Higher Executive Officer (HEO) salary 2026/27
HEO pay sits on a pension cliff edge. This page shows what the grade pays in each department and what crossing the £36,200 alpha tier does to take-home.
The official median for HEO and SEO combined was £43,930 at 31 March 2026, about £2,769 a month after tax, NI and alpha. Department medians for HEO alone run from £35,000 to £49,570.
HEO 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. 93 departments and agencies have a figure for this grade.
| # | Department | Median | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NCA | £49,570* | £3,087 |
| 2 | SPS | £49,030* | £3,057 |
| 3 | Ofwat | £48,010* | £2,999 |
| 4 | Forestry and Land Scotland | £47,770* | £2,986 |
| 5 | UK Debt Management Office | £47,120* | £2,949 |
| 6 | Scottish Forestry | £46,640* | £2,922 |
| 7 | Welsh Government | £45,710* | £2,870 |
| 8 | Registers of Scotland | £45,570* | £2,862 |
| 9 | Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service | £44,400* | £2,796 |
| 10 | Accountant in Bankruptcy | £44,120* | £2,780 |
| 11 | Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service | £44,120* | £2,780 |
| 12 | Food Standards Scotland | £44,120* | £2,780 |
| 13 | National Records of Scotland | £44,120* | £2,780 |
| 14 | Revenue Scotland | £44,120* | £2,780 |
| 15 | Student Awards Agency for Scotland | £44,120* | £2,780 |
| 16 | FCDO | £44,080* | £2,778 |
| 17 | HMPPS | £43,970* | £2,772 |
| 18 | Vehicle Certification Agency | £43,770* | £2,760 |
| 19 | Disclosure Scotland | £42,970* | £2,715 |
| 20 | UKEF | £42,770* | £2,704 |
| 21 | FCDO Services | £42,760* | £2,704 |
| 22 | Government Actuary's Department | £42,610* | £2,695 |
| 23 | Companies House | £41,960* | £2,658 |
| 24 | Education Scotland | £41,820* | £2,651 |
| 25 | Scottish Government | £41,820* | £2,651 |
| 26 | Scottish Public Pensions Agency | £41,820* | £2,651 |
| 27 | Social Security Scotland | £41,820* | £2,651 |
| 28 | Transport Scotland | £41,820* | £2,651 |
| 29 | CMA | £41,140* | £2,612 |
| 30 | Northern Ireland Office | £40,940* | £2,601 |
| 31 | National Savings and Investments | £40,830* | £2,595 |
| 32 | DESNZ | £40,730* | £2,589 |
| 33 | Crown Commercial Service | £40,430* | £2,572 |
| 34 | DBT | £40,270* | £2,563 |
| 35 | HM Land Registry | £40,140* | £2,556 |
| 36 | DfT | £40,110* | £2,554 |
| 37 | Government Internal Audit Agency | £40,060* | £2,551 |
| 38 | HMRC | £39,980* | £2,547 |
| 39 | DCMS | £39,890* | £2,542 |
| 40 | Welsh Revenue Authority | £39,750* | £2,534 |
| 41 | DSIT | £39,730* | £2,533 |
| 42 | Office of Rail and Road | £39,570* | £2,524 |
| 43 | Building Digital UK | £39,530* | £2,521 |
| 44 | Veterinary Medicines Directorate | £39,500* | £2,520 |
| 45 | Serious Fraud Office | £39,450* | £2,517 |
| 46 | UK Hydrographic Office | £39,450* | £2,517 |
| 47 | Home Office | £39,440* | £2,516 |
| 48 | DHSC | £39,370* | £2,512 |
| 49 | MoD | £39,320* | £2,510 |
| 50 | Submarine Delivery Agency | £39,210* | £2,503 |
| 51 | DWP | £39,170* | £2,501 |
| 52 | Cabinet Office | £38,820* | £2,481 |
| 53 | MHCLG | £38,820* | £2,481 |
| 54 | MoJ | £38,760* | £2,478 |
| 55 | Planning Inspectorate | £38,760* | £2,478 |
| 56 | Charity Commission | £38,480* | £2,462 |
| 57 | Ofgem | £38,460* | £2,461 |
| 58 | IPO | £38,400* | £2,458 |
| 59 | CPS | £38,370* | £2,456 |
| 60 | MHRA | £38,210* | £2,447 |
| 61 | DE&S | £38,200* | £2,447 |
| 62 | HM Treasury | £38,070* | £2,439 |
| 63 | Ofsted | £37,970* | £2,434 |
| 64 | Government Property Agency | £37,950* | £2,432 |
| 65 | HSE | £37,850* | £2,427 |
| 66 | UKHSA | £37,800* | £2,424 |
| 67 | VOA | £37,590* | £2,412 |
| 68 | Met Office | £37,330* | £2,397 |
| 69 | DVSA | £37,270* | £2,394 |
| 70 | Attorney General's Office | £37,120 | £2,386 |
| 71 | Insolvency Service | £37,080* | £2,383 |
| 72 | Acas | £36,880* | £2,372 |
| 73 | DVLA | £36,590* | £2,356 |
| 74 | MCA | £36,590* | £2,356 |
| 75 | GLD | £36,570* | £2,355 |
| 76 | FSA | £36,440* | £2,347 |
| 77 | Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority | £36,210* | £2,334 |
| 78 | Defra | £36,210* | £2,334 |
| 79 | HMCTS | £36,210* | £2,334 |
| 80 | LAA | £36,210* | £2,334 |
| 81 | OPG | £36,210* | £2,334 |
| 82 | Ofqual | £36,200* | £2,334 |
| 83 | UK Space Agency | £36,180* | £2,353 |
| 84 | DfE | £35,750* | £2,329 |
| 85 | Standards and Testing Agency | £35,750* | £2,329 |
| 86 | APHA | £35,620* | £2,321 |
| 87 | ONS | £35,600* | £2,320 |
| 88 | RPA | £35,400* | £2,309 |
| 89 | Teaching Regulation Agency | £35,330* | £2,305 |
| 90 | The National Archives | £35,200* | £2,297 |
| 91 | Dstl | £35,160* | £2,295 |
| 92 | Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science | £35,080* | £2,291 |
| 93 | Fast Stream | £35,000 | £2,286 |
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.
The £36,200 pension step
Alpha contributions are charged at a rate set by your whole pensionable pay, so when your salary passes a threshold the higher rate applies to all of it, not just the part above. The table shows pay either side of the first threshold.
| Gross salary | Alpha rate | Take-home a month | Kept from each extra £1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £34,000 | 4.6% | £2,229 | – |
| £36,000 | 4.6% | £2,343 | £683 |
| £37,000 | 5.45% | £2,379 | £432 |
| £40,000 | 5.45% | £2,548 | £676 |
| £43,000 | 5.45% | £2,717 | £676 |
Read the right-hand column carefully. Where the figure is low, a pay rise is being partly eaten by the new pension rate and higher tax. The pension payment is not lost, because it builds your alpha pension, but it does reduce your pay packet now.
What HEOs are trusted with
Higher Executive Officers work at the level where people start to own pieces of work. In delivery departments that often means managing a team. In policy departments it is often the main entry grade for policy and analysis roles.
Typical jobs
- Team leader of EOs and AOs in an operational area.
- Policy adviser, drafting briefings and answers to parliamentary questions.
- Analyst, economist or statistician at an early career stage.
- Higher Officer in HMRC, handling more complex tax work.
- Project or business support for larger programmes.
The Fast Stream also starts graduates at HEO level.
Watch the pension tier
Many HEO salaries sit close to £36,200, where the alpha contribution rises from 4.6% to 5.45% on your whole pay. Crossing it can cost you a chunk of a pay rise, and the calculator warns you when you are close.
Moving up
The next step is SEO.
Common questions
How much does an HEO earn?
Department medians run from £35,000 to £49,570 at 31 March 2026, depending on where you work. The official figure for HEO and SEO combined across the civil service was £43,930.
What is the HMRC grade for HEO?
HMRC calls it Higher Officer.