Police Scotland
Starting Salary
What a new Police Scotland constable is paid in 2026, every step up the scale with take-home pay, how Scottish police pay is agreed, the 2025 to 2027 deal and its inflation guarantee, overtime and rest day rules, leave and the pension.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 22 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated
£34,001 a year on appointment from 1 April 2026, about £2,026 a month take-home on our estimate. Pay rises automatically to £36,995 after one year and £39,988 after two, then by annual steps to £54,597 after 11 years. Pay is agreed by the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland and approved by Scottish Ministers.
Police Scotland constable pay at a glance
- On appointment: £34,001 a year, including while you train.
- After 1 year: £36,995. All officers move to this point on completing a year's service.
- After 2 years: £39,988, about when probation ends.
- Top of the scale: £54,597 after 11 years.
- Take-home at the start: about £2,026 a month on our estimate (2026/27).
- Pension: a flat 13.7% contribution into a career average scheme with a pension age of 60.
- Leave: 28 days a year under 2 years' service.
For every rank, allowance and the officers' full pay picture, the Police Scotland pay scales guide is the reference page. To work out your own take-home with overtime or the Islands Allowance, use the Police Scotland salary calculator. To compare with forces over the border, see Police Scotland vs England pay.
The full constable pay scale
PNBS Circular 2026/01, Annex A, sets the constable scale. It shows three columns: the 1 April 2025 figures, the same figures after the 2025/26 inflation guarantee adjustment and the 1 April 2026 figures (which build on the adjusted ones). Police Scotland's rewards page quotes the 2026 column.
| Pay point | 1 Apr 2025 | 1 Apr 2025 (after inflation guarantee) | 1 Apr 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| On appointment | £32,725 | £32,851 | £34,001 |
| Point 1 (after 1 year' service) | £35,608 | £35,744 | £36,995 |
| Point 2 (after 2 years' service) | £38,488 | £38,636 | £39,988 |
| Point 3 (after 3 years' service) | £40,787 | £40,944 | £42,377 |
| Point 4 (after 4 years' service) | £42,044 | £42,206 | £43,683 |
| Point 5 (after 5 years' service) | £43,373 | £43,540 | £45,064 |
| Point 6 (after 6 years' service) | £44,584 | £44,755 | £46,321 |
| Point 7 (after 7 years' service) | £45,660 | £45,836 | £47,440 |
| Point 8 (after 8 years' service) | £47,104 | £47,285 | £48,940 |
| Point 9 (after 9 years' service) | £49,897 | £50,089 | £51,842 |
| Point 10 (after 10 years' service) | £50,889 | £51,085 | £52,873 |
| Point 11 (after 11 years' service) | £52,549 | £52,751 | £54,597 |
PNBS Circular 2026/01 marks point 1 with a note: "All officers move to this salary point on completion of one years' service as a constable." The circular attaches no performance condition to that step.
Year-by-year progression
Police Scotland says pay rises "by annual increments over 11 years". The table below shows each step on the 2026 scale, how much it adds and how far you have come from your starting salary. Real pay will also change with each year's pay award, so the later rows will be higher in cash terms by the time you reach them.
| Years of service | Salary | Rise that year | Total rise since joining |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 (appointment) | £34,001 | ||
| 1 | £36,995 | £2,994 | £2,994 (8.8%) |
| 2 | £39,988 | £2,993 | £5,987 (17.6%) |
| 3 | £42,377 | £2,389 | £8,376 (24.6%) |
| 4 | £43,683 | £1,306 | £9,682 (28.5%) |
| 5 | £45,064 | £1,381 | £11,063 (32.5%) |
| 6 | £46,321 | £1,257 | £12,320 (36.2%) |
| 7 | £47,440 | £1,119 | £13,439 (39.5%) |
| 8 | £48,940 | £1,500 | £14,939 (43.9%) |
| 9 | £51,842 | £2,902 | £17,841 (52.5%) |
| 10 | £52,873 | £1,031 | £18,872 (55.5%) |
| 11 | £54,597 | £1,724 | £20,596 (60.6%) |
The biggest single steps come early: £2,994 after one year and £2,993 after two. Over the full scale, top-of-scale pay is £20,596 more than the starting salary, before any pay awards.
Take-home pay at every point
These are our pay engine's estimates for a full 2026/27 year as a Scottish taxpayer with the standard £12,570 Personal Allowance. The 13.7% pension contribution is taken before tax (police pensions use a net pay arrangement); National Insurance is charged on the full gross. They leave out overtime, allowances, student loan, union subscriptions and any other deductions.
| Pay point | Gross a year | Pension (13.7%) | Scottish income tax | National Insurance | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On appointment | £34,001 | £4,658 | £3,315 | £1,714 | £24,313 | £2,026 |
| Point 1 (after 1 year' service) | £36,995 | £5,068 | £3,856 | £1,954 | £26,117 | £2,176 |
| Point 2 (after 2 years' service) | £39,988 | £5,478 | £4,398 | £2,193 | £27,918 | £2,327 |
| Point 3 (after 3 years' service) | £42,377 | £5,806 | £4,831 | £2,385 | £29,356 | £2,446 |
| Point 4 (after 4 years' service) | £43,683 | £5,985 | £5,068 | £2,489 | £30,142 | £2,512 |
| Point 5 (after 5 years' service) | £45,064 | £6,174 | £5,318 | £2,600 | £30,973 | £2,581 |
| Point 6 (after 6 years' service) | £46,321 | £6,346 | £5,546 | £2,700 | £31,729 | £2,644 |
| Point 7 (after 7 years' service) | £47,440 | £6,499 | £5,749 | £2,790 | £32,402 | £2,700 |
| Point 8 (after 8 years' service) | £48,940 | £6,705 | £6,020 | £2,910 | £33,305 | £2,775 |
| Point 9 (after 9 years' service) | £51,842 | £7,102 | £6,773 | £3,047 | £34,920 | £2,910 |
| Point 10 (after 10 years' service) | £52,873 | £7,244 | £7,146 | £3,068 | £35,415 | £2,951 |
| Point 11 (after 11 years' service) | £54,597 | £7,480 | £7,771 | £3,103 | £36,243 | £3,020 |
Your own figures will differ if your tax code is not standard, if you work overtime or if you have other deductions. The Police Scotland salary calculator lets you change these.
Your first five years in total
Adding the points up shows what the scale is worth over time. This uses the 1 April 2026 scale for every year, so it leaves out future pay awards; real figures should be higher. Take-home is our pay engine's estimate for each year as above.
| Year of service | Pay point that year | Gross that year | Take-home that year | Running total take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | On appointment | £34,001 | £24,313 | £24,313 |
| Year 2 | Point 1 | £36,995 | £26,117 | £50,430 |
| Year 3 | Point 2 | £39,988 | £27,918 | £78,349 |
| Year 4 | Point 3 | £42,377 | £29,356 | £107,704 |
| Year 5 | Point 4 | £43,683 | £30,142 | £137,846 |
Over five years that is £197,044 gross on today's scale. The early steps are the biggest: the move from point 0 to point 2 adds £5,987 a year. Later steps vary from about £1,000 to £2,900 a year; the year-by-year table above shows each one.
Scottish income tax for police officers
If you live in Scotland you pay Scottish income tax, which has more bands than the rest of the UK. The 2026/27 bands, from GOV.UK, with the standard Personal Allowance:
| Band | Taxable income (2026/27) | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | Up to £12,570 | 0% |
| Starter | £12,571 to £16,537 | 19% |
| Basic | £16,538 to £29,526 | 20% |
| Intermediate | £29,527 to £43,662 | 21% |
| Higher | £43,663 to £75,000 | 42% |
| Advanced | £75,001 to £125,140 | 45% |
| Top | Over £125,140 | 48% |
For a constable, the important bands are the 21% intermediate band and the 42% higher band. Because the 13.7% pension contribution comes off before tax, your taxable pay is lower than your salary. On our arithmetic, every constable point up to point 8 stays below the £43,663 start of the higher band after pension, so the 42% rate only starts to bite from point 9 (£51,842). National Insurance is a UK tax, the same in Scotland: 8% between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above.
Overtime is not pensionable, so all of it is taxable. On the upper points, extra hours push pay into the 42% band, so the take-home value of overtime drops sharply there. The worked examples below show how much of each £100 you keep.
How Police Scotland pay is set
Scottish police pay is agreed through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS) and approved by the Scottish Ministers. The PNBS publishes the result as numbered circulars, which are the primary source for every figure on this page.
- It is not the Police Remuneration Review Body, which advises on pay for England and Wales.
- It is not negotiated by the Scottish Police Authority, which implements what is agreed.
- Allowances such as the Islands Allowance and on-call allowance are also set nationally through the PNBS, not locally.
This is why Scottish pay rises can differ in size and timing from England and Wales. It is also why pay guides written for England and Wales do not apply in Scotland.
The 2025 to 2027 pay deal
The current deal is in PNBS Circular 2025/09, dated 4 September 2025. It covers two years:
| Term | PNBS Circular 2025/09 (4 September 2025) |
|---|---|
| 2025/26 rise | 4% from 1 April 2025 on pay and relevant allowances |
| 2026/27 rise | 3.5% from 1 April 2026 |
| Cumulative | 7.64% over the two years |
| Inflation guarantee | Each year's rise to be at least 1 percentage point above average CPI for the calendar year |
| 2025/26 trigger | Average 2025 CPI above 3% |
| 2026/27 trigger | Average 2026 CPI above 2.5% |
| How any top-up is paid | A one-off consolidated pensionable payment in March, calculated on the pre-uplift salary; the increase is permanent |
| Statement | The Official Side publishes a statement by 31 January each year |
| Outcome for 2025/26 | An additional 0.4% (PNBS Circulars 2026/01 and 2026/04) |
How the inflation guarantee worked in 2025/26
The guarantee says each year's rise must be at least 1 percentage point above average CPI for the calendar year. For 2025/26 the trigger was an average 2025 CPI above 3%. PNBS Circulars 2026/01 and 2026/04 record "an additional 0.4% for the 2025/26 pay period", which is why the scale above has an adjusted 2025 column. The circulars do not state the 2025 CPI average itself. An extra 0.4% implies an average of 3.4%, but that is our inference, not a published figure.
Other terms new officers should know
- Enhanced maternity and adoption pay rose from 18 to 26 weeks from 1 April 2026.
- On-call allowance rose 20% to £36.40 from 1 April 2025 and 20% to £43.68 from 1 April 2026.
- Mileage aligned to HMRC rates from 1 April 2025.
- A joint review of annual leave and on-call aims for agreement on the regulatory approach by 1 April 2027.
What happens to pay in 2027/28
When we checked on 22 October 2026, the PNBS circulars list had no 2027/28 pay circular; the latest was 2026/04. Two things are known:
- The 2026/27 inflation guarantee. If average 2026 CPI is above 2.5%, a one-off consolidated pensionable payment is due in March 2027, calculated on the salary at 31 March 2026 and permanent. The Official Side publishes a statement by 31 January.
- A new claim. PNBS minutes from February 2026 (summary only, which we have not read in full) say the Staff Side intended to submit the 2027/28 claim before the end of 2026.
Our police pay rise 2027/28 guide tracks what is known as it happens.
Every point as monthly, weekly, daily and hourly pay
The PNBS handbook (section 2.11) sets how annual pay is divided: monthly pay is annual pay divided by 12, weekly pay is annual pay divided by 52 1/6, a day's pay for overtime, rest days and public holidays is a week's pay divided by 5 and a part-time constable's hourly rate is annual pay x 6 / 12,520. Applied to the 2026 constable scale:
| Pay point | Annual | Monthly (/12) | Weekly (/52 1/6) | A day's pay (week / 5) | Hourly (x 6 / 12,520) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On appointment | £34,001 | £2,833.42 | £651.78 | £130.36 | £16.29 |
| Point 1 (after 1 year' service) | £36,995 | £3,082.92 | £709.17 | £141.83 | £17.73 |
| Point 2 (after 2 years' service) | £39,988 | £3,332.33 | £766.54 | £153.31 | £19.16 |
| Point 3 (after 3 years' service) | £42,377 | £3,531.42 | £812.34 | £162.47 | £20.31 |
| Point 4 (after 4 years' service) | £43,683 | £3,640.25 | £837.37 | £167.47 | £20.93 |
| Point 5 (after 5 years' service) | £45,064 | £3,755.33 | £863.85 | £172.77 | £21.60 |
| Point 6 (after 6 years' service) | £46,321 | £3,860.08 | £887.94 | £177.59 | £22.20 |
| Point 7 (after 7 years' service) | £47,440 | £3,953.33 | £909.39 | £181.88 | £22.73 |
| Point 8 (after 8 years' service) | £48,940 | £4,078.33 | £938.15 | £187.63 | £23.45 |
| Point 9 (after 9 years' service) | £51,842 | £4,320.17 | £993.78 | £198.76 | £24.84 |
| Point 10 (after 10 years' service) | £52,873 | £4,406.08 | £1,013.54 | £202.71 | £25.34 |
| Point 11 (after 11 years' service) | £54,597 | £4,549.75 | £1,046.59 | £209.32 | £26.16 |
These are gross figures before tax, National Insurance and pension. They are useful for checking a payslip or working out what a rest day or public holiday is worth, which is where the day's pay formula comes in.
Worked example: your first year in cash
Pay rises in Scotland take effect on 1 April. A recruit who started on 12 January 2026, the first 18-week intake, joined on the 2025 scale and moved to the 2026 scale less than three months later. Rounding the split to months, their first year looks like this:
| Period | Annual rate | Months | Gross for the period (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 January to 31 March 2026 | £32,851 (2025 scale after the inflation guarantee) | About 2.6 | £7,118 |
| 1 April 2026 to 11 January 2027 | £34,001 (2026 scale) | About 9.4 | £26,634 |
| First 12 months in total | 12 | £33,752 |
The 2025 figure shown is the on-commencing point after the 0.4% inflation guarantee adjustment. PNBS Circular 2025/09 says guarantee payments are made as a one-off consolidated payment in March; how that was applied to an individual recruit's back pay is not set out in the circulars, so treat the first row as approximate. The pattern is what matters: if you start between January and March, your pay goes up on 1 April as well as on your first anniversary.
You get two separate rises: the annual pay award on 1 April (for everyone) and your incremental step on completing each year's service (point 0 to point 1, then point 2 and so on). In a year when both happen, the gap between your first and last payslip can be noticeable.
Overtime, rest days and public holidays
The PNBS handbook sets these rules. Overtime "is only applicable to constables and sergeants". The Scottish handbook does not include the England and Wales rule that the first 30 minutes of overtime on four occasions a week are unpaid, so do not assume it applies in Scotland.
| Situation | Rule (PNBS handbook) | Illustration at £34,001 (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|
| Kept on duty at the end of a shift | Time and a third for each completed 15 minutes, paid or as time off, your choice | £21.73 an hour, £5.43 per completed 15 minutes |
| Rest day worked, less than 8 days' notice | Double time | £32.59 an hour; minimum 4 hours if you attend a station, incident or court: £130.36 |
| Rest day worked, 8 to under 18 days' notice | Time and a half | £24.44 an hour |
| Rest day worked, 18 days' notice or more | Another rest day instead | No extra pay |
| Public holiday worked | Minimum 4 hours at double time plus travelling time; with less than 8 days' notice you also get another public holiday | At least £130.36 |
The cash column uses the handbook's hourly formula (annual pay multiplied by 6 and divided by 12,520), which the handbook states for part-time constables, as an illustration. Check your payslip for how your own rate is worked out. The handbook's other pay formulas:
| Measure | PNBS handbook formula | At £34,001 | At £54,597 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly pay | Annual pay divided by 12 | £2,833.42 | £4,549.75 |
| Weekly pay | Annual pay divided by 52 1/6 | £651.78 | £1,046.59 |
| A day's pay (overtime, rest days, public holidays) | A week's pay divided by 5 | £130.36 | £209.32 |
| Hourly rate (stated for part-time constables) | Annual pay x 6 / 12,520 | £16.29 | £26.16 |
Being detained on duty into a rest day is paid at double time for each completed 15 minutes. If you work a rest day without attending a station, incident or court, the minimum is 1 hour. Inspecting and superintending ranks get another rest day rather than overtime pay.
Overtime worked examples
Seven situations a new constable could meet, worked at the starting salary and at point 5, using the handbook's hourly formula as an illustration. Only completed 15-minute periods count for casual overtime, which is why the first example pays for 30 minutes rather than 40.
| Scenario | Rule applied | At £34,001 | At £45,064 (point 5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kept on 40 minutes after your shift | 2 completed 15-minute periods at time and a third (the last 10 minutes do not count) | £10.86 | £14.40 |
| Kept on 1 hour 50 minutes | 7 completed 15-minute periods at time and a third | £38.02 | £50.39 |
| Rest day cancelled 5 days ahead, 8 hours worked | Less than 8 days' notice: double time | £260.71 | £345.54 |
| Rest day cancelled 12 days ahead, 8 hours worked | 8 to under 18 days' notice: time and a half | £195.53 | £259.15 |
| Rest day cancelled 20 days ahead | 18 days or more: another rest day instead | No extra pay | No extra pay |
| Called to court on a rest day at short notice for 2 hours | Double time, minimum 4 hours plus travelling time when you attend court | £130.36 plus travel | £172.77 plus travel |
| Rest day phone work at short notice, 20 minutes, no attendance | Minimum 1 hour when you do not attend a station, incident or court; double time under 8 days' notice | £32.59 | £43.19 |
Casual overtime can be taken as pay or as time off, at the officer's choice. Rest day working with 18 days' notice or more gives you another rest day rather than pay. Travelling time is added to the 4-hour minimum when you have to attend; the table does not include it.
What you keep from overtime
Overtime is not pensionable, so no 13.7% comes off it, but all of it is taxed and carries National Insurance at your marginal rate. From the 2026/27 bands (our arithmetic):
| Where your pay sits | Income tax | National Insurance | You keep of each £100 overtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxable pay in the intermediate band (£29,527 to £43,662): base pay at points 0 to 8 | 21% | 8% | £71 |
| Taxable pay in the higher band and gross over £50,270: base pay at points 9 to 11 | 42% | 2% | £56 |
| Taxable pay in the higher band but gross still under £50,270 (a narrow range reached only with overtime) | 42% | 8% | £50 |
So £100 of overtime is worth about £71 to a new constable and about £56 at the top of the scale. On appointment your taxable pay sits just under the intermediate band, so roughly the first £180 of overtime in a year is taxed at 20% rather than 21%. These are marginal rates on extra pay, not your overall tax rate.
Allowances a new constable might get
Most new constables are paid only the salary. These national allowances from PNBS Circular 2026/04 can apply, depending on what you do and where:
- Islands Allowance: £1,332.21 to £2,664.42 a year if you are permanently posted to a listed island. See divisions and postings.
- On-call Allowance: £43.68 from 1 April 2026. Check the handbook for whether it is per occasion or per day; the circular extract does not say.
- Overnight Disruption Allowance: £82.07, for example on a short-notice island deployment.
- Plain Clothes Allowance: £18.50.
- Excessive Rest Day Disruption Allowance: £25.99.
There is no city or regional weighting in Scotland and no housing allowance for new officers (only officers who received one before August 1994 keep it).
Ways pay can go up beyond the scale
A decision table from the published rules. None of these is guaranteed: overtime depends on demand, island postings on vacancies and specialisms and promotion on selection.
| If you want to earn more | What the published rules say |
|---|---|
| Work overtime | Constables and sergeants only; time and a third per completed 15 minutes when kept on duty |
| Work rest days | Double time under 8 days' notice, time and a half for 8 to under 18 days; 18 days or more gives another rest day |
| Take an island posting | Islands Allowance of £1,332.21 to £2,664.42 a year depending on the island |
| Join a specialism after probation | Some roles carry allowances, for example the Dog Handlers Allowance of £3,065.78 a year from 1 April 2026 |
| Be promoted | Sergeant starts at £56,455; needs completed probation plus the qualifying diploma or the PLDP, then selection |
| Simply stay | Annual increments to £54,597 after 11 years, plus each year's pay award |
Checking your first payslips
Our checklist for the first few months, built from the rules above. It is not an official Police Scotland list.
- Basic pay: annual salary divided by 12. On appointment that is £2,833.42 a month gross.
- Pension: 13.7% of pensionable pay, taken before tax. On the starting salary about £388.18 a month.
- Tax: if you live in Scotland you pay Scottish income tax; check your payslip reflects the Scottish bands.
- Overtime: check it is counted in completed 15-minute periods at time and a third, with no pension taken from it.
- Rest days: check the notice you were given matches the rate paid (under 8 days double, 8 to under 18 time and a half).
- 1 April: check the new year's rate appears from April's pay.
- Your anniversary: check you move to point 1 (£36,995) on completing one year's service.
Questions to ask Police Scotland about pay
- When is my first pay date and is the first month paid pro rata from my start date?
- How is the hourly rate for my overtime worked out?
- Is the on-call allowance paid per occasion or per day?
- If I start between January and March, how is any inflation guarantee payment for that year applied to me?
- Are there expenses for travel to the regional training centre or to Tulliallan or East Kilbride?
Annual leave by length of service
Leave for federated ranks is in the PNBS handbook, section 3.1 (from April 2024):
| Service | Annual leave |
|---|---|
| Under 2 years | 224 hours (28 days) |
| 2 to 4 years | 272 hours (34 days) |
| 5 to 9 years | 288 hours (36 days) |
| 10 years or more | 312 hours (39 days) |
Police Scotland's recruitment page gives "28 days annual leave", the under-2-years figure. The two fixed public holidays are 1 January and 25 December, either of which can be swapped for religious or cultural reasons.
Your pension
New officers join the Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) 2015, run by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency. It is not the same as the England and Wales scheme: the build-up rate is different and the contribution is a single flat rate.
| Feature | Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) 2015 |
|---|---|
| Type | Career average (CARE) |
| Build-up | 1/56.1 of pensionable earnings each year (England and Wales uses 1/55.3) |
| Revaluation while you are a member | The change in prices in the scheme year plus 1.25% |
| Normal pension age | 60 |
| Your contribution | A flat 13.7% of pensionable pay |
| Employer contribution | 38.7% of pensionable pay (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027) |
| Administered by | The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) |
| First year on £34,001 | About £606 a year of pension built (our arithmetic, before revaluation) |
Pension calculators built for England and Wales use 1/55.3, which overstates a Scottish officer's pension slightly. Use 1/56.1 for Scottish service in the 2015 scheme.
Police Scotland vs England and Wales pay
If you could apply on either side of the border, these are the structural differences. England and Wales figures are taken from our own audited comparison pages and shared pay engine, not from Police Scotland.
| Police Scotland | England and Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets pay | Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, approved by Scottish Ministers | The Police Remuneration Review Body process |
| Starting point | £34,001 on appointment (from 1 April 2026) | About £32,255 on point 1 (PolicePay calculation, see our comparison guide); the Met and BTP start on point 2 (about £33,609) |
| Pay year | Rises from 1 April | Rises from 1 September |
| Pension build-up (2015 scheme) | 1/56.1 | 1/55.3 |
| Member contribution | A flat 13.7% | Tiered: 12.88%, 13.88% or 14.22% by pay |
| Income tax | Scottish bands (19% to 48%) | Rest of UK bands (20%, 40%, 45%) |
| Location pay | Islands Allowance only | London Weighting, London Allowance and South East Allowance in some forces |
| Unpaid first 30 minutes of overtime | Not in the Scottish handbook | An England and Wales rule |
Gross pay is only half the comparison. On our arithmetic, Scottish income tax takes slightly less than the rest of the UK bands at the starting salary but noticeably more at the top of the constable scale, once the 21% and 42% bands bite. For take-home figures rank by rank, see Police Scotland vs England pay. For the recruitment differences (no National Sift, no degree routes, apply at 18 rather than 17), see Police Scotland vs England and Wales recruitment.
What sergeant pay looks like
After probation, constables can qualify for promotion through the qualifying diploma or the Police Leadership Development Programme. Promotion is by selection. The sergeant scale from 1 April 2026:
| Sergeant pay point | 1 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Point 1 | £56,455 |
| Point 2 | £57,637 |
| Point 3 | £59,312 |
| Point 4 | £61,036 |
Note that the top constable point (£54,597) is not far below the first sergeant point (£56,455). See Police Scotland probation for the promotion rules.
What we could not verify
- The 2025 average CPI figure behind the 0.4% addition (only the outcome is published; 3.4% is our inference).
- Any 2027/28 pay award: no circular had been published on 22 October 2026.
- Whether the 2026/27 inflation guarantee will be triggered.
- Whether the on-call allowance is paid per occasion or per day.
- Whether the Islands Allowance is pensionable.
- How much overtime is available to new constables in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Police Scotland starting salary in 2026?
£34,001 a year on appointment from 1 April 2026, according to PNBS Circular 2026/01 and Police Scotland's rewards and benefits page. On our estimate that is about £2,026 a month after Scottish income tax, National Insurance and the 13.7% pension contribution.
How much does a Police Scotland officer earn after one year?
£36,995. PNBS Circular 2026/01 says all officers move to point 1 on completing one year's service as a constable. After two years it is £39,988.
What is the top of the Police Scotland constable scale?
£54,597 from 1 April 2026. Police Scotland says pay rises by annual increments over 11 years to that figure.
Do you get paid while training with Police Scotland?
Yes. You are paid £34,001 a year from appointment, including the 18 weeks of initial training.
Who sets Police Scotland pay?
The Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS) agrees it and the Scottish Ministers approve it. The Police Remuneration Review Body, which advises on pay in England and Wales, has no role in Scottish police pay.
What was the Police Scotland pay rise for 2026?
3.5% from 1 April 2026, the second year of a two-year deal agreed in September 2025 (4% from 1 April 2025, then 3.5%). The deal includes an inflation guarantee that added 0.4% for 2025/26.
Will there be a Police Scotland pay rise in 2027?
No 2027/28 pay circular had been published when we checked on 22 October 2026. The current deal's inflation guarantee could add a consolidated payment for 2026/27 if average 2026 CPI is above 2.5%, with a statement due by 31 January 2027.
How much tax does a Police Scotland constable pay?
On our estimate, £3,315 of Scottish income tax a year on £34,001, after pension contributions are taken before tax. Constables pay the 19%, 20% and 21% bands; on our arithmetic the 42% band only starts to apply at point 9, because the pension contribution keeps taxable pay below £43,663 until then.
How much pension do Police Scotland officers pay?
A flat 13.7% of pensionable pay in the 2015 Scottish scheme. Scotland replaced the old tiered rates with the flat rate from 1 April 2025.
How is Police Scotland overtime paid?
Under the PNBS handbook, overtime applies to constables and sergeants. Being kept on duty at the end of a shift is paid at time and a third for each completed 15 minutes, as pay or time off. Rest days worked with less than 8 days' notice are double time and with 8 to under 18 days' notice time and a half.
How much annual leave do new Police Scotland officers get?
28 days (224 hours) with under 2 years' service, rising to 34, 36 and 39 days with service, under the PNBS handbook.
Do Police Scotland officers in Glasgow or Edinburgh get extra pay?
No. There is no city or regional weighting in Scotland. The only national location payment is the Islands Allowance for officers posted to listed islands.
How much is a Police Scotland constable paid per hour?
Using the PNBS handbook's hourly formula (annual pay x 6 / 12,520), £16.29 an hour on appointment and £26.16 at the top of the scale. The formula treats a full-time week as 40 hours.
Is Police Scotland overtime paid for every minute?
No. Casual overtime at the end of a shift is paid at time and a third for each completed 15 minutes, so 40 minutes counts as two periods. The Scottish handbook does not include the England and Wales rule that leaves the first 30 minutes unpaid on four occasions a week.
Is Police Scotland pay better than England?
The scales and tax are different, so compare like for like. Our Police Scotland vs England pay guide sets gross pay and take-home side by side, rank by rank.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 22 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- PNBS Circular 2026/01, Federated Ranks Pay : constable and sergeant pay points at 1 April 2025, 1 April 2025 after the inflation guarantee and 1 April 2026; note (a) on point 1 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Rewards and benefits : "On appointment - £34,001", after 1 year £36,995, after 2 years £39,988, rising over 11 years to £54,597, as of April 2026 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- PNBS Circular 2025/09, Pay Agreement 2025-26 and 2026-27 : 4% and 3.5% rises, inflation guarantee terms and triggers, on-call allowance, mileage, joint review of leave (accessed 22 October 2026)
- PNBS Circular 2026/04, Allowances (30 January 2026) : allowance rates from 1 April 2026; additional 0.4% for 2025/26 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook : overtime (2.3), rest day working (2.5), public holidays (2.6, 3.3), pay calculations (2.11), annual leave (3.1) (accessed 22 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Scottish Income Tax : Scottish income tax bands 2026/27 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- SPPA: How your police pension works : 2015 scheme: career average, 1/56.1, pension age 60, flat 13.7%, employer 38.7% (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (SSI 2015/142), legislation.gov.uk : reg 49(4) accrual 1/56.1; revaluation at prices plus 1.25%; reg 160 flat 13.7% contribution (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Apply to become a police officer : 28 days annual leave; 18-week initial training (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Transferees : housing allowance only if received before August 1994 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- PNBS circulars list : no 2027/28 pay circular listed at 22 October 2026 (accessed 22 October 2026)
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority or the College of Policing. It does not recruit, test or assess applicants. Our practice questions are original PolicePay material, not official Police Scotland questions. Police Scotland sets and changes its own selection process, so check its recruitment pages and your candidate account before relying on anything here. Details are as checked on 22 October 2026.