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Average Prisoner Custody Officer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A prisoner custody officer in United Kingdom earns about 26,400 GBP a year. That's 62% 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 14,300 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 44,800 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 a prisoner custody officer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
26,400 GBP
2,200 GBP per month
Lowest reported
14,300 GBP
1,191 GBP per month
Highest reported
44,800 GBP
3,733 GBP per month

A typical prisoner custody officer working in United Kingdom brings home around 2,200 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 14,300 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 44,800 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 prisoner custody 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 prisoner custody officer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How prisoner custody 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 prisoner custody officers in United Kingdom earn less than 26,900 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 20,300 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 34,000 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of prisoner custody officers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 14,300 GBP. The highest stretch to 44,800 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.

14,300
Low
26,900
Median
44,800
High
20,300
25th
34,000
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Prisoner custody officer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a prisoner custody 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 prisoner custody officer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    18,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +21% from previous
    22,100 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +24% from previous
    27,300 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +22% from previous
    33,300 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +11% from previous
    36,800 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    39,500 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 24%. That is the point at which a prisoner custody 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.

Prisoner custody officer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving prisoner custody 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 prisoner custody officer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    21,400 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +56% from previous
    33,300 GBP

Prisoner custody 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 prisoner custody officers in United Kingdom earn an average of 27,700 GBP a year, while female prisoner custody officers earn around 26,100 GBP. That works out to a 6% 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.

Prisoner Custody Officer gender pay gap

6%

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

Men 27,700 GBP
Women 26,100 GBP

Pay raises for a prisoner custody 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 9% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 7% 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

Prisoner custody 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.

29%

29% of prisoner custody officers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a prisoner custody officer a low-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 1% to 3% of base salary. The remaining 71% of prisoner custody 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

Prisoner custody 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

Prisoner custody officer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Prisoner custody 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
  • Birmingham
  • Liverpool
  • Bristol
  • Edinburgh
  • Manchester
  • Kingston upon Hull
  • Cardiff
  • Somerset
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion49,300 GBP47,400 GBP27,300-77,300 GBP
ScotlandRegion40,300 GBP35,000 GBP21,100-61,400 GBP
BirminghamCity34,000 GBP34,900 GBP13,500-53,300 GBP
LiverpoolCity32,600 GBP29,600 GBP16,900-47,400 GBP
BristolCity32,200 GBP28,900 GBP16,800-48,600 GBP
EdinburghCity31,800 GBP27,300 GBP16,900-46,700 GBP
ManchesterCity31,700 GBP34,000 GBP13,500-51,600 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity31,400 GBP26,400 GBP16,100-46,100 GBP
CardiffCity31,400 GBP29,300 GBP16,400-47,500 GBP
SomersetCity31,400 GBP28,900 GBP16,400-47,500 GBP
AberdeenCity30,800 GBP30,800 GBP14,000-46,300 GBP
OxfordCity30,800 GBP29,400 GBP14,900-45,000 GBP
PortsmouthCity30,700 GBP30,700 GBP12,000-46,700 GBP
BrightonCity30,300 GBP30,300 GBP13,500-47,100 GBP
BelfastCity30,300 GBP29,200 GBP15,500-45,800 GBP
GlasgowCity30,300 GBP33,600 GBP15,500-48,500 GBP
SheffieldCity30,200 GBP30,700 GBP16,800-49,400 GBP
LeicesterCity30,200 GBP31,400 GBP15,400-48,500 GBP
LondonCity30,200 GBP34,000 GBP14,200-48,300 GBP
NewcastleCity30,100 GBP30,100 GBP14,000-44,200 GBP
SwanseaCity30,100 GBP30,100 GBP15,400-45,800 GBP
SouthamptonCity30,100 GBP29,000 GBP16,100-46,700 GBP
CoventryCity30,100 GBP30,800 GBP17,100-47,800 GBP
PlymouthCity30,100 GBP30,800 GBP14,200-46,200 GBP
NewportCity30,100 GBP31,800 GBP15,100-47,500 GBP
LeedsCity30,000 GBP32,900 GBP15,500-46,900 GBP
WolverhamptonCity29,200 GBP33,200 GBP13,900-45,300 GBP
NottinghamCity29,200 GBP28,800 GBP16,800-44,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity29,000 GBP29,300 GBP12,000-45,000 GBP
BradfordCity28,900 GBP32,200 GBP15,500-45,600 GBP
StirlingCity28,800 GBP27,400 GBP14,200-42,400 GBP
BangorCity27,400 GBP25,700 GBP13,900-38,000 GBP
HartlepoolCity27,400 GBP25,400 GBP13,500-39,600 GBP
ArmaghCity27,400 GBP27,400 GBP12,400-43,400 GBP
LincolnCity27,300 GBP25,800 GBP14,900-42,400 GBP
SalisburyCity27,300 GBP27,300 GBP15,100-42,500 GBP
NewryCity27,300 GBP26,900 GBP13,400-41,000 GBP
CambridgeCity27,200 GBP27,800 GBP15,400-42,300 GBP
WalesRegion27,100 GBP27,100 GBP14,700-40,300 GBP
DerbyCity26,900 GBP27,300 GBP13,100-43,400 GBP
InvernessCity26,600 GBP25,800 GBP12,800-42,000 GBP
AbingdonCity26,600 GBP24,400 GBP13,500-41,100 GBP
DundeeCity26,500 GBP27,400 GBP14,500-40,700 GBP
LisburnCity26,500 GBP29,900 GBP12,800-41,500 GBP
StrontianCity26,400 GBP24,200 GBP12,500-40,500 GBP
NorwichCity26,400 GBP26,900 GBP14,300-44,800 GBP
WellsCity26,400 GBP26,200 GBP13,700-39,400 GBP
St DavidsCity26,200 GBP26,500 GBP12,800-39,400 GBP
ChesterCity26,100 GBP26,400 GBP15,100-45,000 GBP
ExeterCity25,800 GBP28,800 GBP13,700-42,600 GBP
DerryCity25,800 GBP24,200 GBP15,200-41,300 GBP
CanterburyCity25,700 GBP27,300 GBP12,500-41,100 GBP
PooleCity25,500 GBP24,200 GBP15,500-42,500 GBP
YorkCity25,500 GBP29,600 GBP13,900-45,000 GBP
GloucesterCity25,500 GBP25,500 GBP14,900-42,800 GBP
StromnessCity25,300 GBP27,600 GBP10,300-36,700 GBP
WinchesterCity24,800 GBP22,200 GBP13,600-38,100 GBP
DurhamCity24,800 GBP26,900 GBP12,200-40,300 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion24,800 GBP27,800 GBP11,900-39,100 GBP
TruroCity23,700 GBP27,000 GBP12,500-38,000 GBP
WakefieldCity23,600 GBP27,400 GBP12,600-39,600 GBP
RiponCity22,800 GBP27,600 GBP12,500-39,100 GBP
KirkwallCity22,400 GBP23,400 GBP12,800-35,200 GBP

Prisoner Custody Officer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a prisoner custody officer make per month in United Kingdom?

    A prisoner custody officer in United Kingdom earns about 2,200 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 26,400 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a prisoner custody officer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level prisoner custody officers in United Kingdom start near 14,300 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 44,800 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 20,300 and 34,000 GBP.

  • Is the median prisoner custody officer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 26,900 GBP, higher than the average of 26,400 GBP. Half of prisoner custody officers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for prisoner custody officers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a prisoner custody officer in United Kingdom earn around 6% more than women on average (27,700 vs 26,100 GBP a year).

  • Do prisoner custody officers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 29% of prisoner custody officers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3% of base salary.

  • Do prisoner custody officers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

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

  • How often do prisoner custody officers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A prisoner custody officer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 9% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.