £41,328 | £2,252 (5.45%) | £5,301 | £2,301 | £31,474 | £2,623 | £604 | 76% |
| Band 5 pay point 1 | £44,900 | £2,447 (5.45%) | £5,977 | £2,586 | £33,890 | £2,824 | £650 | 75% |
| Band 5 pay point 2 | £45,966 | £2,505 (5.45%) | £6,178 | £2,672 | £34,611 | £2,884 | £664 | 75% |
| Band 5 pay point 3 | £47,057 | £2,565 (5.45%) | £6,384 | £2,759 | £35,349 | £2,946 | £678 | 75% |
Gross figures: PSPRB 25th Report, Appendix E. Alpha rates: Civil Service Pension Scheme 2026/27. Tax: GOV.UK 2026/27 (personal allowance £12,570; 20% to £50,270). NI: 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above. Net = gross minus pension, tax and NI.
How we calculated it: assumptions you should check against your payslip
In shortEvery number comes from one explicit model of 2026/27 tax, National Insurance and alpha contributions, so you can check it.
- Income tax
- The 2026/27 personal allowance is £12,570 and income tax is 20% on taxable income from £12,571 to £50,270, 40% to £125,140 and 45% above, according to GOV.UK; the allowance tapers by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000.
- National Insurance
- Employee Class 1 National Insurance is 0% below £12,570 a year, 8% between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above, per the GOV.UK 2026/27 employer rates page.
- Alpha pension
- The Civil Service Pension Scheme publishes the 2026/27 alpha member rates: 4.6% for pensionable earnings up to £36,199, 5.45% from £36,200 to £56,000, 7.35% from £56,001 to £150,000 and 8.05% above. The scheme's own factsheet shows the arithmetic as pensionable earnings multiplied by the contribution rate, so the whole amount is charged at the rate for the band you fall into.
- Pensionable pay and tax treatment
- We assume all contracted pay including the unsocial hours allowance is pensionable, which HMPPS evidence confirms for the 20% allowance, and that the contribution is deducted before income tax is worked out, as with most public service schemes. We could not confirm the tax treatment from the CSP pages we opened; your payslip's 'taxable pay' line will show it.
- Employer contribution
- The employer's pension contribution rate (28.97% for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027, falling to 22.32% from 1 April 2027 (CSPS employer notices EPN743 and EPN749)) does not come out of your pay.
- Left out on purpose: student loan repayments, other pension arrangements, trade union subscriptions, Blue Light and cycle-to-work salary sacrifice, season ticket loans, Payment Plus, market supplements, and Scottish income tax (Scottish taxpayers have different rates; see the tax guide).
- Monthly figures are annual divided by 12 and weekly figures annual divided by 52.143.
Band 3 Prison Officer take-home pay in detail
In shortBand 3 pay point 1 nets about the figure below, and moving to pay point 3 adds £628 gross but far less net because the alpha rate steps up.
Band 3 is where most readers are. HMPPS says all trainees start on a 37-hour contract and after training can choose 39 or 41 hours.
There are three pay points; Recommendation 6 moved staff in post on 31 March 2026, not on a formal poor performance procedure, up one pay point from 1 April 2026, with the aim that officers reach the maximum within three years.
At pay point 1 on 37 hours the gross figure is £34,928, which is the £29,107 base plus the 20% allowance (£5,821). After £1,607 of alpha pension at 4.6%, £4,150 of income tax and £1,789 of National Insurance, £27,382 remains.
| Pay | Gross a year | Alpha pension (rate) | Income tax | National Insurance | Net a year | Net a month | Net a week | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay point 1 (37h) | £34,928 | £1,607 (4.6%) | £4,150 | £1,789 | £27,382 | £2,282 | £525 | 78% |
| Pay point 2 (37h) | £36,150 | £1,663 (4.6%) | £4,383 | £1,886 | £28,217 | £2,351 | £541 | 78% |
| Pay point 3 (37h) | £36,778 | £2,004 (5.45%) | £4,441 | £1,937 | £28,396 | £2,366 | £545 | 77% |
The jump in alpha rate from 4.6% to 5.45% applies from £36,200 of pensionable earnings, so pay point 3 pays proportionally more pension than pay point 2.
The alpha rate step
The alpha rate steps up from 4.6% to 5.45% at £36,200 of pensionable earnings and applies to everything, not just the part above the line. Pay point 2 on 37 hours is £36,150, just inside the 4.6% band. Pay point 3 is £36,778, in the 5.45% band.
Gross pay rises by £628, pension by £342, income tax by £57 and NI by £50, so net pay rises by only £179.
This is our arithmetic from the published rules, and it means a promotion or progression across a band edge feels smaller than the headline. It is also not a loss: the extra pension still builds your alpha benefits.
What is not included
None of this reflects any market supplement, and Payment Plus or overtime is extra again. For officers at the 18 supplement prisons, see the worked example below and market supplements. To understand the contract-hour choice behind the 39 and 41 hour figures, see prison officer contract hours.
Band 3 on 39 and 41-hour contracts, and in London
In shortLonger contracts and London pay raise gross more than net, and the pensionability of additional hours is the main uncertainty.
Longer contracts raise gross pay by more than they raise net pay, because the extra earnings are taxed at 20% and 8% NI and, as pensionable pay, attract alpha contributions. We model the published figures as fully pensionable.
That is a deliberate simplification: the PSPRB tables show that unsocial hours on additional committed hours are pensionable, and the 'P' in ACHP indicates pensionable additional hours, but we could not confirm whether the non-pensionable ACH hours themselves count, so for 38, 40 and 41-hour contracts and the 39-hour ACH contract your actual pension deduction could be lower and your net higher.
| Pay | Gross a year | Alpha pension (rate) | Income tax | National Insurance | Net a year | Net a month | Net a week | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National pp1, 39h (2 x ACHP) | £36,816 | £2,006 (5.45%) | £4,448 | £1,940 | £28,422 | £2,368 | £545 | 77% |
| National pp3, 39h (2 x ACHP) | £38,766 | £2,113 (5.45%) | £4,817 | £2,096 | £29,741 | £2,478 | £570 | 77% |
| National pp1, 41h (4 x ACH) | £39,334 | £2,144 (5.45%) | £4,924 | £2,141 | £30,125 | £2,510 | £578 | 77% |
| National pp3, 41h (4 x ACH) | £41,417 | £2,257 (5.45%) | £5,318 | £2,308 | £31,534 | £2,628 | £605 | 76% |
| Outer London pp1, 37h | £38,840 | £2,117 (5.45%) | £4,831 | £2,102 | £29,791 | £2,483 | £571 | 77% |
| Outer London pp3, 37h | £40,896 | £2,229 (5.45%) | £5,219 | £2,266 | £31,182 | £2,598 | £598 | 76% |
| Inner London pp1, 37h | £40,876 | £2,228 (5.45%) | £5,216 | £2,264 | £31,168 | £2,597 | £598 | 76% |
| Inner London pp3, 37h | £43,039 | £2,346 (5.45%) | £5,625 | £2,438 | £32,631 | £2,719 | £626 | 76% |
Source: PSPRB 25th Report, Appendix E. Pensionability of ACH hours is not confirmed in the sources we read; see the sensitivity above.
Sensitivity: how big is the uncertainty?
Take a pay-point-1 officer on 41 hours (£39,334). If all of it is pensionable the pension is £2,144 and net is £30,125. If only the 37-hour figure (£34,928) were pensionable, the pension would be £1,607 at 4.6% and net £30,555, a difference of £430 a year. Check your payslip's pensionable pay line.
London
At Band 3 pay point 1 on 37 hours the published figure is £38,840 in Outer London and £40,876 in Inner London, against £34,928 National; the prisons in each zone are listed in prison officer pay London.
Remember that the National Insurance and tax bands do not change with location, so London pay is taxed the same way but at a higher gross.
Band 4 and Band 5 take-home pay
In shortBand 4 and Band 5 sit wholly in the basic rate and the 5.45% alpha band, so extra pay is taxed at 28%.
- Band 4 spot rate (37h)£41,328£34,440 base; about £2,623 a month net
- Band 4 on 39 hours£43,562With two pensionable additional hours (ACHP)
- Band 5 (37h)£44,900 to £47,057Net about £2,824 to £2,946 a month
- Band 5 on 39 hours£47,327 to £49,600With ACHP
Band 4 Supervising or Specialist Officer is a spot rate. Band 5 Custodial Manager has three pay points from pay point 1 to pay point 3 on 37 hours including the allowance.
These bands sit entirely in the 5.45% alpha band and wholly inside the basic rate of income tax, because taxable pay stays under £50,270 even after the 39-hour supplement. The National Insurance 8% applies on everything up to £50,270 gross.
Anything extra such as Payment Plus is therefore taxed at 28% and, being non-pensionable, has no pension deduction. Payment Plus at £23 an hour is below the contracted hourly figure for Band 5 pay point 3 (£24.39), a point the PSPRB noted in 2026.
| Pay | Gross a year | Alpha pension (rate) | Income tax | National Insurance | Net a year | Net a month | Net a week | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 4, 37h | £41,328 | £2,252 (5.45%) | £5,301 | £2,301 | £31,474 | £2,623 | £604 | 76% |
| Band 4, 39h (2 x ACHP) | £43,562 | £2,374 (5.45%) | £5,724 | £2,479 | £32,985 | £2,749 | £633 | 76% |
| Band 5 pp1, 37h | £44,900 | £2,447 (5.45%) | £5,977 | £2,586 | £33,890 | £2,824 | £650 | 75% |
| Band 5 pp3, 37h | £47,057 | £2,565 (5.45%) | £6,384 | £2,759 | £35,349 | £2,946 | £678 | 75% |
| Band 5 pp1, 39h (2 x ACHP) | £47,327 | £2,579 (5.45%) | £6,436 | £2,781 | £35,532 | £2,961 | £681 | 75% |
| Band 5 pp3, 39h (2 x ACHP) | £49,600 | £2,703 (5.45%) | £6,865 | £2,962 | £37,069 | £3,089 | £711 | 75% |
Source: PSPRB 25th Report, Appendix E. 39-hour figures treated as fully pensionable (ACHP).
Managers and governors: Bands 7 to 12
In shortAt manager level the alpha rate rises to 7.35%, income tax moves into the 40% band, and above £100,000 the personal allowance tapers.
Bands 7 to 11 are paid a base range or spot rate plus a 20% Required Hours Addition, which is pensionable. Band 12, the Prison Group Director, is a spot rate of £125,902 with no add-on.
A Band 12 director's pension contribution lowers adjusted net income, which softens the taper.
- The alpha rate is 7.35% from £56,001.
- Income tax moves into the 40% band above £50,270 of taxable pay.
- Above £100,000 of adjusted net income the personal allowance starts to taper away.
- Band 8 to 11 ranges are not fixed pay points: they are 10% wide ranges (since the 2024 award), with 3 1/3% progression for staff in post on 31 March 2026, capped at the band maximum.
- We show the minimum and maximum for each National scale band including the RHA. Band 6 has no published values and is omitted.
| Pay | Gross a year | Alpha pension (rate) | Income tax | National Insurance | Net a year | Net a month | Net a week | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 7 (spot) | £64,978 | £4,776 (7.35%) | £11,513 | £3,310 | £45,379 | £3,782 | £870 | 70% |
| Band 8 minimum | £68,878 | £5,063 (7.35%) | £12,958 | £3,388 | £47,469 | £3,956 | £910 | 69% |
| Band 8 maximum | £75,767 | £5,569 (7.35%) | £15,511 | £3,526 | £51,161 | £4,263 | £981 | 68% |
| Band 9 minimum | £88,216 | £6,484 (7.35%) | £20,125 | £3,775 | £57,832 | £4,819 | £1,109 | 66% |
| Band 9 maximum | £97,037 | £7,132 (7.35%) | £23,394 | £3,951 | £62,560 | £5,213 | £1,200 | 64% |
| Band 10 maximum | £107,366 | £7,891 (7.35%) | £27,222 | £4,158 | £68,095 | £5,675 | £1,306 | 63% |
| Band 11 maximum | £120,833 | £8,881 (7.35%) | £34,603 | £4,427 | £72,922 | £6,077 | £1,398 | 60% |
| Band 12 (spot, no add-on) | £125,902 | £9,254 (7.35%) | £37,421 | £4,529 | £74,699 | £6,225 | £1,433 | 59% |
Source: PSPRB 25th Report, Appendix E (National). Higher-income cases are sensitive to tax code and other income. At Band 11 maximum and Band 12 the personal allowance is partly withdrawn.
What changes your take-home: supplements, Payment Plus and one-offs
In shortMarket supplements, Payment Plus and Band 2 overtime are all non-pensionable and sit outside the tables.
| Pay | Gross a year | Alpha pension (rate) | Income tax | National Insurance | Net a year | Net a month | Net a week | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quoted £38,428, pension on £34,928 only | £38,428 | £1,607 (4.6%) | £4,850 | £2,069 | £29,902 | £2,492 | £573 | 78% |
| If all £38,428 were pensionable (for comparison) | £38,428 | £2,094 (5.45%) | £4,753 | £2,069 | £29,512 | £2,459 | £566 | 77% |
HMPPS quotes salaries for supplement prisons including the supplement; the supplement is non-pensionable (HMPPS jobs page). The second row is a comparison and not what is paid.
Market supplements
A market supplement of £1,500, £2,000, £3,000 or £3,500 a year is paid in 12 monthly instalments at 18 named prisons. Because it is not pensionable it does not move you into a higher alpha band.
At Bullingdon a pay-point-1 officer is quoted £38,428 gross (the £34,928 pensionable figure plus £3,500), pays pension on £34,928 only at 4.6%, and nets about £29,902 a year, not the £29,512 you would get if the whole of it were pensionable.
Payment Plus and Band 2 overtime
Payment Plus (£23 an hour from 1 April 2026) is taxed at your marginal rate, 28% for basic-rate taxpayers (20% tax plus 8% NI). A six-hour bedwatch earns £138 gross and about £99 net. Band 2 overtime follows the same tax treatment.
See Payment Plus explained and overtime after tax.
One-off events
The 2026/27 award was paid in June 2026 salaries and backdated to 1 April 2026 (HMPPS to the POA, CIRC 038), so that month's payslip would have shown arrears that month. If you changed pay point or contract hours mid-year, your first payslips could be lopsided.
Use the back pay calculator for the arrears and ask payroll for an itemised breakdown if the amounts do not add up.
Checklist: reconcile your payslip to these tables
In shortIf your payslip differs, the cause is usually one of seven things; work through them in order before assuming an error.
- Find your gross contracted pay and check it matches the PSPRB figure for your band, pay point, contract hours and location. If you were in post on 31 March 2026 you should have progressed one pay point in Bands 3 and 5 (unless on formal poor performance procedures).
- Check which lines count as pensionable pay and whether any market supplement, Payment Plus or overtime has been counted by mistake.
- Check your alpha rate: 4.6% up to £36,199, 5.45% to £56,000, 7.35% to £150,000, 8.05% above, applied to your whole pensionable earnings.
- Check your tax code (1257L is the standard 2026/27 code for the full allowance) and whether a tax code correction or emergency code is in use.
- Check National Insurance is 8% between £12,570 and £50,270 a year and 2% above (monthly equivalents on your payslip).
- Look for other deductions: student loan, trade union, season ticket loan, Blue Light card or other salary sacrifice.
- If still different, ask payroll for a written breakdown and raise it with your POA rep.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a prison officer take home a month in 2026?
On our model of 2026/27 deductions, a Band 3 officer on the National 37-hour contract takes home about £2,282 a month at pay point 1 (£34,928 gross) and about £2,366 at pay point 3 (£36,778 gross), after income tax, National Insurance and alpha pension. Market supplements, Payment Plus and student loan repayments are not included.
What is the take-home pay for a Band 3 prison officer on 41 hours?
At pay point 1 on the National scale the published figure is £39,334, which nets about £2,510 a month if all of it is pensionable, and about £2,628 a month at pay point 3 (£41,417). If part of the additional hours is not pensionable, take-home would be a little higher; check your payslip.
How much pension does a prison officer pay?
In the Civil Service alpha scheme for 2026/27 the member rate is 4.6% of pensionable earnings up to £36,199, 5.45% from £36,200 to £56,000, 7.35% from £56,001 to £150,000 and 8.05% above, applied to the whole amount. Unsocial hours allowance is pensionable; Payment Plus and market supplements are not.
Is a prison officer's market supplement taxed?
Yes. It is taxable earnings and attracts National Insurance, but it is not pensionable and is paid in 12 monthly instalments. Because it is not pensionable, it does not raise your alpha contribution rate or your pension.
Why is my take-home lower than your table?
Common reasons are a student loan, a tax code other than 1257L, a different pensionable pay figure, additional deductions such as union fees or salary sacrifice, or Scottish income tax rates, which we do not model. Ask payroll for a line-by-line breakdown.
Does progression to the top pay point raise take-home pay by the full amount?
Not fully. Moving from Band 3 pay point 2 (£36,150) to pay point 3 (£36,778) adds £628 gross, but because the alpha rate rises from 4.6% to 5.45% above £36,199, net pay rises by about £179 on our model.
Do these figures apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
They use England, Wales and Northern Ireland income tax rates. Northern Ireland prison officers are on different pay scales and Scottish Prison Service officers on different pay and Scottish tax rates; we have not modelled either, so use the figures only for E&W pay scales.
Sources
- assets.publishing.service.gov.ukPSPRB Twenty-Fifth Report on England and Wales 2026 (CP 1550), published 26 March 2026
- prisonandprobationjobs.gov.ukHMPPS Prison and Probation Jobs: Prison officer pay
- assets.publishing.service.gov.ukHMPPS written evidence to the PSPRB 2026/27
- civilservicepensionscheme.org.ukCivil Service Pension Scheme: member contribution rates
- civilservicepensionscheme.org.ukCivil Service Pension Scheme: alpha contributions explained factsheet
- gov.ukGOV.UK: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances
- gov.ukGOV.UK: Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027
- poauk.org.ukPOA CIRC 038 National Chair Update, April 2026 (award paid in June salaries, backdated to 1 April)