What does a prison officer do?

As a prison officer, you could: keep prisoners secure and support those who are vulnerable carry out security checks and searches maintain order, sometimes using authorised physical control and restraint go with prisoners on external visits like court appearances prepare prisoners for release through rehabilitation…

How much does a prison officer earn?

Starter salaries are around £33,000 a year, rising to about £40,000 with experience.

How many hours does a prison officer work?

Typically 37 to 41 hours a week.

Prison officer

Q: How do you become a prison officer?

You can get into this job through an apprenticeship.

Prison officers supervise people who are in prisons, remand centres and young offenders' institutions.

Starter salary£33,000 a year
Experienced£40,000 a year
Typical hours37 to 41 a week

What you'll do

As a prison officer, you could:

keep prisoners secure and support those who are vulnerable
carry out security checks and searches
maintain order, sometimes using authorised physical control and restraint
go with prisoners on external visits like court appearances
prepare prisoners for release through rehabilitation programmes
update records, write reports and promote anti-bullying and suicide prevention policies

Working environment

You could work in a prison.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

knowledge of public safety and security
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
to be flexible and open to change
leadership skills
excellent verbal communication skills
legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

How to become a prison officer

You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or by applying directly.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Custody and Detention Professional Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

To do this apprenticeship, you'll need:

GCSEs grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, in English and maths

Direct application

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:

number, reading and writing skills
fitness
health, hearing and eyesight

You'll also have an interview and take part in role play to see if you have the right personal qualities to be a prison officer.

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

pass enhanced background checks
be over 18 years of age
pass a medical check

Career path and progression

With experience you could:

train and move into specialist projects like rehabilitation work with groups of prisoners and their families
become a supervising officer or custodial manager, or head of function, like prison security or reoffending reduction
move up to become a deputy governor or prison governor

Career tips

You can do the HM Prison and Probation Service online career matching tool to see whether a career as a prison officer is right for you.

Guides for this industry

Prison & Probation Services: pay, interviews and getting started →

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0