Police Officer
Salary UK
The plain-English answer to what UK police officers actually earn — by rank and years of service, not by news cycle. For the latest 2026/27 pay award and negotiation news, see our Police Pay Rise 2026-27 guide.
The Short Answer
A UK police constable earns between £33,969 (starting) and £52,015 (top of the constable scale, reached after seven years' service) on the standard national pay scale. Promotion moves that ceiling higher — £58,175 at the top of Sergeant, £71,396 at the top of Inspector. Officers in London earn a further £8,362 a year through London Weighting and the London Allowance, on top of whichever point they're on.
Pay is set entirely by rank and pay point on a fixed national scale — not negotiated individually, and not performance-related. There is no such thing as an "average" police salary that means much on its own; where you sit on the scale is what determines your pay.
Constable Pay, Year By Year
Every constable starts at Point 0 and moves up one point per year of satisfactory service, reaching the top of the scale after seven years. This is the same for every force in England and Wales — the pay points are set nationally, though individual forces add their own allowances on top (see London Weighting, below).
| Pay Point | Typical Service | Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Point 0 (Entry) | Year 0 | £33,969 |
| Point 1 | Year 1 | £37,648 |
| Point 2 | Year 2 | £39,688 |
| Point 3 | Year 3 | £41,976 |
| Point 4 | Year 4 | £43,228 |
| Point 5 | Year 5 | £44,544 |
| Point 6 | Year 6 | £48,258 |
| Point 7 (Top of scale) | Year 7+ | £52,015 |
And Beyond Constable
| Rank | Entry Point | Top Of Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Constable | £33,969 | £52,015 |
| Sergeant | £55,443 | £58,175 |
| Inspector | — | £71,396 |
| Chief Inspector | — | £75,709 |
Figures are the current national pay scale. 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.
London Pays More — By A Specific Amount
Base pay scales are identical nationwide, but the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police add a pensionable London Weighting of £3,024 and a non-pensionable London Allowance of £5,338 — worth £8,362 a year on top of the national scale. Forces in the wider South East add a smaller regional allowance, typically £2,000–£3,000, 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 for overtime, typically at time-and-a-third or time-and-a-half for rest days. Inspector and above move onto conditioned hours instead and do not receive overtime pay, which is part of why some officers deliberately hold off promotion near the top of the Sergeant scale.
Full overtime multipliers & disregard rules →The Pension Is Part Of The Package
Officers on the 2015 Career Average (CARE) scheme contribute roughly 12–13% of salary, with the employer contributing a substantially larger share on top — still one of the most generous pensions available in the UK public sector. 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 £33,969 at the start of service to £52,015 at the top of the constable pay scale after seven years. Promotion to Sergeant takes the top of scale to £58,175, and Inspector to £71,396. Officers in London receive substantial additional weighting on top of these figures.
How much do police officers earn UK-wide, on average?
There's no single 'average' that means much, because pay is entirely determined by rank and years of service on a fixed national scale rather than by performance or negotiation — a first-year constable and a seven-year constable are on the same job title but can differ by £18,000 a year. The scale itself is what determines pay, not an average.
How much does a police officer make per month?
Gross monthly pay ranges from roughly £2,830/month at the start of a constable's career to £4,335/month at the top of the constable scale, before tax, National Insurance and pension deductions. Net take-home depends on your tax code, pension contribution rate and any student loan — use the free take-home pay calculator for your own exact figure.
Do police officers get paid more in London?
Yes. Metropolitan Police and City of London Police officers receive a pensionable London Weighting of £3,024 plus a non-pensionable London Allowance of £5,338 — worth £8,362 a year on top of the national scale. Forces in the South East around London also pay a smaller regional allowance, typically £2,000–£3,000.
Do police officers get paid for overtime?
Constables and Sergeants are paid for overtime, usually at time-and-a-third or time-and-a-half for rest days. Inspector and above do not receive overtime pay and instead work under different conditioned-hours arrangements.
How much pension do police officers pay?
Officers on the 2015 Career Average (CARE) scheme contribute roughly 12–13% of salary, with the employer contributing a much larger amount on top — one of the most generous public sector pensions still running. Contribution bands rise slightly with salary.
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.