CNC Pay Scales
2026/27
Civil Nuclear Constabulary constables start on £32,256 and reach £52,014, on what the CNC calls the National Winsor Pay Scale. The catch is the first two years: CNC probationers stay on the starting rate for the whole probation. Written from the CNC's own pay table, its live adverts and its accounts, read on 23 October 2026.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 23 October 2026 · Civil Nuclear Constabulary (England and Scotland)
£32,256 for the whole two-year probation, then £33,609, then a chance of the next point each year to £52,014 within 7 years of joining. The same scale applies in England and Scotland. New recruits at Garlogie and St Fergus get a £5,000 non-consolidated location allowance on top. You pay 8.2% into the UKAEA pension scheme. The CNC publishes no firearms, shift or unsocial hours allowance.
CNC pay calculator
The calculator works out CNC pay year by year from the probation rate, with the 8.2% pension deduction and an estimate of take-home pay. It uses the CNC's published 2026/27 figures from this page. Take-home pay is our estimate, not a payslip.
Free tool
CNC pay calculator
CNC 2026/27 constable pay, year by year. An estimate, not a payslip. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.
£2,056 a month
| Year | Basic pay | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (probation) | £32,256 | £2,056 |
| 2 (probation) | £32,256 | £2,056 |
| 3 | £33,609 | £2,128 |
| 4 | £34,971 | £2,202 |
| 5 | £36,336 | £2,275 |
| 6 | £39,057 | £2,421 |
| 7 | £44,544 | £2,716 |
| 8 | £52,014 | £3,055 |
- The CNC keeps new constables on £32,256 for the whole two-year probation, then £33,609. After that it says you have "the opportunity to reach the next pay point" each year, so this table shows the best case.
- The 8.2% is the UKAEA Combined Pension Scheme member rate at £21,000 or more. The scheme is due to move to the civil service alpha scheme at a date not yet confirmed; alpha has its own rates.
- We treat the location allowance as not pensionable because it is "non-consolidated". The CNC does not say.
- Overtime is available but the CNC does not publish its rates, so it is not included. Tax uses 2026/27 bands with no other income.
The 2026/27 CNC constable pay scale
This is the CNC's own table, read from its police officers careers page on 23 October 2026. The CNC labels the first row "Probationer PC/IFP" and shows points 0 and 1 in one merged cell, because a probationer is paid the same at both.
| CNC rank label | Winsor pay point | 2026/27 salary | Per month, before deductions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Probationer PC / IFP | 0 and 1 | £32,256 | £2,688 |
| Constable | 2 | £33,609 | £2,801 |
| Constable | 3 | £34,971 | £2,914 |
| Constable | 4 | £36,336 | £3,028 |
| Constable | 5 | £39,057 | £3,255 |
| Constable | 6 | £44,544 | £3,712 |
| Constable | 7 | £52,014 | £4,335 |
The CNC's headline line is "starting salary of £32,256 rising to £52,014 in 7 years". It calls the scale the National Winsor Pay Scale. So the CNC is not on a scale of its own: its figures are the national constable points (see the cross-check below).
The CNC's careers site gives constable pay only. It does not publish 2026/27 figures for sergeants, inspectors or any higher rank, so we do not show them. If you are thinking about promotion in the CNC, ask the CNC or the Civil Nuclear Police Federation for the current rank scales.
The big difference: two years on the starting rate
The CNC's adverts are specific. They say your starting salary as a police constable will be £32,256, which increases after successful completion of your two-year probation to £33,609. After that, "every year thereafter, you have the opportunity to reach the next pay point".
In a Home Office force a new constable normally moves from point 1 to point 2 after one year. The CNC holds you on £32,256 for both years of probation. That costs you £1,353 in your second year compared with a Home Office officer who moves up on time (our arithmetic: £33,609 minus £32,256).
- Training counts: the CNC pays your full starting salary from day one of the 19-week Initial Foundation Programme, with no reductions.
- Probation is two years for new recruits. In England it ends with the apprenticeship End Point Assessment; in Scotland officers follow the same programme without the apprenticeship.
- The word "opportunity" matters. The CNC says you have the chance of the next point each year. It does not publish the rules for when a step can be held back.
See CNC training and the End Point Assessment for how the two years are structured.
CNC pay year by year
This table follows the CNC's published pattern: two years on the probationer rate, then one pay point a year until the top. It assumes you get every step on time, which the CNC describes as an opportunity rather than a promise. Pension figures use the UKAEA scheme rates (8.2% from you, 20.7% from the CNC) on basic pay. All the arithmetic is ours.
| Year | Pay point | Annual pay | Monthly pay | Your pension (8.2%) | CNC pension (20.7%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Probationer (0 and 1) | £32,256 | £2,688 | £2,645 | £6,677 |
| Year 2 | Probationer (0 and 1) | £32,256 | £2,688 | £2,645 | £6,677 |
| Year 3 | Point 2 | £33,609 | £2,801 | £2,756 | £6,957 |
| Year 4 | Point 3 | £34,971 | £2,914 | £2,868 | £7,239 |
| Year 5 | Point 4 | £36,336 | £3,028 | £2,980 | £7,522 |
| Year 6 | Point 5 | £39,057 | £3,255 | £3,203 | £8,085 |
| Year 7 | Point 6 | £44,544 | £3,712 | £3,653 | £9,221 |
| Year 8 | Point 7 | £52,014 | £4,335 | £4,265 | £10,767 |
Two things to notice. First, the CNC's "within 7 years" means the top point arrives in your eighth year, after seven years' service. Second, the biggest jumps come late: point 5 to point 6 is worth £5,487 and point 6 to point 7 is worth £7,470 (our arithmetic). The first three steps are worth about £1,350 to £1,370 each.
Plan your first two years on £32,256, not on the £33,609 a Home Office recruit might expect in year two. If you are relocating, or giving up a better paid job, budget on the probation rate plus any site allowance and treat the later steps as a bonus until they arrive.
Four worked examples
Each example uses the CNC's published 2026/27 figures and the UKAEA scheme rate. The arithmetic is ours and covers basic pay and the pension deduction only. Income tax and National Insurance depend on your own tax code, so use the calculator above for take-home pay.
1. New recruit at an English site
Years one and two: £32,256 a year, £2,688 a month before deductions. Pension at 8.2%: about £2,645 a year. Year three: £33,609.
No English new-recruit advert was open on 23 October 2026. The figures apply when one opens.
2. New recruit at Garlogie or St Fergus
£32,256 basic plus the £5,000 location allowance: £37,256 a year, about £3,105 a month before deductions. Pension on basic pay: about £2,645.
The allowance is paid while you are based at the site. Whether it is pensionable is not published.
3. Recruit relocating to Dounreay
£32,256 basic with no location allowance on the advert. If you buy a home, relocation help of up to £5,000 towards survey, estate agent and removal costs; if you rent, up to £2,500 to move your belongings.
The CNC assesses each relocation case individually, so the amounts are maximums.
4. Home Office transferee on point 5
If your pay is honoured, as the CNC says it is in most cases: £39,057 a year. Pension at 8.2% into the UKAEA scheme: about £3,203 a year. Next step: £44,544.
Confirm your pay point and leave in writing before you accept.
CNC pay compared with England and Wales
We checked the CNC's figures against the England and Wales post-2013 constable points for 2026/27 that PolicePay holds for its own police pay scales. Every CNC figure is within £1 of the matching point. This is our internal cross-check, not a statement by the CNC. The £1 gaps are rounding.
| Point | CNC label | CNC 2026/27 | England and Wales 2026/27 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 and 1 | Probationer PC / IFP | £32,256 | £32,255 | +£1 |
| 2 | Constable | £33,609 | £33,609 | Same |
| 3 | Constable | £34,971 | £34,972 | -£1 |
| 4 | Constable | £36,336 | £36,335 | +£1 |
| 5 | Constable | £39,057 | £39,058 | -£1 |
| 6 | Constable | £44,544 | £44,544 | Same |
| 7 | Constable | £52,014 | £52,015 | -£1 |
So the points match. What differs is how fast you climb them and what sits around basic pay:
- Probation: two years at £32,256 in the CNC, against a move to point 2 after a year in a Home Office force.
- No London or South East allowance: none is published and no CNC site is in London.
- Pension: the CNC is not in the Police Pension Scheme. You pay 8.2% into the UKAEA scheme, which changes take-home pay compared with a Home Office officer on the same point.
- Site extras: the £5,000 Aberdeenshire allowance and the Dounreay relocation package have no Home Office equivalent.
Scotland: the same CNC scale, not Police Scotland's
The CNC's adverts for Dounreay, Garlogie and St Fergus use the same £32,256 to £52,014 scale as its English sites. The CNC does not use Police Scotland's scale, which is negotiated separately.
| Force | Starting pay | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Nuclear Constabulary (Dounreay, Garlogie, St Fergus) | £32,256 for the two-year probation | CNC adverts 688, 735 and 736 |
| Police Scotland | £34,001 on appointment | Police Scotland rewards and benefits (April 2026) |
| Difference at the start | £1,745 a year less in the CNC | Our arithmetic |
At Garlogie and St Fergus the £5,000 location allowance more than closes that gap in cash terms: £32,256 plus £5,000 is £37,256 (our arithmetic). At Dounreay there is no location allowance on the advert, but there is relocation help (below). For the full Scottish picture see Police Scotland starting pay.
Who pays CNC officers and how awards are set
CNC officers are employed and paid by the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA). The CNPA's 2025/26 accounts say it is funded mainly by the site licence companies whose sites the CNC protects, with some funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
What the record shows is that the CNC has matched the national police pay awards in recent years (see the next section). The CNC does not publish the legal route by which its awards are agreed or approved, so we do not describe one or say that it is bound to follow any review body.
The CNPA's 2025/26 accounts note that the "police officer pay award" came in "1.40% higher than expected". That is a budgeting note for the CNPA, not a change to your pay.
Past awards and the 2025/26 starting rate
| Year | CNC officer award | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7.0% | Matched the England and Wales award |
| 2024 | 4.75% | Matched the England and Wales award |
| 2025 | 4.2% | Matched the England and Wales award |
| 2026 | About 3.5% (our arithmetic) | £31,164 (2025/26) plus 3.5% is £32,255; the CNC shows £32,256 |
The FOI lists the percentages only. It does not say the national award binds the CNC, which is why we say the CNC has matched the awards rather than that it must follow them.
The 2025/26 starting figure comes from a GOV.UK news story of 3 March 2026 announcing Sellafield recruitment: a "starting salary of £31,164 throughout training and probation". Adding 3.5% gives £32,255, within £1 of the 2026/27 figure, so the 2026/27 table looks like a 3.5% uplift. That is our arithmetic, not a CNC statement.
The CNC's table is headed "2026/27 salary" with no start date. The CNC does not say that its rates follow the Home Office forces' date. Do not assume back pay from a particular month without checking with the CNC.
Allowances and relocation help
| Extra | Where | Amount | What the CNC says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location allowance | Garlogie and St Fergus (Aberdeenshire) | £5,000 a year | Non-consolidated, paid while based at the site. On the new-recruit adverts; the Garlogie transferee advert does not repeat it. |
| Relocation (buyers) | Dounreay (Caithness) | Up to £5,000 | Survey, estate agent and removal costs. Each case assessed individually. |
| Relocation (renters) | Dounreay (Caithness) | Up to £2,500 | To move your belongings. Each case assessed individually. |
| Market Premium Payment | National Firearms Instructor posts | Not published | Listed on the current instructor adverts, subject to eligibility criteria. |
Non-consolidated means the £5,000 is paid on top of your salary point, not added to it. It works out at about £417 a month before tax (our arithmetic). The CNC does not say whether it counts as pensionable pay, so the calculator leaves it out of the pension figure.
The firearms instructor premium is new. In July 2025 the CNC told an FOI requester that instructors received no extra payment. The adverts posted in September and October 2026 now list a Market Premium Payment, but give no amount. It only applies to serving or recent firearms instructors, not to recruits.
Which sites are recruiting and what each package looks like are on our CNC jobs by site page.
Pension deductions from CNC pay
CNC officers are not in the Police Pension Scheme. They are in the UKAEA Combined Pension Scheme, a statutory defined benefit scheme run for the UK Atomic Energy Authority and administered by Equiniti. The member rates depend on pensionable pay:
| Pensionable pay | Member rate |
|---|---|
| £21,000 or more | 8.2% |
| £15,000 to £20,999 | 6.5% |
| Below £15,000 | 5% |
| CNC employer rate (all members) | 20.7% |
Every CNC constable point is above £21,000, so a full-time constable pays 8.2%. On £32,256 that is about £2,645 a year, or £220 a month; at £52,014 it is about £4,265 a year (our arithmetic, on basic pay).
The law requires the UKAEA scheme to close to future build-up and move members to the civil service alpha scheme. The CNC scheme is due to close and move to alpha; the date has been delayed and is expected to be confirmed in 2027. Alpha uses its own contribution rates, so your deduction may change when the move happens. Full detail is on our CNC pension scheme page.
Leave, shifts and overtime
| Service | Annual leave | In 12-hour shifts (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 6 years | 200 hours | About 16.7 |
| After 6 years | 208 hours | About 17.3 |
| After 7 years | 216 hours | 18 |
| After 8 years | 224 hours | About 18.7 |
| After 9 years | 232 hours | About 19.3 |
| After 10 years | 240 hours | 20 |
On top of that you get eight public holidays. If you work one, you take another day instead. Leave is counted in hours because the CNC normally works a 12-hour shift pattern: four days or nights on, then four off.
Overtime: the CNC's transferee page says that "although overtime is available, you will start and finish at your allotted times". It does not publish overtime rates or rest day rates. Do not plan your budget around overtime until you know your site's practice.
Other benefits the CNC lists
- Free parking at all sites.
- Gyms: free gym at some sites, plus dedicated time in your working hours to train and keep your fitness.
- Cycle to work scheme.
- Blue Light Card discounts.
- Enhanced family-friendly policies (the CNC does not give the detail on its adverts).
- Life cover: the UKAEA scheme may pay a lump sum of twice final earnings if you die in service. The CNC's careers page says the scheme includes provision for life assurance and ill-health support.
- Residential training costs: accommodation, travel, food and refreshments are provided during the residential course.
Pay for transferees and rejoiners
The CNC says transferees, in the majority of cases, have the salary and annual leave entitlements they had at their last force honoured. Its transferee adverts give a salary of £32,256 to £52,014 depending on experience. Because the CNC uses the same constable points as England and Wales, a Home Office officer's point should translate directly.
Rejoiners are different. The CNC says it has no reciprocal agreements with Home Office forces, Police Scotland, the PSNI, BTP or the MOD Police, but may take previous relevant service into account for pay and leave. Get your pay point in writing before you accept. Our CNC transferee guide covers the process.
What people at the CNC actually earn
The CNPA's 2025/26 accounts publish a pay spread for everyone it employs, officers and staff together, excluding overtime:
| Measure | Total pay |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | £37,688 |
| Median | £50,256 |
| 75th percentile | £53,256 |
The median sits close to the top of the constable scale, which fits a workforce where many officers have served long enough to reach the top point. It is not a constable-only figure: it includes staff and senior ranks.
What the CNC does not publish
- Sergeant and inspector pay for 2026/27. Only the constable table is on the careers site.
- The start date of the 2026/27 rates.
- Overtime rates and rest day rates.
- Shift, unsocial hours, on-call or firearms allowances. None is published. Do not assume Home Office or MOD Police allowances apply.
- Whether the £5,000 location allowance is pensionable or whether transferees at Garlogie get it.
- The amount of the firearms instructor Market Premium Payment.
- The legal route by which the CNPA agrees officer pay awards.
- The rules for holding back a pay step after probation.
If one of these matters to your decision, ask the CNC recruitment team before you accept an offer.
Common mistakes about CNC pay
- "The CNC has its own pay scale." It uses the national constable points, which it calls the National Winsor Pay Scale. The difference is the two-year probation rate.
- Expecting £33,609 in year two. CNC probationers stay on £32,256 until probation ends.
- Assuming Police Scotland pay at Scottish sites. Dounreay, Garlogie and St Fergus use the CNC scale.
- Using the police pension rate for take-home. CNC officers pay 8.2% into the UKAEA scheme, not the Police Pension Scheme rates.
- Assuming a firearms allowance. Every CNC officer is armed and none is published.
- Quoting old pension examples. One CNC advert gives a monthly pension figure that matches the old 2025/26 salary, not the current one. Work from the rates on this page.
- Giving the 2026/27 rates a start date. The CNC does not publish one, so do not borrow the Home Office date.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Civil Nuclear Constabulary officer earn?
The CNC's 2026/27 constable scale starts at £32,256 for probationers and rises to £52,014 at the top point. The CNC says a new officer stays on £32,256 for the whole two-year probation, moves to £33,609 after it, then has the chance of the next pay point each year, reaching £52,014 within 7 years of joining.
How long do CNC probationers stay on the starting salary?
For the full two-year probation. The CNC's adverts say your starting salary as a constable will be £32,256, which increases after successful completion of your two-year probation to £33,609. A Home Office recruit normally moves from point 1 to point 2 after one year, so in year two a CNC probationer earns about £1,353 less (our arithmetic).
Is CNC pay the same as Home Office police pay?
Nearly. The CNC calls its scale the National Winsor Pay Scale and every 2026/27 figure is within £1 of the England and Wales constable points we hold (our internal cross-check, not a CNC statement). The real difference is timing: the CNC keeps probationers on the starting rate for two years rather than one.
Do CNC officers in Scotland get Police Scotland pay?
No. The CNC's adverts for Dounreay, Garlogie and St Fergus use the same £32,256 scale as its English sites. Police Scotland's own starting pay is £34,001, so a CNC recruit in Scotland starts about £1,745 a year lower (our arithmetic). Garlogie and St Fergus recruits do get a £5,000 location allowance on the current adverts.
When did the 2026/27 CNC pay rates start?
The CNC does not say. Its pay table is headed 2026/27 but gives no start date, so do not assume it matches the Home Office date. Ask the CNC or the Civil Nuclear Police Federation if the date matters to you, for example for back pay.
Do CNC officers get a firearms allowance?
The CNC does not publish one. Every CNC officer is an Authorised Firearms Officer from the start, so there is no separate armed post to earn extra for. The only published extras are the location allowance at Garlogie and St Fergus, relocation help for Dounreay and a Market Premium Payment named in the current firearms instructor adverts, whose amount is not published.
What is the CNC location allowance?
The new-recruit adverts for Garlogie and St Fergus in Aberdeenshire offer a location allowance of £5,000 a year, paid as a non-consolidated payment while you are based at the site. Non-consolidated means it is not added to your salary point. The Garlogie transferee advert does not repeat the allowance, so transferees should ask the CNC. Whether it counts for pension is not published.
How much do CNC officers pay into their pension?
CNC officers are in the UKAEA Combined Pension Scheme. On pay of £21,000 or more the member rate is 8.2% and the CNC pays 20.7% as employer. On £32,256 that is about £2,645 a year from you (our arithmetic). The scheme is due to close and move to the civil service alpha scheme; the date has been delayed and is expected to be confirmed in 2027.
Do transferees keep their pay when they join the CNC?
In most cases. The CNC says transferees, in the majority of cases, have the salary and annual leave they had at their last force honoured. The transferee adverts give a range of £32,256 to £52,014 depending on experience.
Does the CNC pay overtime?
Overtime is available, but the CNC says you will start and finish at your allotted times. It does not publish overtime rates or rest day rates, so we do not estimate them.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 23 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.
- CNC careers: Police officers : the 2026/27 pay table and the National Winsor Pay Scale name; starting salary rising to £52,014 in 7 years; annual leave 200 to 240 hours plus eight public holidays; life assurance and ill-health support line (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC advert 735: Police Constable AFO Garlogie 2026 : £32,256 for the two-year probation then £33,609; the next point each year to £52,014 within 7 years; £5,000 non-consolidated location allowance; 8.2% personal contribution; 4 on 4 off 12-hour shifts; free parking, gym, cycle to work, Blue Light Card (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC advert 736: Police Constable AFO St Fergus 2026 : £5,000 non-consolidated location allowance at St Fergus (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC advert 737: Police Constable AFO Garlogie Transferee 2026 : transferee salary £32,256 to £52,014 depending on experience; no location allowance stated (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC advert 688: Police Constable AFO Dounreay 2026 : same scale at Dounreay (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC advert 689: Police Constable AFO Relocate to Dounreay 2026 : relocation up to £5,000 for buyers and £2,500 for renters (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC careers: Relocate to Dounreay : up to £5,000 relocation support; starting salary rising to £52,014 (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC careers: Police officer transferees : pay and leave honoured in the majority of cases; overtime available (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC advert 778: National Firearms Instructor, FTU North : Market Premium Payment subject to eligibility (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC FOI 2025/065: firearms training (July 2025) : no extra payment for firearms instructors at that date (accessed 23 October 2026)
- GOV.UK news, 3 March 2026: Sellafield recruitment opens : 2025/26 starting salary of £31,164 throughout training and probation (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC FOI 094: officer and staff pay awards 2015 to 2025 : officer awards of 7.0% (2023), 4.75% (2024) and 4.2% (2025) (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNPA Annual Report and Accounts 2025/26 : CNPA funding from site licence companies and DESNZ; pay award 1.40% higher than expected; median, 25th and 75th percentile pay (accessed 23 October 2026)
- UKAEA pension scheme (Equiniti): About the Scheme : member rates 8.2%, 6.5% and 5%; CNC employer rate 20.7% (accessed 23 October 2026)
- UKAEA pension scheme (Equiniti): Alpha delay FAQs : move to alpha delayed; new date expected to be confirmed in early 2027 (accessed 23 October 2026)
- An overview of apprenticeships in the CNC (PDF, February 2026) : accommodation, travel, food and refreshments provided during residential training (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Rewards and benefits : Police Scotland constable pay on appointment £34,001 (April 2026) (accessed 23 October 2026)
- PolicePay: England and Wales police pay scales : internal cross-check of the England and Wales constable points for 2026/27; not a CNC source (accessed 23 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the Ministry of Defence Police, the Ministry of Defence, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, the Defence Police Federation, the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, the College of Policing or any other force. It does not recruit, vet or assess applicants. Every fact here comes from the force's own pages, GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk or the other sources listed, read on the date shown. Each force sets and changes its own process and pay: check its current pages and your own invitation before relying on anything here. Our practice questions are original PolicePay material, not questions used by either force. Details are as checked on 23 October 2026.