Child and early years officers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time child and early years officers in the UK earned a median £31,001 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 21% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (121st from the bottom).
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £26,220 and £35,663.
Median full-time pay: women £30,955 a year, men £31,033 a year.
About 75% of the roughly 60,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 21.4%, from £25,530, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 60,600 people in this line of work, 17% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £21,537 | £494.40 | £13.87 | £16,389 | £336.40 | £13.47 |
| 20th percentile | £25,593 | £542.80 | £14.83 | £20,066 | £432.60 | £14.65 |
| 25th percentile | £26,220 | £557.50 | £15.35 | £21,854 | £480.10 | £14.94 |
| 30th percentile | £27,501 | £576.20 | £15.73 | £24,025 | £513.20 | £15.46 |
| 40th percentile | £29,592 | £606.30 | £16.66 | £26,477 | £557.10 | £16.37 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £31,001 | £643.90 | £17.78 | £29,347 | £597.40 | £17.51 |
| 60th percentile | £32,450 | £671.60 | £18.77 | £31,005 | £637.50 | £18.51 |
| 70th percentile | £34,339 | £718.40 | £19.60 | £33,549 | £675.40 | £19.22 |
| 75th percentile | £35,663 | £740.60 | £20.24 | £34,320 | £704.70 | £19.97 |
| 80th percentile | £37,892 | £781.20 | £21.47 | £35,956 | £739.90 | £21.07 |
| Mean | £32,171 | £666.90 | £18.50 | £29,367 | £596.40 | £18.45 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £25,530 | £507.80 | £14.02 | £23,531 | £443.80 | 58 |
| 2022 revised | £27,384 | £526.70 | £14.62 | £24,413 | £465.70 | 53 |
| 2023 revised | £28,229 | £563.50 | £15.49 | £25,670 | £515.00 | 61 |
| 2024 revised | £28,680 | £596.90 | £16.59 | £27,535 | £551.40 | 68 |
| 2025 provisional | £31,001 | £643.90 | £17.78 | £29,347 | £597.40 | 60 |
Child and early years officers by region
UK: 60,600 (± 9,500), April 2025 to March 2026. 11 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 10,600* | ± 4,100 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What child and early years officers do
Child and early years officers work with babies and with children up to 14 years of age (or 16 for those with special needs), providing support, help and advice to individuals or within a family context. (ONS SOC 2020, 3222)
Also covers: child protection officer, education welfare officer, family liaison officer, learning mentor (early years), parent support adviser, portage worker (educational establishments), attendance manager, attendance officer, behaviour manager, case worker, contact supervisor, parenting practitioner, pastoral assistant, pastoral lead, pastoral leader, pastoral manager, pastoral officer and pastoral worker (46 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Works with social worker to identify, plan and deliver appropriate support to families facing a variety of difficulties
- Advises clients and their families on available resources
- Writes up case notes, prepares reports, keeps up-to-date records on clients
- Makes referrals to other agencies such as social services and educational psychologists
- Attends meetings with colleagues and outside agencies
There are no formal qualification requirements for entry although many employers will expect those appointed to have A-levels and to be working towards a relevant diploma or degree, together with work experience in a relevant field. For some roles workers must be registered with the appropriate statutory body. Some jobs are regulated and require job holders to satisfy the criteria for registration (including holding appropriate qualifications). Background checks including a DBS check are mandatory.
Related
Welfare and housing associate professionals (median £31,613) · Youth and community workers · Housing officers · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026