The annual salaries of prison officers in the United Kingdom have been made public by the government. Prisons in the UK are divided into three categories depending on location, and a breakdown of yearly salaries by category was published on the UK Prison and Probation Service official website. This article examines the yearly earnings of prison officers working in Inner London, Outer London, and other locations.
Salary Structure for Prison Officers
According to the UK Prison and Probation Service, the amount a prison officer earns depends on two factors: the number of hours worked and the prison's location. All trainee prison officers start on a 37-hour contract, which can be increased to 39 or 41 hours per week after training completion.
Inner London Prison Officers' Salaries
- Brixton: 37 hours: £39,493 (₦72.00m); 39 hours: £41,984 (₦76.54m); 41 hours: £44,474 (₦81.08m)
- Pentonville: Same as Brixton
- Wandsworth: Same as Brixton
- Wormwood Scrubs: Same as Brixton
Outer London Prison Officers' Salaries
- Belmarsh: 37 hours: £37,525 (₦68.41m); 39 hours: £39,892 (₦72.72m); 41 hours: £42,258 (₦77.03m)
- Downview: 37 hours: £39,525 (₦72.05m); 39 hours: £41,892 (₦76.36m); 41 hours: £44,258 (₦80.68m)
- Feltham: Same as Downview
- High Down: Same as Downview
- Isis: Same as Belmarsh
National Salaries for UK Prison Officers
- Aylesbury: 37 hours: £36,746 (₦66.99m); 39 hours: £38,875 (₦70.89m); 41 hours: £41,003 (₦74.75m)
- Bedford: 37 hours: £35,746 (₦65.17m); 39 hours: £37,875 (₦69.06m); 41 hours: £40,003 (₦72.92m)
- Bullingdon: 37 hours: £37,246 (₦67.90m); 39 hours: £39,375 (₦71.80m); 41 hours: £41,503 (₦75.67m)
- Coldingley: Same as Bedford
- Elmley: Same as Bullingdon
- Grendon and Springhill: 37 hours: £35,246 (₦64.26m); 39 hours: £37,375 (₦68.15m); 41 hours: £39,503 (₦72.02m)
- Highpoint: Same as Bedford
- Huntercombe: Same as Grendon and Springhill
- Send: Same as Bedford
- Standford Hill: Same as Grendon and Springhill
- Stocken: Same as Bedford
- Swaleside: Same as Bullingdon
- The Mount: Same as Bedford
- Winchester: Same as Bedford
- Woodhill: Same as Bullingdon
In a related story, a former HMP Wandsworth prison officer was sentenced to 15 months in jail for misconduct in public office. Additionally, a report revealed that over 200 Nigerian recruits working as UK prison officers sleep in cars or are homeless. The UK prison service sponsored skilled worker visas after a 2023 policy change added prison officers to the eligible professions list. The President of the Prison Officers Association shared stories of recruits commuting long distances or sleeping in cars near their workplaces.
