Administrative Officer (AO) salary 2026/27
An AA or AO job pays little more than a full-time wage on the National Living Wage. This page shows what that pay looks like by department, and what the next grade up adds.
The median AA or AO earns £28,020 a year across the civil service as at 31 March 2026, about £1,889 a month after tax, National Insurance and the alpha pension. This is the lowest-paid group in government, and the 2026/27 pay remit lets departments adopt a voluntary framework to fix pay squeezed between the AA and EO grades by the National Living Wage.
Administrative Assistant pay in every department
Median full-time salary at 31 March 2026, from Cabinet Office Civil Service Statistics, with what it leaves a month after tax, NI and alpha at 2026/27 rates. 26 departments and agencies have a figure for this grade.
| # | Department | Median | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disclosure Scotland | £29,590* | £1,978 |
| 2 | National Records of Scotland | £29,590* | £1,978 |
| 3 | Scottish Government | £29,590* | £1,978 |
| 4 | Social Security Scotland | £29,590* | £1,978 |
| 5 | Student Awards Agency for Scotland | £29,590* | £1,978 |
| 6 | Transport Scotland | £29,590* | £1,978 |
| 7 | HMPPS | £29,280* | £1,960 |
| 8 | Accountant in Bankruptcy | £29,260 | £1,959 |
| 9 | Education Scotland | £29,260 | £1,959 |
| 10 | SPS | £27,950* | £1,885 |
| 11 | HMRC | £27,700* | £1,870 |
| 12 | MoD | £27,600* | £1,865 |
| 13 | DWP | £27,440* | £1,856 |
| 14 | Met Office | £26,940* | £1,827 |
| 15 | Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service | £26,880* | £1,824 |
| 16 | Forestry and Land Scotland | £26,860* | £1,823 |
| 17 | Scottish Public Pensions Agency | £26,550* | £1,805 |
| 18 | HM Land Registry | £25,560* | £1,749 |
| 19 | UKHSA | £25,210* | £1,729 |
| 20 | Home Office | £25,030* | £1,718 |
| 21 | ONS | £24,720* | £1,701 |
| 22 | DVLA | £24,520* | £1,689 |
| 23 | HMCTS | £24,520* | £1,689 |
| 24 | LAA | £24,520* | £1,689 |
| 25 | MoJ | £24,520* | £1,689 |
| 26 | Dstl | £23,440* | £1,628 |
A median is the middle salary: half of staff earn more and half less. * Our estimate: the 2026 release combines some grades, so we raise the department’s 2025 figure for this grade by how much its level rose across the civil service. Figures without a star are official 2026 medians. Most departments have paid a 2026/27 award since. Some bodies, such as HMPPS, include allowances and map their own grades to these levels, so compare with care.
Administrative Officer pay in every department
Median full-time salary at 31 March 2026, from Cabinet Office Civil Service Statistics, with what it leaves a month after tax, NI and alpha at 2026/27 rates. 73 departments and agencies have a figure for this grade.
| # | Department | Median | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HMPPS | £37,230* | £2,392 |
| 2 | Forestry and Land Scotland | £34,850* | £2,277 |
| 3 | SPS | £33,460* | £2,198 |
| 4 | Disclosure Scotland | £32,800* | £2,161 |
| 5 | National Records of Scotland | £32,800* | £2,161 |
| 6 | Scottish Government | £32,800* | £2,161 |
| 7 | Scottish Public Pensions Agency | £32,800* | £2,161 |
| 8 | Social Security Scotland | £32,800* | £2,161 |
| 9 | Student Awards Agency for Scotland | £32,800* | £2,161 |
| 10 | Transport Scotland | £32,800* | £2,161 |
| 11 | DBT | £32,370 | £2,136 |
| 12 | Registers of Scotland | £31,390 | £2,080 |
| 13 | FCDO | £31,250 | £2,072 |
| 14 | NCA | £31,140 | £2,066 |
| 15 | DESNZ | £30,860 | £2,050 |
| 16 | FCDO Services | £30,750 | £2,044 |
| 17 | Scottish Forestry | £30,740 | £2,043 |
| 18 | GLD | £30,470 | £2,028 |
| 19 | MHRA | £30,240 | £2,015 |
| 20 | Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service | £30,240* | £2,015 |
| 21 | DVSA | £29,970 | £2,000 |
| 22 | Defra | £29,770 | £1,988 |
| 23 | Veterinary Medicines Directorate | £29,770 | £1,988 |
| 24 | DHSC | £29,470 | £1,971 |
| 25 | Estyn | £29,310 | £1,962 |
| 26 | Welsh Government | £29,290 | £1,961 |
| 27 | Welsh Revenue Authority | £29,290 | £1,961 |
| 28 | Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service | £29,260 | £1,959 |
| 29 | CMA | £29,120* | £1,951 |
| 30 | MHCLG | £29,020 | £1,946 |
| 31 | MoD | £28,690* | £1,927 |
| 32 | HSE | £28,500 | £1,916 |
| 33 | Submarine Delivery Agency | £28,500 | £1,916 |
| 34 | DE&S | £28,200 | £1,899 |
| 35 | Home Office | £28,140* | £1,895 |
| 36 | UK Hydrographic Office | £28,110 | £1,894 |
| 37 | The National Archives | £28,100 | £1,893 |
| 38 | HMRC | £28,020* | £1,889 |
| 39 | Planning Inspectorate | £27,940 | £1,884 |
| 40 | VOA | £27,840 | £1,878 |
| 41 | Charity Commission | £27,740 | £1,873 |
| 42 | IPO | £27,740 | £1,873 |
| 43 | DWP | £27,700* | £1,870 |
| 44 | Cabinet Office | £27,410 | £1,854 |
| 45 | DfE | £27,240 | £1,844 |
| 46 | Acas | £27,200 | £1,842 |
| 47 | HM Land Registry | £27,130* | £1,838 |
| 48 | Crown Commercial Service | £27,010* | £1,831 |
| 49 | Teaching Regulation Agency | £26,940* | £1,827 |
| 50 | Ofsted | £26,840 | £1,821 |
| 51 | UKHSA | £26,830* | £1,821 |
| 52 | HM Treasury | £26,790 | £1,819 |
| 53 | DfT | £26,750 | £1,816 |
| 54 | CPS | £26,700 | £1,813 |
| 55 | Insolvency Service | £26,670 | £1,812 |
| 56 | MCA | £26,610 | £1,808 |
| 57 | Vehicle Certification Agency | £26,610 | £1,808 |
| 58 | DVLA | £26,460* | £1,800 |
| 59 | Companies House | £26,450 | £1,799 |
| 60 | Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science | £26,080 | £1,778 |
| 61 | APHA | £26,030 | £1,775 |
| 62 | RPA | £26,030 | £1,775 |
| 63 | Office of Rail and Road | £25,940 | £1,770 |
| 64 | Ofwat | £25,880 | £1,767 |
| 65 | Ofgem | £25,690 | £1,756 |
| 66 | Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority | £25,580 | £1,750 |
| 67 | OPG | £25,580 | £1,750 |
| 68 | HMCTS | £25,450* | £1,742 |
| 69 | LAA | £25,450* | £1,742 |
| 70 | MoJ | £25,450* | £1,742 |
| 71 | ONS | £25,390* | £1,739 |
| 72 | Met Office | £24,540* | £1,690 |
| 73 | Dstl | £23,950* | £1,657 |
A median is the middle salary: half of staff earn more and half less. * Our estimate: the 2026 release combines some grades, so we raise the department’s 2025 figure for this grade by how much its level rose across the civil service. Figures without a star are official 2026 medians. Most departments have paid a 2026/27 award since. Some bodies, such as HMPPS, include allowances and map their own grades to these levels, so compare with care.
What stepping up is worth
| Grade | Median | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| AA or AO | £28,020 | £1,889 |
| EO | £32,140 | £2,123 |
| HEO and SEO combined | £43,930 | £2,769 |
A promotion from AO to EO at the median adds £4,120 before deductions and about £235 a month after them. If you work part time, pay is the same share of these figures as your hours are of a full-time week.
Why the department matters
The same grade can pay thousands more in one department than another, because each department sets its own pay bands. Before you apply, compare the departments in the table below, and check the pay by department list.
Life in an AA or AO job
Administrative Assistants (AA) and Administrative Officers (AO) are the entry grades of the civil service. They keep public services running day to day, often dealing directly with the public.
Typical jobs
- Answering phone and webchat enquiries in contact centres, for example about tax, benefits or driving licences.
- Processing applications, claims, payments and records.
- Court and tribunal admin, such as listing cases and preparing files.
- Office support: post, data entry, booking and records management.
AAs mainly carry out set tasks. AOs take on more judgement, such as deciding straightforward cases and handling more complex queries.
How to get in
Most AA and AO jobs need no degree. Jobs are advertised on Civil Service Jobs, and you are assessed using Success Profiles: usually a mix of behaviours, strengths and experience, often with an online test. You must meet the Civil Service nationality rules.
Moving up
There is no automatic promotion. You apply for EO jobs when you are ready, in your own department or another. Some departments also offer temporary promotion to build experience.
Common questions
How much does an AO earn in the civil service?
The median AA and AO salary across the civil service was £28,020 at 31 March 2026. It varies a lot between departments, so pick yours in the calculator.
Do you need a degree to be an AO?
No. Most AO jobs ask for good English and maths and relevant experience, assessed through Success Profiles.