How to get a council job

To get a council job, apply through the council’s own careers website, or myjobscotland in Scotland, with an application form and a supporting statement. Most council jobs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are graded on the NJC pay spine, which from 1 April 2026 runs from £25,614 to £56,293 a year full time. Shortlisting is scored against the person specification, and interviews are usually competency-based, sometimes with a test or exercise.

Where councils advertise

Each council advertises on its own website, normally on a “jobs” or “careers” page, often run through a recruitment system with job alerts. The gov.uk “find your local council” tool tells you which council covers your area, including whether you have a county and district council or a single unitary authority. In two-tier areas the county and the districts recruit separately and do different jobs; How councils are organised explains who does what.

Scottish councils advertise on myjobscotland, a shared site for all of them and many other public bodies. Many English and Welsh councils also post on regional or national local government job boards, and some roles go through agencies. Where councils advertise jobs lists the main sites.

The council often advertises school support jobs in maintained schools on the school’s behalf, and council social care roles are sometimes run as separate rolling campaigns.

Grades and pay

Councils use job evaluation to put each post into a grade. A grade covers a small range of spine points on the NJC pay spine, and you move up one point a year until you reach the top of the grade. Some senior posts and chief officers are on local pay scales.

Spine point	Annual salary from 1 April 2026
SCP 3 (bottom of the spine)	£25,614
SCP 10	£28,608
SCP 20	£33,673
SCP 30	£42,123
SCP 43 (top of the spine)	£56,293

These are full-time figures for 37 hours a week, after the 3.3 per cent award agreed for 2026/27. Grade names differ between councils (Grade 4 in one can be Band C in another), so look at the spine points on the advert. The full spine is in NJC pay spine for council and school support staff 2026/27.

A minority of councils have left the NJC structure and set their own pay, and London councils add weighting.

The application

Most councils use an online form with your work history and a supporting statement. The statement is scored against the person specification, so take each criterion in turn and give an example for it. Councils deal with the public, councillors and partner organisations, so evidence of handling difficult conversations, following procedures and recording information accurately helps across many roles.

Some technical and senior roles ask for a CV and covering letter instead. A few high-volume roles, such as customer service, begin with online questions or a short test.

Councils that are Disability Confident offer or guarantee interviews to disabled applicants who opt in and meet the essential criteria. Some also guarantee interviews to care leavers or armed forces veterans, so check the advert.

Interviews and checks

A panel of two or three usually interviews you, with questions linked to the person specification. You might also do a written exercise, an in-tray task or a presentation, or for practical roles a driving or skills assessment. Competency-based interviews covers the question style.

After an offer, councils check references, right to work and qualifications. Roles working with children or vulnerable adults need an enhanced DBS check, while many office posts need only a basic check. In Wales, some posts require Welsh language skills at a stated level.

Leave, hours and pension

Under the Green Book, council staff get at least 23 days’ annual leave plus 8 public holidays and 2 extra statutory days, with basic leave rising to 26 days after 5 years’ continuous service. Many councils give more. Flexible working, hybrid working and part-time posts are common.

Council staff can join the Local Government Pension Scheme. Contributions depend on pay: 5.5 per cent on pay up to £18,400, 6.5 per cent on pay from £29,001 to £47,300, and higher rates above. A 50/50 option halves both contributions and the pension built up. See Local Government Pension Scheme.

Getting a foot in the door

Councils employ people in hundreds of different roles, from refuse collectors and library assistants to planners and accountants. With no local government experience, entry roles such as customer service adviser, admin assistant or a post in a leisure or waste service can lead to internal vacancies, which are often open to current staff first. The National Graduate Development Programme is the main graduate route, and many councils run apprenticeships as well.