How police overtime pay works in the UK
This page explains common overtime patterns you’ll see in policing and why your take-home can differ from the headline number. It’s a guide, not official policy.
Common multipliers
Overtime is usually paid as an enhanced hourly rate. These presets are common:
- Planned / unplanned OT: commonly 1.33× (varies by policy)
- Rest day working: commonly 1.5×
- Public holiday working: often 2.0×
- Custom: set your own multiplier if your force differs
Why take-home can be lower
Extra earnings can be taxed at your marginal rate depending on your total income. NI applies in bands, and pension (if selected) reduces net pay.
What the calculator does
It estimates gross overtime and (optionally) a rough net figure using region-specific tax and NI rules. It runs in your browser — we don’t store your inputs.
- Gross: hourly × hours × multiplier
- Hourly helper: annual ÷ (52 × weekly hours)
- Region: England/Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Related guides
Useful pages people usually visit next.
FAQs
? What formula does the calculator use? +
Gross overtime is estimated as: hourly rate × hours × multiplier. The hourly rate can be entered directly or estimated from salary using: annual salary ÷ (52 × weekly hours).
? Is the tax estimate exact? +
No. It’s a simplified estimate based on marginal tax bands and an NI approximation for extra earnings. Payroll can differ based on tax code, pension scheme, prior earnings, and how overtime is processed.
? Why do you ask for region (England/Wales, Scotland, NI)? +
Income tax bands differ in Scotland, and NI is calculated differently for Northern Ireland compared with Great Britain. Selecting the right region makes the estimate more realistic.
? Does it store my data? +
No. Calculations run in your browser. We don’t store salary or overtime inputs.
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