Prison Officer Pay Scales 2026/27: Every Band and Take-Home
HMPPS pay from 1 April 2026: Band 2 to Band 12, every pay point and hours pattern, national and London, with take-home after tax and pension.
What changed for 2026/27
Prison Service pay in England and Wales is set on the Fair and Sustainable structure, recommended each year by the Prison Service Pay Review Body and decided by the Lord Chancellor. For 2026 the recommendations were accepted in full, so these are rates being paid rather than proposals.
- 3.5% on base pay points and spot rates from 1 April 2026, consolidated and pensionable, across Bands 2 to 12.
- One extra pay point for Bands 3 and 5 staff in post on 31 March 2026 and below their scale maximum, on top of the headline rise.
- 3⅓% progression for Bands 8 to 11 in post on 31 March 2026, capped at the new band maximum.
- Band 2 got the 3.5% on top of the National Living Wage uplift, and keeps a 25% unsocial hours rate rather than 20% until the 2027 report.
- Payment Plus rose £1 to £23 an hour for additional shifts.
Backdated to 1 April 2026 and due in pay by the end of June 2026, accepted in full by the Lord Chancellor in written ministerial statement HCWS1463.
What that is after tax
Band 3 on the national scale, for a member of the alpha pension scheme. Base pay is shown alongside the common 39 hour contract, because base pay alone is not what most officers are actually paid.
| Contract | Point | Gross | alpha | Take-home / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 hour base pay | 3 | £30,648 | 4.6% | £24,458 | £2,038 |
| 37 hour base pay | 2 | £30,125 | 4.6% | £24,101 | £2,008 |
| 37 hour base pay | 1 | £29,107 | 4.6% | £23,406 | £1,950 |
| 39 hour inc 2xACHP & 20% unsocial | 3 | £38,766 | 5.45% | £29,741 | £2,478 |
| 39 hour inc 2xACHP & 20% unsocial | 2 | £38,104 | 5.45% | £29,293 | £2,441 |
| 39 hour inc 2xACHP & 20% unsocial | 1 | £36,816 | 5.45% | £28,422 | £2,369 |
National zone. Excludes Payment Plus shifts, the Physical Education Instructor payment and student loan repayments. Officers resident in Scotland pay Scottish Income Tax rates on the same gross.
Band 3 prison officer
Every hours pattern and pay point from 1 April 2026. Point 3 is the scale maximum. ACH is Additional Committed Hours, ACHP the pensionable version.
| Contract | Point | National | Outer London | Inner London |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 hour base pay | 3 | £30,648 | £34,080 | £35,866 |
| 37 hour base pay | 2 | £30,125 | £33,499 | £35,254 |
| 37 hour base pay | 1 | £29,107 | £32,367 | £34,063 |
| 37 hour inc 20% unsocial | 3 | £36,778 | £40,896 | £43,039 |
| 37 hour inc 20% unsocial | 2 | £36,150 | £40,199 | £42,305 |
| 37 hour inc 20% unsocial | 1 | £34,928 | £38,840 | £40,876 |
| 38 hour inc 1xACH & 20% unsocial | 3 | £37,937 | £42,186 | £44,396 |
| 38 hour inc 1xACH & 20% unsocial | 2 | £37,290 | £41,466 | £43,639 |
| 38 hour inc 1xACH & 20% unsocial | 1 | £36,030 | £40,065 | £42,164 |
| 39 hour inc 2xACH & 20% unsocial | 3 | £39,097 | £43,475 | £45,753 |
| 39 hour inc 2xACH & 20% unsocial | 2 | £38,430 | £42,734 | £44,973 |
| 39 hour inc 2xACH & 20% unsocial | 1 | £37,131 | £41,290 | £43,453 |
| 39 hour inc 2xACHP & 20% unsocial | 3 | £38,766 | £43,107 | £45,366 |
| 39 hour inc 2xACHP & 20% unsocial | 2 | £38,104 | £42,372 | £44,592 |
| 39 hour inc 2xACHP & 20% unsocial | 1 | £36,816 | £40,940 | £43,085 |
| 40 hour inc 3xACH & 20% unsocial | 3 | £40,257 | £44,765 | £47,110 |
| 40 hour inc 3xACH & 20% unsocial | 2 | £39,570 | £44,001 | £46,307 |
| 40 hour inc 3xACH & 20% unsocial | 1 | £38,232 | £42,514 | £44,742 |
| 41 hour inc 4xACH & 20% unsocial | 3 | £41,417 | £46,054 | £48,468 |
| 41 hour inc 4xACH & 20% unsocial | 2 | £40,710 | £45,269 | £47,641 |
| 41 hour inc 4xACH & 20% unsocial | 1 | £39,334 | £43,739 | £46,031 |
Bands 2, 4 and 5
Band 2 is the Operational Support Grade, Band 4 supervising and specialist officers, Band 5 custodial managers. Bands 2 and 4 are spot rates with no incremental points.
| Band | Contract | Point | National | Outer London | Inner London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 (OSG) | 37 hour base pay | Spot | £25,409 | £28,841 | £30,627 |
| Band 2 (OSG) | 37 hour inc 25% unsocial | Spot | £31,761 | £36,051 | £38,284 |
| Band 2 (OSG) | 39 hour inc 2xACHP & 25% unsocial | Spot | £33,478 | £38,000 | £40,354 |
| Band 4 | 37 hour base pay | Spot | £34,440 | £37,872 | £39,658 |
| Band 4 | 37 hour inc 20% unsocial | Spot | £41,328 | £45,446 | £47,590 |
| Band 4 | 39 hour inc 2xACHP & 20% unsocial | Spot | £43,562 | £47,903 | £50,162 |
| Band 5 | 37 hour base pay | 3 | £39,214 | £42,646 | £44,432 |
| Band 5 | 37 hour base pay | 2 | £38,305 | £41,658 | £43,403 |
| Band 5 | 37 hour base pay | 1 | £37,417 | £40,693 | £42,397 |
| Band 5 | 37 hour inc 20% unsocial | 3 | £47,057 | £51,175 | £53,318 |
| Band 5 | 37 hour inc 20% unsocial | 2 | £45,966 | £49,990 | £52,084 |
| Band 5 | 37 hour inc 20% unsocial | 1 | £44,900 | £48,832 | £50,876 |
| Band 5 | 39 hour inc 2xACHP & 20% unsocial | 3 | £49,600 | £53,941 | £56,200 |
| Band 5 | 39 hour inc 2xACHP & 20% unsocial | 2 | £48,451 | £52,692 | £54,899 |
| Band 5 | 39 hour inc 2xACHP & 20% unsocial | 1 | £47,327 | £51,471 | £53,626 |
Band 2 base pay had to clear the National Living Wage as well: the review body recommended £25,409 nationally against £24,549 if only the wage floor had applied.
Bands 7 to 12: managers and governors
Bands 8 to 11 are ranges without fixed increments; Bands 7 and 12 are spot rates. The Required Hours Addition is 20% of base pay and is pensionable.
| Grade | National | National inc RHA | Inner London | Inner inc RHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prison Group Director (Band 12) spot rate | £125,902 | n/a | £131,120 | n/a |
| Governor (Band 11) max | £100,694 | £120,833 | £105,912 | £127,094 |
| Governor (Band 11) min | £91,540 | £109,848 | £96,284 | £115,541 |
| Governor (Band 10) max | £89,472 | £107,366 | £94,690 | £113,628 |
| Governor (Band 10) min | £81,338 | £97,606 | £86,082 | £103,298 |
| Deputy Governor (Band 9) max | £80,864 | £97,037 | £86,082 | £103,298 |
| Deputy Governor (Band 9) min | £73,513 | £88,216 | £78,257 | £93,908 |
| Deputy Governor / Head of Function (Band 8) max | £63,139 | £75,767 | £68,357 | £82,028 |
| Deputy Governor / Head of Function (Band 8) min | £57,398 | £68,878 | £62,142 | £74,570 |
| Head of Function (Band 7) spot rate | £54,148 | £64,978 | £59,366 | £71,239 |
A governor at the top of Band 11 with the Required Hours Addition is on £120,833 nationally. After the 7.35% alpha contribution, adjusted net income is about £111,952, inside the £100,000 to £125,140 band where the Personal Allowance tapers away, an effective marginal Income Tax rate of 60%.
How the scales are built
- 37 hour base pay is the root. Every other figure on the same row is derived from it, and base pay is rounded up to the nearest pound.
- Unsocial Working Hours adds 20% of base pay for Bands 3 to 5, and 25% for Band 2. It is pensionable.
- ACH and ACHP are contracted hours above 37 a week. They attract the unsocial hours percentage too, which is why the 41 hour row is so much higher than the 37 hour one.
- London is a cash differential, not a percentage. The scale maximum is the national maximum plus £5,218 (inner) or £3,432 (outer), and the lower points are set in the same proportion as nationally.
- Required Hours Addition is the Bands 7 to 12 equivalent, at 20% of base pay.
alpha pension contributions
Prison staff are civil servants, so the pension is alpha. Contributions are tiered on pensionable earnings. For 2026/27 only the lowest threshold moved, from £34,799 to £36,199; the other thresholds and all four rates are unchanged.
| Annual pensionable earnings | Member contribution |
|---|---|
| £0 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% |
Unsocial hours and committed hours payments are pensionable, so they count towards the tier: a Band 3 officer on base pay alone sits in the 4.6% tier, but the same officer on a 39 hour contract with unsocial hours pays 5.45%. alpha is a net pay arrangement: the contribution comes out before Income Tax, but National Insurance is still charged on the full gross.
Related
Frequently asked questions
What is the prison officer pay rise for 2026/27?
3.5% on base pay points and spot rates from 1 April 2026, consolidated and pensionable. The Prison Service Pay Review Body recommended it on 26 March 2026 and the Lord Chancellor accepted the recommendations in full the same day, backdated to 1 April and due in pay by the end of June 2026. Staff on Bands 3 and 5 below the scale maximum also moved up one pay point.
What does a prison officer earn after tax?
A Band 3 officer on the national scale is paid £29,107 to £30,648 for a 37 hour week before allowances. At the top of the scale, after Income Tax, National Insurance and a 4.6% alpha pension contribution, take-home is about £24,458 a year or £2,038 a month. Most officers earn more than base pay because unsocial hours and additional committed hours are paid on top.
What do ACH, ACHP and unsocial hours mean on a prison payslip?
Additional Committed Hours are contracted hours worked above the 37 hour base week, so a 39 hour contract is 37 hours plus 2xACH. ACHP is the pensionable version. The Unsocial Working Hours allowance is 20% of base pay for Bands 3 to 5, and it applies to committed hours as well, which is why a 39 hour officer on the top pay point is paid over £8,000 more than the base rate.
How much more do London prisons pay?
The London zones work as a fixed cash differential rather than a percentage: the scale maximum is set at the national maximum plus £5,218 for inner London or £3,432 for outer London, with lower points scaled in proportion. Inner London covers Brixton, Pentonville, Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs and the Westminster headquarters; outer London covers Belmarsh, Downview, Feltham, High Down, Isis and the controllers' offices at Bronzefield and Thameside.
What pension do prison officers get?
Prison staff are civil servants, so they are in the alpha scheme. Member contributions are tiered from 4.6% to 8.05% of pensionable earnings, and unsocial hours payments are pensionable, so they can push an officer into a higher contribution tier. The contribution reduces taxable pay but not the pay National Insurance is charged on.
Do these scales apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
No. This is the England and Wales Prison Service. The Scottish Prison Service negotiates separately, and the Northern Ireland Prison Service has its own PSPRB pay round with its own report and timetable.