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SOC 3222 Health and social care associate professionals

Child and early years officers Salary

Median salary £29,347 per year (2025). Based on ONS ASHE data.

About this role

Child and early years officers work within local authorities and early years settings to monitor, support and improve the quality of childcare provision. They advise nurseries, childminders and pre-schools on meeting statutory requirements.

Key responsibilities

  • Monitoring and assessing quality of early years provision
  • Advising practitioners on EYFS framework compliance
  • Supporting settings to prepare for Ofsted inspections
  • Providing training and professional development
  • Managing funding allocations and sufficiency assessments

Qualifications and entry routes

Requires a degree in early years education or equivalent, plus substantial experience in the sector. Early Years Teacher Status or equivalent professional recognition is typical.

Career outlook

Government childcare expansion is increasing demand for quality assurance roles. Local authority budget constraints affect some positions.

Key skills

EYFS expertise Quality improvement Advisory skills Training delivery Data analysis

Common industries

  • Local authority early years teams
  • School improvement services
  • Multi-academy trusts
  • Ofsted
  • National childcare organisations

Data coverage

SOC code 3222
Data source ONS ASHE
Years available 2021–2025
Estimated jobs 53,000

Median Salary

£29,347

Mean Salary

£29,367

Jobs (000s)

53k

Data Years

5 years

Salary Range (2025)

P25: £21,854Median: £29,347P75: £34,320
P10: £16kP25: £22kMedian: £29kP75: £34kP90: --

Estimated Career Progression

Based on salary percentile distribution for this occupation

Entry Level

£16,389

0-2 years

Mid Level

£21,854

3-7 years

Senior

£34,320

8-15 years

Potential career growth: +109% from entry to leadership

Salary Trend (2021-2025)

Nominal growth: +24.7%Real growth: +1.2%

Gender Pay Comparison (2025)

Gender pay gap: 7.5%

Full-time vs All Employees (2025)

All Employees

£29,347

Full-time Only

£31,001

Full-time premium: +£1,654