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WA Prison Officer Salary 2026 — Department of Justice (WA) Pay Scale

Department of Justice (WA) pays prison officers from $78,881 a year at entry to $89,823 at the top of the prison officer (monday to friday) table, before shift penalties, allowances and super. Every figure is read from the Department of Justice Prison Officers' Industrial Agreement 2024 and applies from 11 June 2026.

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The 11 June 2026 column is the last increase printed in the agreement, which runs until 10 June 2027 or until a replacement agreement is registered.

WA prison officer pay 2026 at a glance

Full-time base salaries from 11 June 2026. Tap a table name for every row, or a salary to see it after tax.

Which agreement sets WA prison officer pay

Prison officers employed by Department of Justice (WA) are paid under the Department of Justice Prison Officers' Industrial Agreement 2024. The rates below apply from 11 June 2026 and were read from the source on 9 October 2026.

Department of Justice (WA) pay scale — every classification

Annual full-time base salary before tax and before superannuation. Part-time staff are paid pro rata.

Prison Officer (Monday to Friday)

Schedule A annualised salaries from the first pay period on or after 11 June 2026, for officers working Monday to Friday.

Department of Justice (WA): Prison Officer (Monday to Friday)
Year of serviceAnnual salaryNotes
Prison Officer 1st Year (Mon–Fri)$78,881$3,024.17 a fortnight
Prison Officer 2nd Year (Mon–Fri)$81,516
Prison Officer 3rd Year (Mon–Fri)$84,836
Prison Officer 4–5 Year (Mon–Fri)$86,785
Prison Officer 6–7 Year (Mon–Fri)$88,287
Prison Officer Thereafter (Mon–Fri)$89,823$3,443.68 a fortnight

Prison Officer (shift)

Annualised salaries for shift officers, which include a component in lieu of shift penalties, public holidays and accrued days off (clause 39.5).

Department of Justice (WA): Prison Officer (shift)
Year of serviceAnnual salaryNotes
Prison Officer 1st Year (Shift)$97,610$3,742.25 a fortnight
Prison Officer 2nd Year (Shift)$100,871
Prison Officer 3rd Year (Shift)$104,980
Prison Officer 4–5 Year (Shift)$107,391
Prison Officer 6–7 Year (Shift)$109,250
Prison Officer Thereafter (Shift)$111,150$4,261.35 a fortnight

ASO / First Class Officer

Schedule A, from the first pay period on or after 11 June 2026.

Department of Justice (WA): ASO / First Class Officer
ClassificationAnnual salaryNotes
ASO / First Class Officer 1–2 years (Mon–Fri)$90,330
ASO / First Class Officer thereafter (Mon–Fri)$91,903
ASO / First Class Officer 1–2 years (Shift)$111,778
ASO / First Class Officer thereafter (Shift)$113,724

Every salary links to its take-home figure. Take-home pages exist for every $1,000 up to $150,000 and in wider steps above that, so a salary without a page of its own links to the nearest one.

Trainee and probationary prison officer pay

A Trainee Prison Officer is paid an annualised salary of $75,520 ($2,895.34 a fortnight) on a 38-hour week from the first pay period on or after 11 June 2026, and is not required to work overtime while in the entry-level training program (clause 18.2).

Work placement shifts during training attract 15% for weekday afternoon or night shifts, 50% on Saturdays and 75% on Sundays. After completing training, the officer is paid at least the Prison Officer 1st Year rate for the rest of probation (clause 18.4).

Shift penalties, loadings and allowances

Base salary is not the whole of it: prison officers on rotating rosters are paid extra for shift work. In summary, from the Department of Justice Prison Officers' Industrial Agreement 2024:

  • Shift officers are not paid separate shift, weekend or public holiday penalties for ordinary hours: their annualised salary already includes a component in lieu of shift penalty payments, public holidays and accrued days off (clause 39.5). That is why the shift scale sits about $18,700 a year above the Monday to Friday scale at the first year.

Check the instrument for the exact conditions that apply to your roster. Overtime is worked out separately — the overtime pay calculator handles time and a half and double time.

What a WA prison officer salary is worth after tax

Every salary in the tables links to its take-home figure. Start with take-home pay on $79,000 for the entry rate or take-home pay on $90,000 for the top of the scale. Those figures cover base salary only; shift penalties and allowances are taxed as ordinary income on top.

Employer superannuation is paid on top of these salaries. For your own pay including penalties, a study loan or salary packaging, use the take-home pay calculator or the WA pay calculator.

What this page does not show

We publish only what we could read from a primary source. These are left off rather than estimated:

  • Senior Officer and Principal Officer rows, and casual rates, which are in the same Schedule A but not reproduced here.

WA prison officer pay questions

From the first pay period on or after 11 June 2026, a WA prison officer on shift work earns $97,610 in the first year and $111,150 after 7 years, as an annualised salary that includes shift penalties and public holidays. On a Monday to Friday roster the salary is $78,881 rising to $89,823.

$75,520 a year ($2,895.34 a fortnight) on a 38-hour week while in the entry-level training program, then at least the Prison Officer 1st Year rate once training is complete.

Not as separate payments for ordinary hours. Shift officers are paid a higher annualised salary that replaces shift penalties, public holidays and accrued days off — $97,610 against $78,881 for a Monday to Friday officer in the first year.

Prison officer pay in other states

How this page is sourced▼

Every salary on this page was read from the Department of Justice Prison Officers' Industrial Agreement 2024 or Department of Justice (WA)’s own published pay table on 9 October 2026, and applies from 11 June 2026. Nothing is estimated, averaged or interpolated. Where the instrument publishes a weekly or fortnightly rate, the annual figure is that rate multiplied out and the published rate is shown in the notes column.

Take-home figures come from the site’s own calculator using ATO rates for the current income year.

Sources & References

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Last verified: 9 October 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.

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