Prison Officer Salary & Pay Bands UK 2026/27: Bands 2-12

In shortFrom 1 April 2026, national pay for a 37 hour week including the 20% unsocial hours allowance runs from the Band 3 officer up to the Band 5 custodial manager.

Band 5 salary: see the Band 5 Custodial Manager pay guide. Band 4 salary: see the Band 4 Supervising Officer pay guide.

Ranks and pay: the ranks and grades guide explains who sits in each band. Scotland: see Scottish Prison Service pay. The latest award: the pay rise tracker is updated as news breaks.

In shortOne structure, Fair and Sustainable, sets pay for operational staff in England and Wales; the table gives national pay at 37 hours as base pay and as the usually advertised figure.

The Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) sets pay for operational staff in England and Wales on a single structure called Fair and Sustainable, and more than 99% of the remit group is now on it. The structure is a ladder of bands.

Each band has a title, a pay type (a spot rate, a short run of pay points, or a range) and, for most operational roles, an allowance built into the headline figure. The table below shows national pay at the 37 hour contract, both as base pay and as the figure usually advertised.

Everything here is for England and Wales (HMPPS), effective 1 April 2026, and taken from Appendix E of the PSPRB report (published 26 March 2026) and the HMPPS jobs site. Figures are as at 3 October 2026.

Nothing below should be read as a prediction about 2027/28; that process is covered in our guide to the 2027/28 pay round.

UWH

Unsocial working hours allowance: 20% for Bands 3 to 5, and a temporary 25% for Band 2.

RHA

Required hours addition: 20% for Bands 7 to 11.

Band 12

No addition, because its spot rate is already inclusive.

Bands 3 and 5

The range shown runs from the first pay point to the third.

In shortNumbered bands replaced the old grades; what you are paid depends on your band, how pay moves in it, your location and your contract hours.

Fair and Sustainable replaced a patchwork of older grades (Prison Officer, Senior Officer, Principal Officer and governor grades) with numbered bands. The old grades still exist as closed grades for the small number of staff who have not opted in, but all new recruits join the new structure.

Bands differ in how pay moves. Band 3 and Band 5 each have three pay points, and the stated HMPPS aim is that staff reach the top within three years. Band 4, Band 7 and Band 12 are spot rates with one figure each.

Bands 8 to 11 are ranges rather than ladders, with no fixed incremental points, and since the 2024 award each range is 10% wide. Band 2 is also a spot rate.

That difference matters when you read the tables: for Band 3 the figure that matches your payslip depends on your pay point, for Band 4 there is only one number.

• Spot rate bands: Band 2, Band 4, Band 7 and Band 12.
• Pay point bands: Band 3 and Band 5 (three points each).
• Range bands: Band 8, 9, 10 and 11 (10% wide, 3 1/3% progression in 2026).
• Location: national, outer London, inner London (fixed cash differentials).
• Hours: 37 base, with Band 3 columns for 38, 39, 40 and 41 hours.

In shortBand 3 pay turns on your pay point, your contract hours and your location; the table gives every national figure and the London tables follow.

• National pay point 1, 37h£34,928Including 20% UWH
• National pay point 3, 37h£36,778Including 20% UWH
• National pay point 1, 41h£39,334Including 4 ACH and 20% UWH
• National pay point 3, 41h£41,417Including 4 ACH and 20% UWH

Band 3 is where most readers sit, so here is the full published table. Each row is a contract pattern and each column a pay point. 'ACH' means additional committed hours (extra contracted hours beyond 37) and 'ACHP' is the pensionable version.

All the rows except the first include the 20% UWH. You can see how contract choice changes pay by more than the gap between pay points: moving from 37 to 41 hours at the same pay point adds about £4,400 a year nationally.

The PSPRB reports that at 31 July 2025, around:

• 45% of Band 3 staff were on 37 hours
• 29% were on 39 hours with two ACH
• 15% were on 39 hours with two ACHP
• 9% were on 41 hours with four ACH

In shortBand 4 is a single spot rate and Band 5 has three pay points; the step up from Band 3 is thinner than it looks unless you compare equal hours.

• Band 4 base, national 37h£34,440Spot rate
• Band 4 incl. 20% UWH£41,328National, 37h
• Band 4, 39h incl. 2 ACHP and UWH£43,562National

Band 4 is the supervising or specialist officer grade. It is a spot rate, so everyone on it in a given location is paid the same base figure. Outer London is £37,872 base (£45,446 inclusive) and inner London is £39,658 base (£47,590 inclusive).

Qualified physical education instructors in a recognised PEI role also receive a separate £1,500 a year temporary payment, maintained until the 2027 Report is published.

Band 5 is the Custodial Manager, the first line of management on the wings. It has three pay points and, like Band 3, progression of one point a year for staff in post on 31 March who are not on formal poor performance procedures.

• Nationally the base is £37,417, £38,305 and £39,214.
• With 20% UWH that is £44,900, £45,966 and £47,057.
• The only contract options published are 37 hours and 39 hours with two ACHP.
• The 39 hour option runs from £47,327 to £49,600 nationally.

In shortBand 2 is a single spot rate, lifted by the National Living Wage and then by the 3.5% award, and OSGs see the 25% inclusive figure in adverts.

• Band 2 base, 2025£24,527National, 37h
• After NLW only£24,549NLW up 4.1% to £12.71 an hour
• After the 3.5% award£25,409Base, national, 37h
• Including 25% UWH£31,761The advertised figure

Band 2 is the Operational Support Grade. OSGs work in the secure estate in roles such as escorts, reception, visits and searching, and are paid a single spot rate.

The 2026 position is slightly unusual: the National Living Wage rose 4.1% to £12.71 an hour on 1 April 2026, which lifted the Band 2 rate to £24,549 on the national 37 hour base.

The PSPRB then applied its 3.5% award on top, reaching £25,409. Against the 2025 figure of £24,527, the combined effect of the two steps is a rise of £882, or 3.6%; the report's own table shows both steps separately.

Band 2 also carries a larger unsocial hours payment than the officer grades. In the 2025 report the OSG UWH was temporarily raised from 20% to 25% for two years, and the 2026 report maintained it until the 2027 Report is published.

So the figure OSGs see in an advert is the 25% inclusive rate: £31,761 nationally on 37 hours, £36,051 in outer London and £38,284 in inner London.

PSPRB

Again said there should be no formal link between Band 2 pay and the National Living Wage, and applied the full 3.5% in addition. The Government accepted its recommendation in full.

HMPPS

Had proposed 3.0% including 0.1% for the NLW.

POA

Asked for 6.3% or a spot rate 20% above the NLW.

PCS

Asked for 10%.

In shortAbove Band 5 pay moves from ladders to ranges; adverts for Bands 7 to 11 include a 20% required hours addition, and there is no Band 6.

• Band 7 · Head of Function£54,148Spot rate, national
• Band 8£57,398 to £63,139Range, national
• Band 9 · Deputy Governor£73,513 to £80,864Range, national
• Band 10 · Governor£81,338 to £89,472Range, national
• Band 11 · Governor£91,540 to £100,694Range, national
• Band 12 · Prison Group Director£125,902Spot rate, inclusive: no required hours addition

Above Band 5 the structure moves from officer-style ladders to ranges. The tables below show the base ranges for every location, then the figures including RHA.

For Bands 7 to 11 the headline you will see in adverts includes the 20% required hours addition (RHA), a pensionable addition of 20% of base for the hours managers are required to work. So Band 9 on the national scale is advertised as £88,216 to £97,037, not £73,513 to £80,864.

Bands 8 to 11 also get progression of 3 1/3% a year in 2026, capped at the band maximum, for staff in post on 31 March 2026 who are not on formal poor performance procedures.

Because these are ranges, there is no automatic 'point' to move to; your increase depends on where you sit in the range.

In shortThe same job is quoted two ways: base pay, and the headline figure with the 20% allowance (25% for Band 2) added.

• UWH for Bands 3 to 520%Of contracted hours worked; pensionable
• Cost to HMPPS, 2024/25About £169 millionRoughly 10% of the paybill
• POA asked for33%PSPRB made no change; UWH review due in the 2027 Report

The biggest source of confusion about prison officer pay bands is that two different numbers are quoted for the same job.

HMPPS describes the unsocial working hours allowance as paid because some staff are expected to regularly work unsocial hours as part of their rostered shift pattern, calculated at 20% of contracted hours worked, and pensionable.

So the Band 3 national 37 hour base of £30,648 multiplied by 1.20 gives £36,778 when rounded. That 20% replaces separate night, weekend and bank holiday enhancements for Bands 3 to 5. We have found no published separate shift premium on top; if your establishment tells you otherwise, ask HR for the written policy.

UWH cost HMPPS about £169 million in 2024/25, roughly 10% of the paybill, and the PSPRB will review UWH for Bands 2 to 5 and 7 to 11 in its 2027 Report. Bands 7 to 11 have the equivalent 20% required hours addition, and Band 2 has the temporary 25%. Band 12 has none.

Our companion guide on the unsocial hours allowance goes through it line by line.

In shortTake-home is roughly 75% to 79% of gross for Band 2 to Band 5, falling to around 69% at the Band 8 minimum; the table gives estimates only.

• National Band 3 point 1, 37h£2,282 a monthEstimate: £27,382 a year net
• National Band 3 point 3, 39h£2,478 a monthEstimate: £29,741 a year net
• Band 8 minimum incl. RHA£3,956 a monthAbout 69% of gross

Gross salary is the figure in the advert; take-home is what lands in your account. For 2026/27 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, income tax is 0% on the first £12,570, 20% on the next £37,700 and 40% above that, up to £125,140.

National Insurance is 8% between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above, per HMRC's 2026/27 rates.

The table below shows estimates for a range of grades. They assume tax code 1257L, no student loan, the pension taken before tax, and that the whole contracted figure is pensionable.

That last assumption is the weakest: we have not verified whether non-pensionable additional committed hours would lower the pensionable amount, so 37 and 39 hour (ACHP) rows are the safest. Payment Plus and market supplements are excluded.

The pattern is clear: take-home is roughly 75% to 79% of gross for Band 2 to Band 5, falling to around 69% at the Band 8 minimum as higher-rate tax and higher pension bands bite.

For your own figure use our overtime and take-home calculator, and read the take-home by band guide and tax and National Insurance guide.

• Civil Service pension contributions are on top: 4.6% of pensionable pay up to £36,199, 5.45% between £36,200 and £56,000, 7.35% from £56,001 to £150,000 and 8.05% above.

In shortProgression differs by band: pay points on Bands 3 and 5, promotion on spot rates, and capped range progression on Bands 8 to 11.

• Band 3 pay point 1, 2025/26£33,746National, 37h, incl. UWH
• After 3.5% and a move to pay point 2£36,150A rise of £2,404, about 7.1%, against the 3.5% headline
• Officer already at the top3.5% only£35,533 to £36,778

Progression works differently in each band, and the rules are worth knowing before you plan around a figure. Promotion to the next band is by competition, and our promotion guide and the pay progression guide cover it in more detail.

Bands 3 and 5

Three pay points. The PSPRB's 2026 recommendation 6 is that all staff on Bands 3 and 5, in post on 31 March 2026 and not on formal poor performance procedures, progress one pay point from 1 April 2026. HMPPS's stated objective is to reach the maximum within three years. Nothing in the published material guarantees a pay point move in future years: each year's progression is part of that year's award.

Bands 4 and 7

Spot rates, so progression means promotion.

Bands 8 to 11

The 3 1/3% range progression, capped at the band maximum.

Band 12

A spot rate.

1. Find your band and pay point on your payslip or contract (for Band 3 and Band 5 this is point 1, 2 or 3).
2. Check whether you were in post on 31 March 2026 and not on a formal poor performance procedure; that is the test for the 2026 pay point move.
3. Look up your hours and location column in the tables above and compare it with your payslip's basic pay plus UWH.
4. If the figures differ, check whether you are on a closed grade, a legacy allowance or a temporary arrangement before assuming an error.
5. Raise differences with your pay team or POA branch in writing, with your payslip attached.

In shortThree illustrative paths using only published 2026/27 figures: national 37 hours, 39 hours then Band 5, and inner London on 41 hours.

Tables show scales; people live careers. These are examples, not forecasts, and they hold pay scales constant, which real pay rounds will not.

1. National, 37 hours

£34,928 at the start, £36,150 at the second point and £36,778 at the top, a total spread of £1,850. A stable, if modest, progression, and the one most similar to what 45% of Band 3 staff are on.

2. 39 hours, then Band 5

On 39 hours with two pensionable additional hours the national salary runs from £36,816 to £38,766 across Band 3. A move to Band 5 on the same 39 hour basis is £47,327 to £49,600, a rise of £10,511 at the entry point compared with Band 3 entry on 39 hours. Promotion is competitive and the number of Band 5 posts is limited, so this is a possibility rather than an expectation.

3. Inner London, 41 hours

Band 3 is £46,031 at pay point 1 and £48,468 at the top, and a Band 5 on 39 hours is £53,626 to £56,200 in the same zone. Those headline numbers are the highest on the operational scale outside governor grades, but London living costs absorb much of the premium.

In shortThe Government accepted all twelve PSPRB recommendations: 3.5% on Bands 3 to 12 plus Band 2, with pay point and range progression, from 1 April 2026.

• Headline award3.5%Consolidated and pensionable; Bands 3 to 12 base pay points and spot rates, and Band 2 on top of the NLW uplift
• Pay point progressionOne pointBands 3 and 5
• Range progression3 1/3%Bands 8 to 11
• London differentialsUp 3.5%Maxima of £5,218 (inner) and £3,432 (outer) above the 37 hour national maxima
• Payment Plus£23 an hourUp by £1
• Effective1 April 2026All twelve recommendations accepted

The Government accepted all twelve PSPRB recommendations for 2026/27 and the award took effect from 1 April 2026.

The table compares national figures including allowances. It shows only the effect of the scale change, not of any pay point move for an individual. Where a pay point move applies, add it: for example, someone moving from Band 3 point 1 to point 2 gets the scale increase plus the step between points.

In shortLondon zones are tied to prisons by name; market supplements and a handful of allowances sit on top of, or outside, the band tables.

The three location columns are tied to prisons by name, not by postcode. Everything else is national, even prisons close to London such as Send or Coldingley. See our guide to London prison officer pay.

In shortThe bands above apply to England and Wales only; Scotland and Northern Ireland set their own pay, and a few staff remain on closed grades.

• Scotland: Residential Officer start£37,682From 1 April 2026; £44,248 within three years, subject to pay progression
• Northern Ireland: Custody Prison Officer advert£32,510 to £42,725Marked 'under review'; plus a £4,284 Supplementary Risk Allowance
• Closed grade, 39h£32,915Prison Officer; Senior Officer £35,429

The Fair and Sustainable bands above apply to England and Wales. The Scottish Prison Service sets its own pay, and the PSPRB itself noted that the Scottish Residential Officer scale is wider than Band 3 in England and Wales.

We have not verified the full SPS scale for Operations Officer roles, so we do not state it.

Northern Ireland is covered by the PSPRB but its Justice Minister decides how to respond. The figures above come from a Department of Justice NI advert closing 17 July 2026; the 2026/27 NI award outcome has not been found, so treat NI figures as provisional. Our Scotland and Northern Ireland guides keep these under review.

A small number of staff remain on closed grades and have not opted in to Fair and Sustainable. Their closed-grade figures are on a 39 hour basis from 1 April 2026, with legacy locality allowances (for staff in post at 31 March 2012) of between £250 and £4,250 a year.

Closed-grade staff who would not benefit from opting in received a non-consolidated, non-pensionable 3.5% instead.

In shortPay is only part of why people join and stay, and we make no claim about what pay level would fix retention.

• Band 3 to 5 FTE22,001To 30 June 2026; 701 fewer than a year earlier
• Appointed / leaving2,116 / 2,095In the 12 months
• Resignation rate5.6%Band 2 staff numbered 5,661, up 242

The HMPPS workforce statistics to 30 June 2026, published on 20 August 2026, show the figures above for full-time-equivalent officers in Bands 3 to 5. The PSPRB also noted that many leavers go within their first 24 months, which it describes as fragile retention.

The PSPRB reported that over 80% of its remit group cannot take industrial action, and that recruitment has relied on overseas applicants and changes to Skilled Worker visa rules.

We make no claim about what pay level would fix retention; that is for the PSPRB and Government. What we can say is that the published salary is the best available baseline for your own comparison, alongside the pension, leave and job demands.

In shortThree mistakes cause most misreadings: mixing contract hours, ignoring location and forgetting deductions.

Mixing hours

A figure of £36,816 and a figure of £34,928 are both 'Band 3 pay point 1 national including UWH' but one is 39 hours and the other 37. Always check the contract-hours row before comparing salaries, and when you compare against another job, compare gross pay per hour as well as per year. The contract hours guide explains the trade-off.

Ignoring location

A London prison with a Band 3 figure of £40,876 is not paying 17% more for the same job; it is paying a fixed cash differential for the cost of living in the capital. Equally, a market supplement of £3,500 at one prison is not on your payslip if you work at a prison that does not qualify.

Forgetting deductions

All band figures are gross. Tax, National Insurance and Civil Service pension contributions (4.6%, 5.45%, 7.35% or 8.05% of pensionable pay in 2026/27 depending on your pay band, per the Civil Service Pension Scheme) all come out. Use the take-home pay by band guide or the free calculator to turn gross into net, and the pension calculator to see what your contributions buy. If you are planning for the year ahead, the Pay Planner projects pay across progression, overtime and the 2027/28 pay round.