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Average Assistant Programme Officer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An assistant programme officer in United Kingdom earns about 46,300 GBP a year. That's 34% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 23,400 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 69,700 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does an assistant programme officer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
46,300 GBP
3,858 GBP per month
Lowest reported
23,400 GBP
1,950 GBP per month
Highest reported
69,700 GBP
5,808 GBP per month

A typical assistant programme officer working in United Kingdom brings home around 3,858 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 23,400 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 69,700 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior assistant programme officer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the assistant programme officer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How assistant programme officer pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all assistant programme officers in United Kingdom earn less than 45,000 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 30,000 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 58,800 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of assistant programme officers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 23,400 GBP. The highest stretch to 69,700 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

23,400
Low
45,000
Median
69,700
High
30,000
25th
58,800
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Assistant programme officer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an assistant programme officer in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical assistant programme officer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    25,800 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +32% from previous
    34,000 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +35% from previous
    45,900 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +24% from previous
    56,900 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +8% from previous
    61,700 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    65,800 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 35%. That is the point at which a assistant programme officer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Assistant programme officer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving assistant programme officer pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average assistant programme officer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    34,000 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +45% from previous
    49,400 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +33% from previous
    65,900 GBP

Assistant programme officer gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male assistant programme officers in United Kingdom earn an average of 45,000 GBP a year, while female assistant programme officers earn around 42,700 GBP. That works out to a 5% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Assistant Programme Officer gender pay gap

5%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 45,000 GBP
Women 42,700 GBP

Pay raises for an assistant programme officer in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 10% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Assistant programme officer bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

57%

57% of assistant programme officers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an assistant programme officer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 43% of assistant programme officers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Assistant programme officer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Assistant programme officer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Assistant programme officer pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Edinburgh
  • Sheffield
  • London
  • Bradford
  • Liverpool
  • Kingston upon Hull
  • Leicester
  • Bristol
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion88,300 GBP93,100 GBP45,000-141,000 GBP
ScotlandRegion61,800 GBP59,800 GBP32,900-93,100 GBP
EdinburghCity53,600 GBP47,400 GBP27,400-78,500 GBP
SheffieldCity53,600 GBP54,600 GBP27,400-82,300 GBP
LondonCity52,300 GBP58,200 GBP26,400-83,900 GBP
BradfordCity51,800 GBP51,800 GBP27,600-79,600 GBP
LiverpoolCity51,800 GBP49,700 GBP26,600-79,000 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity51,600 GBP45,600 GBP27,000-75,900 GBP
LeicesterCity51,600 GBP50,000 GBP25,800-76,900 GBP
BristolCity51,500 GBP52,300 GBP27,400-82,200 GBP
BirminghamCity51,400 GBP57,000 GBP23,300-84,600 GBP
GlasgowCity51,300 GBP51,900 GBP26,200-78,500 GBP
DerbyCity50,800 GBP49,400 GBP23,600-74,700 GBP
LeedsCity50,700 GBP53,600 GBP22,400-80,200 GBP
NewcastleCity50,500 GBP44,200 GBP27,000-74,100 GBP
ManchesterCity49,200 GBP49,200 GBP26,400-78,200 GBP
OxfordCity49,000 GBP49,200 GBP21,500-73,300 GBP
SomersetCity48,600 GBP45,300 GBP25,400-72,400 GBP
NottinghamCity48,500 GBP44,500 GBP27,400-73,800 GBP
BelfastCity48,200 GBP49,400 GBP23,800-74,000 GBP
SwanseaCity48,200 GBP45,000 GBP26,500-71,000 GBP
BrightonCity47,600 GBP45,100 GBP25,700-69,200 GBP
CardiffCity47,200 GBP45,600 GBP22,800-74,100 GBP
CoventryCity46,900 GBP51,400 GBP21,500-78,200 GBP
PlymouthCity46,900 GBP51,400 GBP21,500-78,200 GBP
GloucesterCity46,700 GBP43,500 GBP23,600-67,800 GBP
NewportCity46,400 GBP49,800 GBP23,000-72,000 GBP
ArmaghCity46,200 GBP44,800 GBP26,500-69,400 GBP
PortsmouthCity46,200 GBP52,300 GBP20,000-73,700 GBP
YorkCity46,200 GBP46,200 GBP23,400-73,500 GBP
WolverhamptonCity46,100 GBP51,500 GBP20,000-71,900 GBP
DundeeCity45,700 GBP46,700 GBP20,400-69,600 GBP
SouthamptonCity45,400 GBP42,300 GBP25,300-68,800 GBP
DerryCity45,200 GBP42,600 GBP22,200-66,100 GBP
WinchesterCity45,000 GBP42,700 GBP23,200-66,900 GBP
StirlingCity45,000 GBP41,500 GBP23,200-66,900 GBP
ChesterCity45,000 GBP41,500 GBP22,800-66,100 GBP
PooleCity44,800 GBP43,500 GBP20,400-66,100 GBP
ExeterCity44,700 GBP44,700 GBP22,100-68,800 GBP
AberdeenCity44,500 GBP39,800 GBP22,400-66,200 GBP
HartlepoolCity44,300 GBP44,900 GBP21,700-67,400 GBP
NorwichCity44,300 GBP44,500 GBP21,700-66,900 GBP
PeterboroughCity44,200 GBP44,300 GBP23,100-68,800 GBP
LisburnCity43,800 GBP46,400 GBP23,000-69,200 GBP
LincolnCity43,500 GBP44,200 GBP20,000-66,400 GBP
NewryCity43,400 GBP40,700 GBP22,100-64,400 GBP
WalesRegion43,400 GBP38,700 GBP22,200-63,500 GBP
RiponCity42,700 GBP42,700 GBP23,000-64,200 GBP
TruroCity42,600 GBP43,500 GBP20,500-64,900 GBP
AbingdonCity42,400 GBP45,000 GBP19,400-65,400 GBP
CanterburyCity42,400 GBP43,400 GBP18,200-63,500 GBP
DurhamCity41,900 GBP45,300 GBP20,200-63,400 GBP
CambridgeCity41,500 GBP40,300 GBP22,100-64,800 GBP
BangorCity41,000 GBP45,300 GBP19,400-65,100 GBP
InvernessCity40,300 GBP40,300 GBP20,700-63,200 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion40,300 GBP45,200 GBP22,000-67,800 GBP
SalisburyCity40,200 GBP36,200 GBP23,400-61,700 GBP
StromnessCity40,200 GBP45,600 GBP19,200-64,200 GBP
WakefieldCity39,500 GBP40,500 GBP23,000-63,100 GBP
KirkwallCity39,100 GBP42,000 GBP19,200-60,700 GBP
StrontianCity39,100 GBP39,100 GBP18,900-58,000 GBP
WellsCity38,700 GBP43,200 GBP20,300-61,500 GBP
St DavidsCity36,400 GBP36,400 GBP20,300-59,000 GBP

Assistant Programme Officer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an assistant programme officer make per month in United Kingdom?

    An assistant programme officer in United Kingdom earns about 3,858 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 46,300 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an assistant programme officer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level assistant programme officers in United Kingdom start near 23,400 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 69,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 30,000 and 58,800 GBP.

  • Is the median assistant programme officer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 45,000 GBP, lower than the average of 46,300 GBP. Half of assistant programme officers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for assistant programme officers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an assistant programme officer in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (45,000 vs 42,700 GBP a year).

  • Do assistant programme officers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 57% of assistant programme officers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

  • Do assistant programme officers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays an assistant programme officer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do assistant programme officers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An assistant programme officer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 10% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.