SOC 2020 · 3314
Prison service officers (below principal officer)
Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations from
Skilled Worker
Not eligible
No Skilled Worker route through this code.
Salary floor
£41,700
The general threshold, £41,700, is the higher of the two.
Shortage lists
Not listed
This code is on neither the Immigration Salary List nor the Temporary Shortage List.
What this occupation actually pays
ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, full-time gross annual pay.
ONS has not published enough of the pay distribution for Prison service officers (below principal officer) in UK to draw it. The figures we do hold are shown above.
| Region | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 2025 | — | — | £41,287 | — | — |
| London 2025 | — | — | £46,673 | — | — |
| Scotland 2025 | — | — | £40,850 | — | — |
Job titles in this code
What the work involves
Prison service officers (below principal officer) direct, co-ordinate and participate in guarding inmates and maintaining discipline in prisons and other detention centres.
Typical tasks
escorts prisoners to and from cells and supervises them during meals, recreation and visiting periods
watches for any infringements of regulations and searches prisoners and cells for weapons, drugs and other contraband items
guards entrances and perimeter walls
investigates disturbances or any other unusual occurrences
escorts prisoners transferred from one institution to another
runs prisoner rehabilitation and support programmes
provides care and support to prisoners in custody including prevention of self-harm
trains and supervises prison staff
reports on prisoners’ conduct as necessary
Entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic requirements for entry, but candidates must pass a pre-entry test and full medical examination. Basic training is followed by a 12 month probationary period during which further on-the-job training is provided. Background checks are required for entrants, and there are generally nationality restrictions and a lower age limit of 18 years.