Playworkers: average salary and pay in the UK
The ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) puts median weekly pay for full-time playworkers at £465.90 in April 2025; no reliable annual figure is published.
What the figures show
A full-time median is published for women only; the sample of men is too small.
Full-time paid hours are shorter than usual, a median of 33.8 a week.
From £364.00 in 2021, the median is up 28.0%, close to the 25.7% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 18,200 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | – | – | – | £10.11 |
| 20th percentile | – | – | £45.90* | £12.25 |
| 25th percentile | – | – | £58.50* | £12.31 |
| 30th percentile | – | – | £64.20* | £12.42 |
| 40th percentile | – | – | £80.90* | £12.64 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £465.90 | £13.42 | £101.90* | £13.01 |
| 60th percentile | – | – | £147.20* | £13.68 |
| 70th percentile | – | – | £206.10* | £14.28 |
| 75th percentile | – | – | £232.60* | £14.64 |
| 80th percentile | – | – | – | £15.12 |
| Mean | £486.30 | £14.21 | £157.80 | £13.81 |
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 | – | £364.00* | £9.91* | £5,131* | £112.50* | 31 |
| 2022 revised | – | – | – | – | £118.50* | 27 |
| 2023 revised | £23,592 | £474.00 | £13.28 | – | £111.70* | 25 |
| 2024 revised | £24,757 | £481.90 | £13.01 | – | £119.00* | 35 |
| 2025 provisional | – | £465.90 | £13.42 | – | £101.90* | 36 |
Playworkers by region
UK: 18,200 (± 5,200), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What playworkers do
Playworkers deliver and facilitate play opportunities for children in a range of formal and informal settings including play schemes, free play locations, and in pre- and after-school activities. (ONS SOC 2020, 6117)
Also covers: afterschool club coordinator, play leader, playworker, school club leader, infant helper, play assistant, play worker, playscheme worker, after school assistant, afterschool club supervisor, breakfast club assistant, play centre assistant, play leader's assistant, after school club assistant, after school club activities coordinator, out of school club assistant and out of school club coordinator.
- Supervises children’s games and encourages the development of physical, social and language skills
- Provides play areas and prepares materials for a wide range of children’s activities
- Encourages children’s independence, self-confidence and social interaction
- Organises and supervises children on excursions
- Organises and supervises children’s activities in accordance with Health and Safety regulations, deals accordingly with injuries and emergencies
- Puts away equipment and cleans premises after use
Entry may not depend upon academic qualifications, although some employers will expect candidates to possess or be working towards a relevant qualification. NVQs/SVQs in Child Care and Education are available at levels 2 and 3. A DBS check is mandatory.
Related
Teaching and childcare support occupations (median £21,920) · Nannies and au pairs · Childminders · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026