Houseparents and residential wardens salary in the UK
The median full-time salary for houseparents and residential wardens in the UK is £31,871 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £2,206 a month.
Pay range for houseparents and residential wardens
This is the ONS occupation group "Houseparents and residential wardens" (SOC 2020 code 6134). ONS figures for 2025 show that ONS published only the median, so half earn less than £31,871 and half earn more.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Median (50th percentile) | £31,871 | £2,656 | £26,467 | £2,206 |
| 75th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for houseparents and residential wardens as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 8.3%. ONS estimates about 8,000 full-time employee jobs in this occupation. ONS says job counts like this are indicative only.
Where houseparents and residential wardens rank
The median for houseparents and residential wardens ranks 237th of 362 occupations on this site, in the lower half, and 5th of 25 in caring, leisure and other service occupations. It is £7,168 (18.4%) lower than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs. ONS change on the previous year: the median for houseparents and residential wardens rose 7.8%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs.
Jobs with the nearest medians: Finance officers (£31,943), Assemblers (vehicles and metal goods) (£31,919), Roofers, roof tilers and slaters (£31,906), Vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers (£31,851), Process operatives n.e.c. (£31,717) and Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors (£31,692).
How spread out pay is
ONS did not publish the 25th or 75th percentiles for houseparents and residential wardens, so we cannot show how spread out their pay is.
The mean for houseparents and residential wardens (total pay divided by the number of employees) is £30,946, which is £925 (2.9%) lower than the median. When the mean is below the median, a smaller number of lower salaries are pulling the average down. For all UK full-time jobs the mean is 24.3% above the median, so the gap for houseparents and residential wardens is smaller.
Houseparents and residential wardens and related jobs
Among these 7 jobs in the same ONS minor group, this one has the 2nd highest median. The highest median among them is £33,465 (ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)) and the lowest £25,742 (dental nurses).
| Job | SOC code | Median salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) | 6132 | £33,465 | £2,301 |
| Houseparents and residential wardens | 6134 | £31,871 | £2,206 |
| Undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants | 6138 | £30,894 | £2,147 |
| Senior care workers | 6136 | £29,381 | £2,056 |
| Nursing auxiliaries and assistants | 6131 | £29,084 | £2,038 |
| Care workers and home carers | 6135 | £27,468 | £1,941 |
| Dental nurses | 6133 | £25,742 | £1,838 |
Take-home pay against all jobs
At the median, houseparents and residential wardens take home about £2,206 a month, against £2,636 on the UK median for all jobs. Scotland has its own income tax bands, so take-home pay on the same salary is different there.
| Group | Median a year | Take-home a month | Take-home a month in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houseparents and residential wardens | £31,871 | £2,206 | £2,207 |
| All full-time employee jobs, UK | £39,039 | £2,636 | £2,631 |
Related pages
All jobs in the Caring, leisure and other service occupations table, average salary by area, the take home pay calculator, salary to hourly calculator and pay rise calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional, SOC 2020 unit group 6134. Take-home: 2026/27 rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 14: earnings by occupation (4-digit SOC), 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups (ONS)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- Scottish Income Tax (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
On the median full-time salary of £31,871, take-home pay is about £2,206 a month (£26,467 a year) after 2026/27 income tax and National Insurance, with tax code 1257L and no pension or student loan. In Scotland, where income tax is different, it is about £2,207 a month.
Only the median for 2025: half of full-time employees in this group earn less than £31,871 and half earn more. ONS did not publish the other points in the range because those estimates are not reliable enough.
No. The median for houseparents and residential wardens is £31,871, which is £7,168 (18.4%) lower than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs (ONS, 2025). It ranks 237th of 362 occupations on this site.