Northern Ireland Prison Service pay
A custody prison officer in the Northern Ireland Prison Service is paid £32,510 to £42,725 for a 39-hour week, with unsocial hours built in. After tax, National Insurance and pension that is about £2,121 to £2,696 a month. These are the 2025/26 rates, still being used while the 2026/27 pay round goes through.
The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) runs Maghaberry, Magilligan and Hydebank Wood College and Women’s Prison. It is part of the Department of Justice, and its pay is set separately from England and Wales: the Prison Service Pay Review Body advises the Northern Ireland Justice Minister, who decides the award.
Pay by role (2025/26 rates)
| Role | Salary | Take-home a month at the bottom |
|---|---|---|
| Operational Support Grade | £28,150 to £28,839 | £1,895 |
| Custody Prison Officer | £32,510 to £42,725 | £2,121 |
| Senior Officer | £46,095 to £50,797 | £2,885 |
| Unit Manager (Governor, Head of Unit) | £61,161 to £64,965 | £3,663 |
| Functional Head (Governor, Head of Function) | £69,323 to £72,612 | £3,969 |
| Governor in Charge | £86,257 to £92,697 | £4,723 |
| Governor in Charge, Maghaberry | £93,718 to £99,263 | £5,056 |
From 1 April 2025. Officer and support grades work 39 hours a week with unsocial hours included in basic pay. Take-home is after Income Tax, National Insurance and the Northern Ireland civil service alpha pension, tax code 1257L, no student loan.
Recruitment adverts for custody prison officers have also listed a supplementary risk allowance of £4,110 a year and a small boot allowance. Check your offer letter for what applies to you.
The custody prison officer scale
Most new officers join as custody prison officers (CPOs). The scale is long, which is why its range is wider than in England and Wales. NIPS is shortening it: the 2025/26 award removed a pay point to leave six, with the plan of reducing to five in 2026/27. It is also moving towards a single main officer grade, so older grades such as main grade officer, prisoner custody officer and night custody officer are being brought into line.
At the top of the scale a CPO takes home about £2,696 a month. The next step, senior officer, starts at £46,095.
The 2025/26 and 2026/27 awards
For 2025/26, NIPS and the unions agreed a deal that the pay review body supported: 3% for custody prison officers, senior officers, main grade officers and governors, and 4% for night custody officers and prisoner custody officers. For 2026/27 the Justice Minister started the pay round in spring 2026 and the pay review body replied in May 2026. If an award has been paid since, these figures will be a little out of date, so check NIPS or your union for the latest scale.
Northern Ireland or England?
An HMPPS officer in England and Wales on 39 hours starts on £36,816 with unsocial hours, or about £2,395 a month. A NIPS custody prison officer on the same 39 hours starts on £32,510, about £2,121 a month, or £15.99 an hour against £18.10. Part of the gap is timing, as Northern Ireland is still on 2025/26 pay while England and Wales got 3.5% from April 2026, but even with a similar rise the NI starting salary would be lower. The longer NI scale catches up later: the CPO maximum of £42,725 is above the £38,766 at the top of HMPPS Band 3 on 39 hours nationally.
Pension
NIPS staff are civil servants in the Northern Ireland civil service pension scheme. Contributions are 5.65% at the CPO starting salary. The tiers are set out on the NICS pay scales page.
For Scotland, see Scottish Prison Service pay, and for England and Wales, the 2026/27 prison pay rise.
Common questions
How much does a prison officer earn in Northern Ireland?
A custody prison officer is paid £32,510 to £42,725 for a 39-hour week including unsocial hours, on 2025/26 rates.
How much do NI prison officers take home a month?
About £2,121 at the bottom of the CPO scale and £2,696 at the top, after tax, National Insurance and pension.
Have Northern Ireland prison officers had a 2026/27 pay rise?
The 2026/27 pay round started in spring 2026, and the figures here are the 2025/26 rates. Check NIPS or your union for the current position.
What is a custody prison officer?
The main prison officer grade in the Northern Ireland Prison Service. NIPS is moving its older officer grades towards this single grade.
How much do NI prison governors earn?
A governor in charge is paid £86,257 to £92,697, and £93,718 to £99,263 at Maghaberry, on 2025/26 rates.