South Wales Police
Pay Scales
What South Wales actually pays in 2026 — the full constable scale, every allowance, and what reaches your account each month.
Looking for South Wales Police jobs or recruitment rather than pay? See South Wales Police jobs: is it recruiting, which routes are open and how to apply.
Starting salary
£32,255
National scale
Take-home
£1,952
per month, at the starting point
Top of scale
£52,015
≈ £2,942/mo take-home
Against all 43
#11
top is the Met, £42,334
South Wales constable pay scale
Effective 1 September 2026 (calculated: the official 2025/26 scale plus the 3.5% award, rounded to the nearest pound). This is the 7-point scale for constables appointed on or after 1 April 2013 — everyone joining now starts at point 1 and moves up as they complete each year, subject to satisfactory performance, until point 7. (Constables appointed before April 2013 remain on an older 8-point scale — see both scales explained. Some forces start recruits at point 2.)
| Pay point | National base | At South Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Point 1 (on appointment) | £32,255 | £32,255 |
| Point 2 | £33,609 | £33,609 |
| Point 3 | £34,972 | £34,972 |
| Point 4 | £36,335 | £36,335 |
| Point 5 | £39,058 | £39,058 |
| Point 6 | £44,544 | £44,544 |
| Point 7 | £52,015 | £52,015 |
Pay beyond constable at South Wales
The constable scale tops out at £52,015. Promotion is what moves you past it — here's what the next two ranks actually pay at South Wales, allowances included.
| Rank | National base | At South Wales | Take-home/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant | £58,175 | £58,175 | £3,285 |
| Inspector | £66,000 | £66,000 | £3,612 |
Sergeant tops out at point 4; Inspector is shown at point 0. See the full national pay scales for every point in between.
South Wales police staff pay
Civilian roles, not officersEverything above is the officer constable scale. Police staff — including PCSOs, control room, custody and back-office roles — aren't on that scale at all. South Wales sets its own local pay and grading structure for staff, uplifted each year by the national Police Staff Council award, so there's no single published table the way there is for officers. Staff (and PCSOs) are also on the Local Government Pension Scheme, not the Police Pension Scheme shown on this page.
What's a pension on £32,255–£52,015 actually worth?
The police pension is often worth more than the salary itself over a full career — and it's the part no job advert quantifies. Run South Wales's own pay figures through the calculator to see the real number.
South Wales pay questions
How much does a South Wales Police officer earn? +
A South Wales Police constable joining on pay point 1 starts on £32,255 a year and reaches £52,015 at the top of the constable scale (point 7) after six annual increments. There is no regional supplement, so this is the national scale exactly. These are 2026/27 figures calculated from the official 2025/26 scale plus the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026.
What is the take-home pay for a South Wales Police constable? +
On the £32,255 starting salary, roughly £1,952 a month reaches your account after income tax, National Insurance and the 12.88% police pension contribution. At the top of the constable scale that rises to around £2,942 a month.
Does South Wales Police pay a regional allowance? +
No. South Wales Police pays the national police pay scale with no regional supplement. Only the two London forces and eight South East forces pay an allowance on top.
What does a South Wales Police sergeant or inspector earn? +
A South Wales Police sergeant earns £58,175 at the top of the sergeant scale, and an inspector starts at £66,000 — both including the same allowances a constable here gets.
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