Skip navigation

Probation Officers

Probation officers work to rehabilitate offenders. They supervise, counsel and help them before trial, during any prison or community sentence and on release from prison

Wages

New workers
AVERAGE
Experienced
£17,699
£35,023
£47,151

New workers start around £17,699. Normal pay is £35,023 per year.
Highly experienced workers can earn up to £47,151.

Available jobs

In the past year there were 9,559 vacancies for this type of job

3.87%

Projected job growth over the next 8 years

Related courses

People work towards these careers by taking these courses at college and uni.

What they do most days?

  • Keeps accurate and comprehensive records.

  • Works with prisoners in giving advice on problems such as drug and alcohol abuse, addressing training needs, finding work and getting accommodation.

  • Draws up probation plans with offenders and helps them follow it, advises them on any work and helps them with any family or social problems.

  • Enforces court orders and serves the public by providing a wide range of supervision programmes for those in receipt of a community sentence.

  • Produces pre-sentence reports to the court about an individual’s crime, their personal circumstances, the suitability of sentencing, the likelihood of re-offending and the future risk to the public.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Probation

  • Job Evaluation

  • Child Safeguarding

  • Anti-Social Behaviour

  • Data Modeling

  • Social Behaviour

  • Risk Management

  • Settlement

  • Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

  • Case Management

Soft Skills

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Management

  • Communication

  • English Language

  • Resilience

  • Report Writing

  • Empathy

  • Planning

  • Leadership

  • Honesty

  • Literacy

How do I get a job like this?

People in these types of job started their career paths after studying courses like the ones below.

Routes to this career

See all

  • Criminology

    University of Bedfordshire

    BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Luton · 09/2024

    Tariff points: 96/112

  • Psychology

    Lancaster University

    BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Lancaster · 10/2024

    Tariff points: 136/144

  • Early Childhood Studies

    University Centre Farnborough

    FdA · 2 Years · Full-time · Farnborough · 09/2024

    Tariff points: 48/48

  • Psychology

    Bridgend College

    FD · 2 Years · Full-time · Bridgend · 09/2024

    Tariff points: 48/48

  • Child and Youth Studies

    University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)

    BA (Hons) · 4 Years · Full-time · Thurso · 09/2024

    Tariff points: 63/64

  • Psychology

    Bangor University

    BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Bangor, Gwynedd · 23/09/2024

    Tariff points: 120/144

  • Psychology

    University of Leicester

    BSc (Hons) · 3-4 Years · Full-time · Leicester · 23/09/2024

    Tariff points: N/A

  • Psychology

    University of the West of Scotland

    BSc (Hons) · 4 Years · Full-time · Paisley · 09/09/2024

    Tariff points: 108/108

  • Forensic Psychology

    University of East London

    BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Stratford · 23/09/2024

    Tariff points: 112/112

  • Criminology

    Plymouth Marjon University

    BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Plymouth · 23/09/2024

    Tariff points: 96/96

  • Liberal Arts

    University of Roehampton

    BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · London · 23/09/2024

    Tariff points: 96/112

  • Early Childhood Studies

    University Centre Rotherham

    FdA · 2 Years · Part-time · Worksop · 16/09/2024

    Tariff points: 64/64

  • Psychology

    University of Wolverhampton

    BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Wolverhampton · 16/09/2024

    Tariff points: 96/96

  • Psychology

    University of Worcester

    BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Worcester · 09/2024

    Tariff points: 112/112

  • Criminology

    Bishop Grosseteste University

    BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Lincoln · 23/09/2024

    Tariff points: 96/112

  • Social Psychology

    University of East Anglia UEA

    Msci (Hon) · 4 Years · Full-time · Norwich · 16/09/2024

    Tariff points: N/A

  • Psychology

    University of Birmingham

    BSc (Hons) · 4 Years · Full-time with time abroad · Birmingham · 30/09/2024

    Tariff points: N/A

  • Psychology

    University of Aberdeen

    MA (Hons) · 4 Years · Full-time · Aberdeen · 16/09/2024

    Tariff points: 120/152