What an Electoral Services Officer payslip looks like
A typical UK electoral services officer payslip is paid monthly and shows a basic pay line at the top. Electoral services officers maintain the electoral register and run elections and the annual canvass for councils. The line items below depend on grade, shift pattern and contractual additions, but the structure usually mirrors HMRC's recommended payslip layout: a payments block, a deductions block, a year-to-date column, and a net pay summary.
Common employers in this occupation include Local authority electoral services teams, County, district and unitary councils, Returning Officers' offices. Each employer runs payroll slightly differently, but the underlying PAYE computation against tax code 1257L and Class 1 National Insurance is identical across the UK (excluding Scotland for income tax). The biggest variability between two electoral services officer payslips at the same gross will be in the additions block: NJC local-government pay with the LGPS on basic salary; statutory election duty fees are taxable and usually non-pensionable, may not appear on the normal payslip, and can be settled via PAYE or self-assessment depending on the Returning Officer.
Year-to-date columns are critical to verify on this role because the additions and salary sacrifice items change month to month. If your YTD gross divided by months elapsed in the tax year does not match your expected annual run-rate, that is the single best signal that something is mis-coded.
Applies to some of this work
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and electoral services officer pay
This is the one job in local government where the pensionable pay rules single out the work by name. Regulation 20(2)(j) throws returning officer and acting returning officer fees out of pensionable pay, and then carves four election types back in: local government elections, elections for the National Assembly for Wales, Parliamentary elections and European Parliamentary elections. So your salary is pensionable in the ordinary way, and whether the fee for running a poll joins it depends on which poll it was. A referendum or a police and crime commissioner election is not on that list.
- Lowest band, England and Wales
- 5.5% on actual pensionable pay up to £18,400
- A middle band, England and Wales
- 6.5% on £29,001 to £47,300
Educational only. Whether this reaches your own pay turns on your contract and how you are engaged, and tribunal and claim time limits are short. Check the limit that applies to you before relying on a date.
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS): the rates, the payslip lines, what goes wrong and the 22 primary sources. The Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2356), in force 1 April 2026 for the contribution bands, with career average build-up since 1 April 2014.
Electoral Services Officer salary bands (UK 2024)
ONS ASHE 2024 full-time gross pay. Net figures use 2026/27 PAYE bands and assume 5% of qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270) under a net-pay arrangement — before income tax, but not before National Insurance.
| Band | Gross / year | Net / year | Net / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | £27,000 | £22,129 | £1,844 |
| Median | £30,000 | £24,169 | £2,014 |
| 75th percentile | £34,500 | £27,229 | £2,269 |
Common deductions for an Electoral Services Officer
- PAYE income tax.Calculated against tax code 1257L. Cumulative coding means refunds can appear if you start mid-year.
- National Insurance (Class 1).8% between £12,570 and £50,270 of annual earnings, then 2% above. Period-by-period method is standard.
- Pension.Auto-enrolment minimum 5% employee on qualifying earnings (£6,240 - £50,270), unless your employer runs a more generous scheme such as the NHS, Teachers Pension or Civil Service alpha.
- Salary sacrifice patterns.Common in this occupation: cycle-to-work, electric-car salary sacrifice, additional pension contributions, and where applicable workplace nursery vouchers (still tax-efficient via pre-existing schemes).
- Union or professional body.Tax-deductible for HMRC-listed bodies. Electoral Services Officers commonly hold subscriptions covered by section 344 ITEPA 2003 (List 3).
Electoral Services Officer payslip FAQ
What is the average Electoral Services Officer salary in the UK in 2024?
According to ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024 for SOC code 4123, the median full-time gross annual salary for an Electoral Services Officer in the UK is approximately £30,000. The 25th percentile sits at £27,000 and the 75th at £34,500.
What is take-home pay on a median Electoral Services Officer salary?
On £30,000 gross with the standard 1257L tax code and 5% of qualifying earnings into a net-pay pension, monthly take-home is approximately £2,014 after PAYE income tax, Class 1 employee National Insurance and auto-enrolment pension. Actual figures vary if you have student loan, salary sacrifice or a non-cumulative tax code.
What is unusual about an Electoral Services Officer payslip?
NJC local-government pay with the LGPS on basic salary; statutory election duty fees are taxable and usually non-pensionable, may not appear on the normal payslip, and can be settled via PAYE or self-assessment depending on the Returning Officer.
Which tax code should an Electoral Services Officer typically be on?
Most people in this role on standard PAYE will see 1257L. Check the prefix and suffix carefully: a K-prefix means deductions exceed your allowance (often after a bonus or P11D benefit), 0T means you have no allowance left at this employer, and BR means basic rate on the whole job (common in second jobs).
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Salary estimates: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2024, full-time gross annual pay by SOC 2020 occupation. Figures rounded to nearest £100.