Prison Custodial Manager Salary 2026/27: Band 5
Custodial Manager is Band 5 in the HMPPS Fair and Sustainable structure, the first operational management rung, typically running a wing or a functional area. Base pay runs across three points from £37,417 to £39,214, reaching £49,600 on a 39 hour contract with committed hours payments and the 20% unsocial hours addition. The 3.5% PSPRB award was accepted in full on 26 March 2026.
Typical pay & take-home
- Band 5 pay point 2
- £38,305
- Typical range
- £37,417–£49,600
- Take-home at median
- £31,099 England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.
At the median for this profession, you earn 2% below the UK full-time median (£39,039), placing you in the bottom 48% of UK earners.
What influences prison custodial manager (band 5) pay
Three base pay points, £37,417, £38,305 and £39,214, reached by service. The spread inside the band is small; hours and allowances move pay far more than progression does.
The 20% unsocial hours addition takes the top point from £39,214 to £47,057, and a 39 hour contract with two committed hours payments reaches £49,600. That is £12,183 above base for the same pay point.
The alpha contribution is 5.45% across the whole band, the tier covering £36,200 to £56,000, so unlike Band 4 there is no tier change to watch as unsocial hours are added.
London differentials are flat cash: £3,432 outer and £5,218 inner, added to whichever pay figure applies.
alpha is a net pay arrangement. The contribution reduces taxable pay but National Insurance is charged on the full gross, so the relief is worth less than the headline rate suggests.
Career progression
- Supervising Officer (Band 4): £34,440 spot rate.
- Custodial Manager (Band 5): £37,417 to £39,214 base.
- Head of Function (Band 7): £54,148 spot rate.
- Deputy Governor (Band 8): £57,398 to £63,139.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a Band 5 Custodial Manager take home 2026/27?
- On the £37,417 bottom pay point with the 5.45% alpha contribution, take-home is about £28,828 a year or £2,402 a month. At the £39,214 top point it is about £30,044, and at £49,600 on a 39 hour contract with allowances it is about £37,069.
- How much does the unsocial hours addition add?
- It is 20% of base pay, so at the top point it takes £39,214 to £47,057. Combined with a 39 hour contract and two committed hours payments the figure reaches £49,600 - more than a quarter above base for the same pay point.