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.

Gross pay, before deductions. See take-home pay on £29,000 after tax and National Insurance →

For child and early years officers, £31,001 is the typical (median) pay. That is below the UK full-time median of £39,039 — -21% versus the national average. Experienced child and early years officers (top 25%) earn over £34,320.

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 2015–2025

Estimated jobs 53,000

Median Salary

£29,347

Mean Salary

£29,367

Jobs (000s)

53k

Data Years

11 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 (2015-2025)

Adjust for inflation

Nominal growth: +32.6%Real growth: -3.9%

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

Child and early years officers salary: common questions

How much do child and early years officers earn in the UK?

Child and early years officers earn a median of £31,001 a year (ONS ASHE 2025). The middle half earn between £21,854 and £34,320.

Is £31,001 a good salary in the UK?

What is the starting salary for child and early years officers?

Entry-level child and early years officers typically start near the lower end of the range. The bottom 25% earn up to £21,854, and the lowest-paid 10% earn under £16,389.

Have child and early years officers salaries kept up with inflation?

Since 2015, median child and early years officers pay has risen from £23,984 to £31,001 — +29% in cash terms, or -6.0% after CPIH inflation. That is behind inflation over the period.

Is there a gender pay gap for child and early years officers?

Male child and early years officers earn a median £30,931 and female child and early years officers £28,622 — a gap of +7.0% in 2025.

Figures: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, gross annual pay. UK full-time median £39,039 (2025).