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SOC 2462 Business, media and public service professionals

Probation officers Salary

Salary data from ONS ASHE. Some figures may be unavailable due to small sample sizes.

About this role

Probation officers supervise offenders in the community, assessing risk, managing rehabilitation and ensuring compliance with court orders and licence conditions. They protect the public while supporting offenders to reduce reoffending.

Key responsibilities

  • Assessing offender risk using OASys
  • Supervising community sentences and post-release licences
  • Writing pre-sentence reports for courts
  • Delivering rehabilitative interventions
  • Working with MAPPA and multi-agency partnerships

Qualifications and entry routes

Requires the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP), a graduate-level programme. Entry requires an honours degree. HMPPS employs most probation officers.

Career outlook

Active recruitment following Probation Service reunification. High caseloads create ongoing demand, though retention is a challenge.

Key skills

Risk assessment Case management Motivational interviewing Report writing Partnership working

Common industries

  • Probation Service (HMPPS)
  • Youth offending teams
  • Approved premises
  • Criminal justice charities
  • Victim services

Data coverage

SOC code 2462
Data source ONS ASHE
Years available 2015–2025

Median Salary

N/A

Mean Salary

£43,960

Jobs (000s)

N/A

Data Years

11 years

Salary Trend (2015-2025)

Nominal growth: +11.7%Real growth: -16.0%