Probation officers roles in the UK earn a median of £49,500 per year, equivalent to £24.03 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 38.0% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £45,000 in Yorkshire and The Humber to £56,000 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years.
Median Annual Pay
£49,500
as of 2025
High confidenceMedian Hourly Pay
£24.03
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+38.0%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£42,000 – £58,000
25th – 75th percentile
UK Employment (2024)
~16,000
estimated employees
23 of 180 areas not disclosed by ONS
Employment Change
2021–2024
2021: ~24,000 → 2024: ~16,000
Market Signal
Specialist demandPay is rising while employment is falling — specialist skills are in high demand.
Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.
Annual pay for Probation officers across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
Annual pay grew by +38.0% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Probation officers.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
For job seekers
Check your salary against official UK data for Probation officers roles — broken down by region and seniority level. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
For employers & recruiters
Probation officers work to rehabilitate offenders. They supervise, counsel and help them before trial, during any prison or community sentence and on release from prison
Candidates are recruited with a variety of academic qualifications or with relevant experience. In England and Wales all candidates must complete a two year Diploma in Probation studies. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, entry requirements are the same as for social workers. Background checks including a DBS check are required.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.