Police vs NHS Nurse Salary
Comparison
(UK 2026)
Base pay, NHS unsocial hours enhancements, police overtime rules, pension value and long-term earning ceiling compared.
Independent explanatory guidance. Not affiliated with the Home Office, NHS England or trade unions. Figures are indicative.
The Short Answer: Who Earns More?
In 2026, a top-scale Police Constable generally earns more in base salary than a Band 5 NHS Nurse and is broadly comparable to a Band 6 Nurse before enhancements are applied.
- However, NHS nurses receive structured unsocial hours enhancements as standard for nights and weekends under Agenda for Change. Police officers must work Regulation 26 overtime to significantly exceed their base pay.
- Police pensions are accessible notably earlier (unreduced at age 60), whereas NHS pensions are typically linked to the later State Pension Age under the 2015 scheme.
Decision Lens: If you prioritise predictable enhancements simply for working your rostered nights and weekends, NHS nursing offers highly structured additions. If you prioritise a higher hard-earning ceiling achieved through hourly overtime control and promotion, policing provides greater upside — but with significantly more volatility and risk.
Base Pay Structure (2026)
A comparison of pure base salary, excluding external enhancements, London Weighting, and overtime.
| Role | Entry | Top Scale | Structure | Progression Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police Constable (E&W) | ~£29,900 | £49,000+ | 7-point ladder | Automatic annual increments (subj. performance). |
| NHS Nurse (Band 5) | ~£28,000+ | ~£36,000+ | Agenda for Change | Time-based steps (e.g., 2 & 4 years). |
| NHS Nurse (Band 6) | ~£35,000+ | ~£46,000+ | Agenda for Change | Promotion to specialist / senior role required. |
Structural Baseline Insight
The Police Constable top scale significantly exceeds a Band 5 Nurse base salary. It takes a promotion to a Band 6 Nurse profile (Senior/Specialist) to begin approaching the top-end base pay of a standard non-promoted Police Constable. (Band 7+ extends significantly higher, but occupies a deeply managerial or advanced clinical sphere).
Enhancements vs Overtime
This represents the single largest divergence in how each profession practically approaches earnings beyond the baseline salary.
- Multipliers: Officers can be asked to work cancelled rest days at 1.5x, or public holidays at 2.0x time.
- Not Automatic: Unsocial hours elements for standard shift work are relatively low; serious money is only made by working *additional* hours beyond the roster.
- Volatility: Incredible earning potential, but subject to operational demand and unpredictable fatigue.
- Unsocial Enhancements: Nurses receive an automatic percentage uplift (e.g. +30% or +60%) simply for working their rostered night shifts, weekends, and bank holidays.
- Predictability: Because hospitals operate 24/7 on tight nurse-to-patient ratios, these enhancements form a highly predictable block of take-home pay every single month.
Worked Scenario Range
A Band 6 NHS Nurse working heavy night/weekend rotas can pull down an extra £5k–£8k+ a year in statutory enhancements. A Police Constable at the top scale could easily match that figure with overtime, but the structural difference is the Nurse earns it within their 37.5 hour working week; the Police Officer earns it by working 45–50+ hour weeks on cancelled days off.
Pension Comparison (A Critical Anchor)
Both professions guarantee immense long-term security via Defined Benefit (DB) schemes, completely detached from the volatility of private sector stock market DC plans.
| Scheme | Type | Retirement Age | Employee Contributions | Accrual Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police (2015 Scheme) | DB CARE | NPA 60 | High (12.44% - 13.78%) | 1/55.3 |
| NHS (2015 Scheme) | DB CARE | Linked to SPA | Tiered (e.g. 7.1% - 13.5%) | ~1/54th equivalent. |
The Verdict
Both are exceptionally strong schemes. The primary advantage of the Police pension is temporal: you can access it unreduced at age 60. The NHS pension forces a longer wait (State Pension Age, often 67/68+) to avoid stiff actuarial reductions, though it provides immense lifetime value.
Take-Home Reality
Gross salary headlines are only half the picture. Mandatory public sector deductions aggressively erode net pay.
A top-scale Police Constable (£49k+) working zero overtime faces a massive ~13.4% pension deduction before tax and NI. Their monthly take-home feels notably lower than private-sector equivalents on £49k.
A Band 6 Nurse earning roughly £42k (with regular unsocial hours factored in) will have a slightly lower percentage pension band deduction. Their net take-home is materially strong relative to the gross rate.
Workload & Risk Profile
Both professions orbit the epicenter of state crisis management, but the vectors of risk and accountability are distinct.
Police Exposure
- 24/7 Office of Constable duty status off-shift.
- High physical confrontation and public order risk.
- Arrest decision accountability and criminal liability.
- IOPC investigations and dismissal exposure.
Nurse Exposure
- Extreme clinical accountability and safeguarding.
- NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) registration risk.
- Intense emotional labour and patient mortality trauma.
- Grueling physical shift intensity on wards.
Career Ceiling
Rigid rank structures dictate earning potential. Sergeant (~£51k+), Inspector (~£60k+), and beyond. Promotions are highly competitive and radically shift daily duties from frontline incident response to mass resource management.
Nurses transition through Band 7 (Ward Managers), Band 8a/b (Matrons / Advanced Practitioners), into Director of Nursing roles. The runway for clinical specialisation (without abandoning the profession for pure management) is highly lucrative.
Balanced Verdict
At the baseline operational level (PC vs Band 5), policing possesses the higher base salary ceiling. However, senior NHS clinical leadership and advanced practitioner paths (Bands 8+) can equal or out-earn mid-tier police management ranks.
Quick Comparison Snapshot
Indicative only — non-financial modelling.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who earns more, police or nurses in the UK?
In pure base salary, a top-scale Police Constable (£49k+) earns more than a top-scale Band 5 NHS Nurse (~£36k+) and slightly more than a top-scale Band 6 Nurse (~£46k+). However, nurses receive structured unsocial hours enhancements that bridge this gap significantly.
What is Band 5 nurse salary in 2026?
An entry-level Band 5 NHS Nurse begins in the mid-£28,000s and progresses through Agenda for Change steps up to approximately £36,000+ at the top of the band (excluding London Weighting and unsocial hours enhancements).
Do nurses get paid more for nights?
Yes, under Agenda for Change, NHS Nurses receive structured unsocial hours enhancements. Night shifts, weekends, and public holidays trigger significant percentage uplifts (e.g., time plus 30% or 60% depending on band and timing).
Is police overtime better than NHS enhancements?
Police Regulation 26 overtime offers higher multipliers (1.33x, 1.5x, 2.0x) allowing for a higher absolute earning ceiling. However, NHS enhancements are paid automatically for rostered unsocial hours, whereas police overtime is unpredictable and reliant on operational demand.
Which pension is stronger, NHS or police?
Both are exceptional Defined Benefit CARE schemes. The Police pension offers highly valuable early drawdown at age 60 without reduction. The NHS 2015 scheme is typically linked to the State Pension Age (SPA), making it less advantageous for early retirement without actuarial reduction.
Is policing financially better than nursing?
Financially, a standard Police Constable generally has a higher base pay ceiling and greater overtime potential than a standard Band 5 or Band 6 Nurse. However, the legal exposure, shift volatility, and pension cost must be factored into the overall value proposition.
Which has better long-term earning potential?
For standard operational roles, policing has a higher base ceiling. However, nurses who progress into Band 7, 8a, and 8b management or advanced practitioner roles can significantly out-earn mid-level police ranks.
Do nurses earn more than police with enhancements?
A Band 6 NHS Nurse working an intensive roster of nights and weekends can match or exceed the take-home pay of a top-scale Police Constable who works zero overtime, largely due to the structural strength of NHS unsocial enhancements.