How Much Do Police
Officers Earn?
Police officers in England and Wales earn £32,255 as a new constable up to £119,837 at the top of the chief superintendent scale in 2026/27. Most are constables, on £32,255 to £52,015.
What police officers in England and Wales earn by rank and years of service, before and after tax. For the 2026/27 pay award, see our Police Pay Rise 2026-27 guide.
The Short Answer
A UK police constable earns between £32,255 (starting, pay point 1) and £52,015 (top of the constable scale, reached in the seventh year of service) on the standard national pay scale. Some forces start new recruits on pay point 2 (£33,609). Promotion moves that ceiling higher: £58,175 at the top of Sergeant, £71,396 at the top of Inspector. Met and City of London officers earn a further £10,079 a year through London Weighting and the London Allowance.
After 2026/27 tax, National Insurance and pension contributions, that is about £1,952 a month take-home for a new constable and £2,942 a month at the top of the scale. For your own force, rank and pay point, use the police salary calculator; for every pay point, see the police pay scales 2026.
Pay is set by rank and pay point on a fixed national scale, not negotiated individually and not performance-related, so where you sit on the scale matters more than any average. Police Scotland has its own scale.
Constable Pay, Year By Year
England and Wales have two constable pay scales. Constables appointed on or after 1 April 2013 (every new recruit and every officer with roughly 13 years' service or less) are on the 7-point scale below, starting at Point 1 and moving up one point per year of satisfactory service to reach the top in their seventh year. Constables appointed before that date remain on an older 8-point scale (Points 0 to 7, starting at £33,969) that reaches the same top point. The pay points are set nationally and are the same for every force in England and Wales, though individual forces add their own allowances on top (see London Weighting, below).
Provisional: these 2026/27 figures come from the Police Federation. The Home Office has not yet published its 2026/27 pay determination, so some points may change by about £1.
| Pay Point | Typical Service | Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Point 1 (New recruit) | Year 1 | £32,255 |
| Point 2 (Some forces start here) | Year 2 | £33,609 |
| Point 3 | Year 3 | £34,972 |
| Point 4 | Year 4 | £36,335 |
| Point 5 | Year 5 | £39,058 |
| Point 6 | Year 6 | £44,544 |
| Point 7 (Top of scale) | Year 7+ | £52,015 |
And Beyond Constable
| Rank | Entry Point | Top Of Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Constable (post-2013 scale) | £32,255 | £52,015 |
| Sergeant | £55,443 | £58,175 |
| Inspector | £66,000 | £71,396 |
| Inspector (Met and City) | £68,788 | £74,206 |
| Chief Inspector | £72,806 | £75,709 |
| Superintendent | £87,123 | £102,481 |
| Chief Superintendent | £107,430 | £119,837 |
Figures are the national pay scale for 2026/27: the official 2025/26 scale (Police Remuneration Review Body 11th report, Appendix F) plus the confirmed 3.5%, rounded to the nearest pound. Inspector and Chief Inspector figures are for forces outside London unless marked. When you're promoted, your pay resets to the entry point of the new rank rather than carrying your constable pay point forward. See our full pay scales breakdown for every pay point, plus the latest on the 2026/27 pay award.
What the ONS says officers earn
The ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings measures what people in each job are actually paid. In its 2026 figures (provisional, published 22 October 2026) the median full-time police officer at sergeant and below earned £52,569 in the tax year to 5 April 2026, up 5.4% on 2025. That is 28.5% more than the median for all full-time employees (£40,911), by our calculation.
| Full-time employees | Median | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Senior police officers | £70,573 | +5.6% |
| Police officers (sergeant and below) | £52,569 | +5.4% |
| All full-time employees | £40,911 | +4.5% |
| Police community support officers | £36,182 | +1.3% |
- Gross pay, not basic salary. The median includes overtime, shift pay and other allowances. It is before tax, National Insurance and pension contributions.
- Before the 2026 pay awards. The survey year ended on 5 April 2026, before the 3.5% officer award from 1 September 2026 and before any 2026 police staff award, so neither is included.
- Above the basic scale. The officer median is higher than the top of the constable scale that year (£50,256 basic from 1 September 2025). It covers sergeants as well as constables and includes overtime and allowances such as London Weighting.
- UK-wide. It covers employees in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as the 43 forces in England and Wales.
- A median, not your pay. Half earned more and half less. For your own figure use the police salary calculator.
Source: ONS, Employee earnings in the UK: 2026 and ASHE Table 14 (22 October 2026). The ONS notes that year-on-year changes are not adjusted for changes in who is in the sample. Full report: police earnings 2026, what the ONS figures show.
London Pays More: By A Specific Amount
Constable and Sergeant base pay scales are identical nationwide, but the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police add a pensionable London Weighting of £3,260 and a non-pensionable London Allowance of up to £6,819, worth £10,079 a year on top of the national scale (2026/27 rates). Forces in the wider South East add a smaller South East Allowance, £3,105 in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Thames Valley or £2,070 in Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Sussex, to help offset the higher cost of living without matching London's uplift in full.
Full London Weighting & regional allowances breakdown →Overtime Is Paid, Up To A Point
Constables and sergeants are paid overtime, normally at time and a third, with higher rates for rest days and public holidays worked at short notice. Inspectors and above are not paid overtime, which is part of why some officers hold off promotion near the top of the sergeant scale.
Full overtime multipliers & disregard rules →The Pension Is Part Of The Package
Officers in the 2015 career average (CARE) scheme pay 12.88% to 14.22% of pensionable pay from 1 April 2026, depending on their pay band. The force pays a larger employer contribution on top. Because it's a genuine part of total compensation, it's worth weighing alongside the headline salary rather than ignoring it.
How the CARE pension scheme actually works →How This Compares
Wondering how police pay stacks up against the army, teaching, nursing or the private sector? We've run the numbers rank-for-rank against ten comparable professions.
See every profession comparison →Want Your Own Exact Number?
These figures are the national scale. Your actual take-home depends on your force, rank, pay point, tax code, pension rate and any student loan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a police officer's salary in the UK?
A UK police constable's base salary currently runs from £32,255 at the start of service (pay point 1, for anyone appointed on or after 1 April 2013, which includes every new recruit) to £52,015 at the top of the constable pay scale, reached in the seventh year of service. Some forces start new constables on pay point 2 (£33,609). Officers appointed before 1 April 2013 are on an older 8-point scale that starts at £33,969 and reaches the same top. Promotion to Sergeant takes the top of scale to £58,175 and Inspector to £71,396. Met and City of London officers get £10,079 a year more in London Weighting and London Allowance. These 2026/27 figures are provisional until the Home Office publishes its 2026/27 pay determination.
How much do police officers earn UK-wide, on average?
The ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (2026, provisional) puts the median full-time police officer at sergeant and below on £52,569 a year, 28.5% more than the median for all full-time employees (£40,911). That is gross pay for the tax year to 5 April 2026, including overtime and allowances, so it predates the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026. Basic pay is set by rank and years of service on a fixed national scale: a first-year constable (£32,255) and a seven-year constable (£52,015) have the same job title but differ by £19,760 a year.
How much does a police officer make per month?
Gross monthly pay runs from about £2,688 at the start of a constable's career to £4,335 at the top of the constable scale. After 2026/27 income tax, National Insurance and pension contributions that is about £1,952 to £2,942 a month, before any student loan. Use the police salary calculator for your own figure.
Do police officers get paid more in London?
Yes. Metropolitan Police and City of London Police officers receive a pensionable London Weighting of £3,260 plus a non-pensionable London Allowance of up to £6,819 (2026/27), worth £10,079 a year on top of the national scale. Forces in the South East also pay a South East Allowance of up to £3,105 (Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, Thames Valley) or £2,070 (Bedfordshire, Hampshire, Sussex).
Do police officers get paid for overtime?
Constables and sergeants are paid overtime, normally at time and a third, with higher rates for rest days and public holidays worked at short notice. Inspectors and above are not paid overtime.
How much pension do police officers pay?
Officers in the 2015 career average scheme pay 12.88% to 14.22% of pensionable pay from 1 April 2026, depending on their pay band. The force pays a larger employer contribution on top.
Related Guides
Figures are the current national pay scale for England and Wales and are provided for general reference. Individual circumstances (tax code, pension category, student loan, force-specific allowances) will change your actual take-home pay. Use the calculator for your own number.