Civil Service Pay Rise 2026/27
What 3.5% Is Worth at Each Grade (on the published median)
| Grade | Median salary | 3.5% increase |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Officer (AO) | £28,020 | £981 |
| Executive Officer (EO) | £32,140 | £1,125 |
| Higher Executive Officer (HEO) | £38,960 | £1,364 |
| Senior Executive Officer (SEO) | £47,670 | £1,668 |
| Grade 7 | £63,350 | £2,217 |
| Grade 6 | £78,010 | £2,730 |
The Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance for 2026/27, published on 21 May 2026, sets the Increase in Remuneration Cost at a maximum of 3.5% for grades below the Senior Civil Service. It covers ministerial and non-ministerial departments, agencies, non-departmental public bodies and arm's length bodies.
It is a cap on the paybill, not a guaranteed rise. The remit limits what a department can add to its total remuneration cost; each department then decides how to target that money. Some spread it evenly, some weight it towards the bottom of ranges, some fund progression instead. Two people at the same grade in different departments can get very different awards from the same remit.
Departments can exceptionally bid for more through a business case to HM Treasury, where they can show higher awards funded by efficiency and productivity gains.
The figures above show what a straight 3.5% would be worth on each grade's published median — a reasonable guide to the order of magnitude, not a prediction of your award. In the year to 31 March 2026, actual median pay rose 6.0% overall, ranging from 5.2% at AA/AO to 3.2% in the SCS, because progression and restructuring move the median as well as the annual award.