Houseparents and residential wardens Pay Data UK — 2025

Houseparents and residential wardens roles in the UK earn a median of £31,000 per year, equivalent to £16.13 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 6.5% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £23,500 in Yorkshire and The Humber to £37,500 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £31,871/yr (3% below our computed national average).

Labour Market

Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.

Pay by Region

Annual pay for Houseparents and residential wardens 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).

How Pay Has Changed Over Time

Annual pay grew by +6.5% from 2024 to 2025.

National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.

Year-on-Year Pay Change

Annual percentage change in median pay for Houseparents and residential wardens.

Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.

About Houseparents and residential wardens

Houseparents and residential wardens are responsible for the care and supervision of children, young people and the elderly within residential homes, schools or their own homes. An essential requirement of their work is that they reside with those for whom they are providing support.

Typical Tasks and Duties

• creates friendly, secure atmosphere and tries to gain the trust and confidence of those in the home or under supervision
• plans and participates in games and leisure activities to encourage emotional, social, physical and intellectual development
• ensures that all material needs of residents are provided and endeavours to resolve any problems that they may have
• ensures that students attend school regularly
• manage the household (domestic duties)
• may provide one-to-one counselling or group therapy
• establishes and maintains contact with members of the neighbouring community and/or the residents’ family and friends
• maintains contact and discusses problems/progress with other staff and social workers
• keeps records and writes reports

Entry Routes and Qualifications

There are no formal academic entry requirements. In most cases workers will hold or be working towards the appropriate qualification for the job. Entrants must typically be 18 years old and have experience of working in a care environment. Both Off and on-the-job training is available. A wide range of qualifications including NVQs/SVQs covering various aspects of care are available. Background checks including an enhanced DBS check, CPR and first aid certifications are likely to be required.

Related Occupations

Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.