Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs salary, 2026
The lead UK government department for environment and rural policy; sets the framework Natural England, EA, and Forestry England operate within.
Band-by-band ladder
Defra core sits at the upper end of the Defra-family pay grouping; its core London-weighted bands typically pay £2,000-£4,000 above the same grade at Natural England or Forestry England. The 2026/27 pay remit (Cabinet Office published guidance) allows a 3 percent average pay-bill uplift with discretion to flex by grade.
The Defra Graduate Scheme is recruited via the Civil Service Fast Stream (Defra and ALB strand), with a starting salary of about £30,000 (London) for entry from 2026, rising on completion. Direct entry at HEO for a conservation MSc is competitive but realistic; SEO and above usually require named experience.
Conservation specialist allowances (under the Civil Service DDaT and STEM frameworks) can add £1,000-£5,000 where Defra accepts a market-supplement case for ecology, hydrology or GIS skills. The structural feature to plan for is the alpha pension: 28.97 percent employer contribution makes a Defra HEO meaningfully ahead of a consultancy Senior on a like-for-like cash-equivalent.
Questions this page answers
- What are the published Defra grade pay scales for 2026/27?
- How does the Defra Graduate Scheme starting salary compare to direct entry?
- Which Defra arms-length bodies pay on the same scale (and which don't)?
- How do Defra conservation specialist allowances (digital/STEM) work?
- What is the typical grade progression from GS to a permanent specialist post?