Prison officer salary and pay calculator 2026/27
Prison officer (prison guard) salary and take-home pay for HMPPS staff in England and Wales from 1 April 2026, from Operational Support Grade to Prison Group Director. Pick your band, location and hours, then add Payment Plus, on-call or other allowances.
Your prison job
Your 20% unsocial hours allowance is included automatically. It is paid every month on top of base pay, whatever shifts you work.
Add to your pay
Deductions and tax
Pension rate: you are £1,271 below £36,199. Go over it and your whole pensionable pay is charged at 5.45% instead of 4.6%.
Unsocial hours count for your pension. Extra committed hours count only if they are ACHP. Payment Plus and on-call do not.
See take-home for every pay period
- Annually
- £27,382.68
- Monthly
- £2,281.89
- 4-weekly
- £2,106.36
- Fortnightly
- £1,053.18
- Weekly
- £526.59
- Daily (5-day week)
- £105.32
Your pay points in Band 3
Base pay is the 37-hour rate before allowances. Your gross and take-home a month use your hours and everything else you entered above.
| Point | Base pay (37 hrs) | Gross a month | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay point 1 | £29,107 | £2,910.70 | £2,281.89 |
| Pay point 2 | £30,125 | £3,012.50 | £2,351.44 |
| Pay point 3 | £30,648 | £3,064.80 | £2,366.33 |
Buying a home? See what you could borrow with the mortgage affordability calculator.
Bands 3 to 5 at a glance (national, 37 hours)
| Pay point | Salary | Pension | Monthly take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 3 prison officer | |||
| Pay point 1 | £34,928 | 4.6% | £2,281.87 |
| Pay point 2 | £36,150 | 4.6% | £2,351.44 |
| Pay point 3 | £36,778 | 5.45% | £2,366.35 |
| Band 4 supervising officer | |||
| Spot rate | £41,328 | 5.45% | £2,622.82 |
| Band 5 custodial manager | |||
| Pay point 1 | £44,900 | 5.45% | £2,824.16 |
| Pay point 2 | £45,966 | 5.45% | £2,884.25 |
| Pay point 3 | £47,057 | 5.45% | £2,945.75 |
National rate, 37 hours a week, including the 20% unsocial hours allowance. Tax code 1257L, alpha pension member, no student loan.
Starting pay for a Band 3 prison officer
Everyone starts on 37 hours. After training you can choose 39 or 41 hours, which raises your salary. These are the yearly starting rates, including the 20% unsocial hours allowance, with monthly take-home underneath.
| Where you work | 37 hours | 39 hours | 41 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| National (no market supplement) | £34,928 £2,282 a month | £36,816 £2,368 a month | £39,334 £2,510 a month |
| Outer London | £38,840 £2,483 a month | £41,290 £2,621 a month | £43,739 £2,759 a month |
| Inner London | £40,876 £2,597 a month | £43,453 £2,743 a month | £46,031 £2,888 a month |
Some prisons that struggle to recruit pay a market supplement of up to £2,000 a year on top. Check the job advert for the prison you apply to.
How prison officer take-home pay is worked out
A new Band 3 officer on 37 hours earns £34,928. That is base pay of £29,107 plus the 20% unsocial hours allowance, and both count for your pension. At this level you pay 4.6% into alpha, which is £1,606.69 a year taken before tax. Income Tax is £4,150.26 and National Insurance is £1,788.64, leaving £27,382.41 a year, or £2,281.87 a month.
Moving to 39 hours raises the starting salary to £36,816, but it also pushes you over the first pension threshold, so you take home about £87 a month more rather than the full difference. On 41 hours it is about £229 a month more than on 37.
Jobs in a prison, by band
- Band 2, operational support grade: gate, control room, visits, reception and night duties.
- Band 3, prison officer: runs the daily routine on a wing and keeps prisoners and staff safe.
- Band 4, supervising officer or specialist: leads a wing on shift, or works as a dog handler, offender manager or PE instructor.
- Band 5, custodial manager: the most senior uniformed grade, managing an area of the prison.
- Bands 7 to 12, governor grades: heads of function, governors and prison group directors.
Each guide explains the duties, shifts, how to get the job and where it leads.
Civil Service pension (alpha) rates 2026/27
| Actual yearly pensionable pay | You pay |
|---|---|
| Up to £36,199 | 4.6% |
| £36,200 to £56,000 | 5.45% |
| £56,001 to £150,000 | 7.35% |
| £150,001 and above | 8.05% |
Your whole pensionable pay is charged at one rate, and unsocial hours and pensionable committed hours count towards it. An officer on £36,199 pays 4.6%. Earn £1 more and the whole salary is charged at 5.45%, which costs about £245 a year in take-home pay. That is why some officers on 39 hours see less of a pay rise than they expected.
What is not included
- Overtime (Payment Plus). Extra shifts are paid on top at a set hourly rate and are not pensionable. See the Payment Plus calculator.
- Market supplements. Paid at some prisons, as shown above.
- Operational Support Grades. Band 2 OSGs are on a separate rate.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Scottish Prison Service and Northern Ireland Prison Service have their own pay.
Shift patterns and how pay grows from Band 3 to governor: prison officer shifts and career progression. Comparing with a Serco, Sodexo or G4S job? See public vs private prison officer pay.
To check a job offer or payslip, use the take-home pay calculator, add a pension, choose “Workplace, whole salary” and enter your alpha rate.
Common questions
How much is the prison officer pay rise for 2026/27?
HMPPS staff got 3.5% from 1 April 2026, backdated, after the government accepted all of the Prison Service Pay Review Body’s recommendations on 26 March 2026. Band 3 and Band 5 staff below the top of their band also moved up one pay point.
How much does a prison guard earn in the UK?
In the UK the job is called prison officer rather than prison guard. A new prison officer in England and Wales earns £34,928 on 37 hours, including the 20% unsocial hours allowance, rising to £41,417 at the top of Band 3 on 41 hours. London pays more.
Is a correctional officer the same as a prison officer?
Yes. Correctional or corrections officer is the American term. In the UK the role is prison officer (Band 3 in HMPPS), or prison custody officer in a privately run prison. Pay for both is on this page and in our public vs private comparison.
How much does a prison officer earn in the UK?
In England and Wales a new Band 3 prison officer (sometimes called a prison guard) earns £34,928 on 37 hours including the 20% unsocial hours allowance, rising with more hours, pay points and London rates. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own pay: see the Scottish Prison Service and Northern Ireland Prison Service pages.
What are the prison service pay scales for 2026?
From 1 April 2026, on 37 hours nationally including unsocial hours: Band 3 prison officer £34,928 to £36,778, Band 4 £41,328, and Band 5 custodial manager £44,900 to £47,057. London rates are higher, and 39 or 41 hours pay more. The full scales for every band are in the tables above.
Do prison officers earn good money?
A new officer earns £34,928 on 37 hours nationally, below the UK full-time median of £40,911 (ONS, April 2026). The top Band 3 pay point on 41 hours, or Band 4 promotion, takes you above it, and the job includes the alpha pension. Our guide to prison officer shifts and career progression shows pay at each step.
What does a new prison officer take home?
A new Band 3 officer on 37 hours at a prison with no market supplement earns £34,928 and takes home about £2,282 a month after tax, National Insurance and the alpha pension.
Is the unsocial hours allowance pensionable?
Yes. The 20% unsocial hours allowance counts as pensionable pay, so it is included when your alpha contribution rate is worked out.
Should I work 37, 39 or 41 hours?
More hours means more pay, but the extra pay can push you into a higher pension rate. Compare the monthly take-home figures in the starting pay table before you decide.
Is pay for 39 and 41 hours pensionable?
Pay for hours up to 39 a week counts for your pension. The extra pay for hours 40 and 41 does not.
What is the Required Hours Addition?
Managers and governors on Bands 7 to 12 get a 20% Required Hours Addition instead of the unsocial hours allowance. It recognises that they must work extra hours and unsocial times as needed.
How much is prison on-call pay?
From April 2026 it is £9 for each on-call period of 12 hours or more on a working day, and £25 for each 24-hour period on a rest day, weekend or public holiday.