Annual Salary
£30,702 to £38,165
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Armed forces or Emergency or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Armed forces or Emergency or go back to all job sectors
Prison officers supervise people who are in prisons, remand centres and young offenders' institutions.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
0.2% fewer Prison officer jobs in 2027.
As a prison officer you could:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in a prison.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or by applying directly.
You could do a Custody and Detention Officer Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
To do this apprenticeship, you'll need:
You could apply directly to be a prison officer. You do not need qualifications as personal qualities are more important in this role.
You'll need to take an online test to check your judgement and number skills.
If you pass, you'll attend an assessment day where you'll be tested on your:
You'll also have an interview and take part in role plays to see if you have the right personal qualities to be a prison officer.
More information
You can find out more about how to become a prison officer from HM Prison and Probation Service.
You'll need to:
With experience you could:train and move into specialist projects like rehabilitation work with groups of prisoners and their families; become a supervising officer, custodial manager or head of function; move up to become a deputy governor or prisoner governor
You can find out more about how to become a prison officer from HM Prison & Probation Service.
You'll need: