Chief Constable
Salary 2026
What chief constables, deputy and assistant chief constables and the Met and City of London chief officers are paid, by force group, from the official Home Office pay determination.
Short answer: how much does a chief constable earn?
A chief constable in England and Wales is paid a national spot salary set by force group: £188,656 (Group 3, most forces), £208,477 (Group 2) or £240,215 (Group 1: Greater Manchester, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Thames Valley) from 1 September 2025. A 3.5% rise applies from 1 September 2026; on our calculation that is about £195,259 to £248,623 until the official figures are published.
£188,656 / £208,477 / £240,215
£155,641 / £171,993 / £198,176
£125,188 to £141,050
£343,353 (highest UK police salary)
3.5% from 1 Sept 2026 (SSRB had recommended 3.7%)
Home Secretary, after SSRB advice (Annex F, Part 8)
Chief Constable Salary
by Force Group
The 41 forces outside London are placed in three pay groups. Every chief constable in a group is paid the same national spot salary, and the same applies to deputy chief constables.
Chief officer pay is not set locally. It is a national determination made by the Home Secretary under regulation 24 of the Police Regulations 2003 and published as Annex F, Part 8. Until 30 June 2024 chief constables and deputies were paid across twelve salary bands driven by each force's "force weighting"; that was replaced by the three groups below, phased in over two years and fully in place from 1 June 2025 (SSRB 2026 supplement, paras 7.198 to 7.199).
| Force group | Chief constable from 1 Sept 2025 | Chief constable 2026/27 (calculated) | Deputy chief constable from 1 Sept 2025 | DCC 2026/27 (calculated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | £240,215 | £248,623 | £198,176 | £205,112 |
| Group 2 | £208,477 | £215,774 | £171,993 | £178,013 |
| Group 3 | £188,656 | £195,259 | £155,641 | £161,088 |
Official figures: Annex F, Part 8 (Circular 011/2026), effective 1 September 2025. "Calculated" = official figure x 1.035, rounded to the nearest pound, for the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026 (HCWS264). The 2026/27 determination was not yet published at 30 September 2026, and official chief officer rates are normally rounded to a multiple of £3 for payroll (SSRB 2026 supplement, note 86), so final figures may differ by a pound or two. Excludes allowances.
Greater Manchester, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Thames Valley
Merseyside, Northumbria, Hampshire, Devon and Cornwall, Kent, Lancashire, Avon and Somerset, Essex, South Wales, South Yorkshire, Sussex
Nottinghamshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Hertfordshire, Humberside, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, West Mercia, Norfolk, Surrey, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Dorset, Durham, Gwent, North Yorkshire, North Wales, Northamptonshire, Suffolk, Wiltshire, Cumbria, Dyfed-Powys, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire
Three details that change the figure for some people
- Older DCC appointments. In Merseyside and Northumbria, a deputy chief constable appointed before 1 June 2024 keeps 82.6% of the chief constable's salary; in Nottinghamshire the figure is 82.7%. The new DCC rates apply to those appointed on or after 1 June 2024 (Annex F, Part 8, footnotes 1 and 2).
- The PCC 10% discretion has gone. From 1 September 2024 a police and crime commissioner can no longer set a new chief constable's salary up to 10% above or below the table rate. Appointments made before that date are not affected (Annex F, Part 8, note).
- Allowances are extra. The table is basic salary. The SSRB recommended that geographic and motor vehicle allowance increases for other ranks also apply to chief officers, and the government accepted that for 2025 (SSRB 2026 supplement, para 7.16).
Assistant Chief
Constable Salary
ACCs outside London and commanders in the Met and City of London share one national three-point scale. Unlike chief constables, it does not vary by force.
| ACC / Commander | From 1 Sept 2025 (official) | From 1 Sept 2026 (calculated, 3.5%) |
|---|---|---|
| Pay point 1 | £125,188 | £129,570 |
| Pay point 2 | £133,115 | £137,774 |
| Pay point 3 | £141,050 | £145,987 |
Source: Annex F, Part 8 (Circular 011/2026). Calculated column as explained above; not official until the 2026/27 determination is published.
What ACCs actually receive can differ from the scale. Home Office Police Earnings Census figures quoted by the SSRB give median basic pay for ACCs outside London of £123,152 in the year to March 2025, with median total earnings of £126,060. For commanders in London, median basic pay was £126,538 and total earnings £144,342, the gap mainly reflecting London pay elements (SSRB 2026 supplement, para 7.204). Those medians predate the 1 September 2025 rise.
Annex F also says that the pay progression standard condition about ongoing unsatisfactory performance or attendance procedures does not apply to ACCs and commanders (Part 1BA, paragraph 14). The SSRB reports that about 30% of ACCs and commanders were temporary appointees in February 2026 (para 7.196).
Met and City
of London Chief Officers
The two London forces have their own chief officer ranks and their own spot salaries in Annex F, separate from the three force groups.
| Rank | Force | From 1 Sept 2025 | 2026/27 (calculated) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | Metropolitan Police | £343,353 | £355,370 |
| Deputy Commissioner | Metropolitan Police | £283,846 | £293,781 |
| Assistant Commissioner | Metropolitan Police | £240,215 | £248,623 |
| Deputy Assistant Commissioner | Metropolitan Police | £198,176 | £205,112 |
| Commissioner | City of London Police | £213,253 | £220,717 |
| Deputy Commissioner (listed in Annex F as Assistant Commissioner) | City of London Police | £176,285 | £182,455 |
Source: Annex F, Part 8 (Circular 011/2026). The City of London rank of Assistant Commissioner was re-titled Deputy Commissioner from 1 January 2025 (SSRB 2026 supplement, Table 7.4). Met commanders are on the ACC/Commander scale above. Calculated column = x 1.035, not yet official.
The Met Assistant Commissioner is paid the same as a Group 1 chief constable, and the Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner the same as a Group 1 deputy chief constable; the SSRB describes these as the equivalent ranks (para 7.200). The Met Commissioner's salary has risen from £294,840 (September 2022) to £315,480 (September 2023), £330,465 (September 2024) and £343,353 (September 2025) (SSRB 2026 supplement, Table 7.12).
For the Commissioner's role, appointment and pay history in more depth, see our Met Commissioner salary guide.
Highest-Paid
Police Posts in the UK
Basic salary for the post, not any named individual. England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate pay systems and different pay dates.
Commissioner
Metropolitan Police Service
Deputy Commissioner
Metropolitan Police Service
Chief Constable
Police Scotland
Chief Constable
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Chief Constable, Group 1 / Met Assistant Commissioner
Greater Manchester, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Thames Valley; Met
Commissioner
City of London Police
The 2026 Award
and Recent Pay History
Chief officers received the same 3.5% as every other rank from 1 September 2026, below what their review body recommended.
For 2026/27 the Home Office proposed 2.5% for chief officers, the NPCC 3.5%, and the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association (CPOSA) at least 4.3% (SSRB 2026 supplement, paras 7.61 to 7.63). The SSRB recommended a consolidated 3.7% from 1 September 2026. On 15 July 2026 the Home Secretary announced 3.5% for all ranks and pay points from 1 September 2026, describing it as "the highest award that is manageable" within existing budgets (HCWS264).
The determination that will put the new figures into Annex F had not been published by 30 September 2026. That is why the 2026/27 figures on this page are labelled calculated. For context, the 2025 award for chief officers (3.9%) was not announced until 19 February 2026 and was backdated to 1 September 2025 (SSRB 2026 supplement, paras 6.13 to 6.15).
| From | Group 1 top rate | Group 2 top rate | Group 3 top rate | Met Commissioner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sept 2022 | £206,274 | £179,022 | £162,000 | £294,840 |
| 1 Sept 2023 | £220,713 | £191,553 | £173,340 | £315,480 |
| 1 Sept 2024 | £231,198 | £200,652 | £181,575 | £330,465 |
| 1 Sept 2025 | £240,215 | £208,477 | £188,656 | £343,353 |
| 1 Sept 2026 (calculated) | £248,623 | £215,774 | £195,259 | £355,370 |
Source: SSRB 2026 supplement, Tables 7.10 and 7.12. Before June 2024 the "top rate" is the rate for the highest-weighted force in what is now each group (weighting 10.0, 6.0 and 3.5); other forces in the group were paid less on the old twelve-band scale. The 2026 row is our calculation.
Who Sets
Chief Officer Pay
Two review bodies advise; the government decides; the Home Secretary's determination makes it law for every force.
The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) advises on pay for chief police officers (assistant chief constable or commander and above) in the 43 territorial forces of England and Wales and in the PSNI. The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) advises on constables to chief superintendents. Both report to the government, which decides the award; the Home Secretary then amends Annex F under regulation 24 of the Police Regulations 2003. The Police Federation does not negotiate chief officer pay; chief officers' own staff association, CPOSA, gives evidence to the SSRB.
| Feature | PRRB | SSRB |
|---|---|---|
| Ranks covered | Constable to chief superintendent | ACC/Commander and above (43 forces and PSNI) |
| 2026 recommendation | 3.9% | 3.7% |
| Government decision | 3.5% from 1 Sept 2026 | 3.5% from 1 Sept 2026 |
| Pay structure | Incremental pay points by rank | Spot salaries by force group (CC, DCC); 3 points (ACC) |
| Staff side giving evidence | Police Federation, Police Superintendents' Association | CPOSA (with the NPCC and APCC) |
The bodies look at different evidence. In 2025 the SSRB recommended 3.9% for chief officers while the other ranks received 4.2% (SSRB 2026 supplement, paras 6.15 to 6.16). In 2026 the recommendations were 3.7% and 3.9%, but the government applied 3.5% to everyone. The SSRB's 2026 evidence found chief officer posts being filled, but with shallow candidate pools: nine chief constable vacancies drew an applicant-to-hire ratio of 2.56 to 1, and a third of them had only one applicant (paras 7.29 and 7.65).
Chief Officer
Pensions
Chief officers are in the same police pension schemes as everyone else. What differs is how much of their service sits in the older final salary schemes.
The SSRB notes that, because of their long service, a large part of most chief officers' pensions is in the 1987 or 2006 schemes, and that transitional protection could have kept them in those schemes until 2022 (2026 supplement, para 7.214). Under the 1987 scheme, maximum benefits come at 30 years' service, worth two-thirds of final salary; under the 2006 scheme, at 35 years, worth half of final salary plus a lump sum of four times the pension (para 7.215). Service from 1 April 2022 is in the 2015 career average scheme, and the McCloud remedy affects how service between 2015 and 2022 is treated.
Every chief officer salary is above £79,588, so a chief officer in the 2015 scheme pays the top member contribution rate of 14.22% from 1 April 2026 (SI 2026/267). The NPCC told the SSRB that 91% of chief officers retire at 30 years' service, and the median total service in March 2025 was 29 years for chief constables (paras 7.36 to 7.37). The SSRB has asked for solutions to the "30 years, then done" effect of the 1987 scheme and to "retire and rehire" arrangements.
We do not quote a typical chief constable pension or a "capital value". The amount depends on each person's mix of schemes, service, final pay, commutation choices and remedy election, and none of that is published. Earlier versions of this page showed pension and capital figures we could not source; they have been removed.
Free tool: model your own police pension
If you are an officer weighing promotion or the 30-year point, the free core of our pension calculator models 2015 CARE and legacy scheme benefits and the McCloud remedy from your own figures. It is a model, not a statement from your pension administrator.
Appointment,
Fixed Terms and Removal
Chief constables and deputies serve fixed terms, and a PCC can call on a chief constable to retire or resign.
For the 41 forces outside London, the PCC is responsible for appointing, suspending and removing the chief constable under section 38 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. The chief constable appoints deputies and assistants after consulting the PCC (sections 39 and 40). The Met Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner are appointed by Royal Warrant on the Home Secretary's recommendation (sections 42 and 43). The City of London Commissioner is appointed by the Court of Common Council with the King's approval (SSRB 2026 supplement, paras 7.186 to 7.188).
Fixed terms
All chief officers except ACCs and commanders are appointed for a fixed term of up to five years, which may be extended by up to three years, then only one year at a time (SSRB para 7.190).
Eligibility
Permanent appointment requires the College of Policing's Executive Leadership Programme or its predecessors (Senior PNAC and the Strategic Command Course) (SSRB para 7.184).
The SSRB reports a median time in post of two years across chief officer ranks in March 2025, and 89 temporary appointments to chief officer posts in February 2026, about a third of the chief officer workforce (paras 7.36 and 7.196). There were 262.6 full-time equivalent chief officers in England and Wales at 31 March 2025, 0.18% of all officers; the Met had the most, at 45 (paras 7.192 to 7.195).
Chief Constable
vs Police and Crime Commissioner
The PCC holds the chief constable to account and can remove them, but the two roles are paid under different arrangements.
PCC salaries are also set by the government after SSRB advice. The SSRB reports that the government gave PCCs a 4.2% increase from 1 May 2025, and that from 2026/27 PCC salaries rise by the same percentage as chief officer base pay. The government has announced that the PCC role is to be abolished at the end of the current terms in 2028 (SSRB 2026 supplement, paras 6.17 to 6.18). We have not shown PCC salary amounts because we could not confirm the current figures from a primary source on the day of this update.
| Role | Pay from 1 Sept 2025 | Appointed by | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief constable (41 forces) | £188,656 to £240,215 | PCC (s.38 PRSRA 2011) | Fixed term, up to 5 years |
| Police and crime commissioner | Not shown (see note) | Elected | Role to end in 2028 (government announcement) |
| Met Commissioner | £343,353 | Royal Warrant (s.42 PRSRA 2011) | Fixed term |
What People
Get Wrong
"Chief constable pay is set locally by the PCC."
It is a national spot salary in Annex F, decided by the government after SSRB advice. The PCC's power to vary a new chief constable's pay by up to 10% was removed from 1 September 2024.
"Most chief constables earn £150,000 to £200,000."
The lowest chief constable rate from 1 September 2025 is £188,656 (Group 3). Group 2 is £208,477 and Group 1 £240,215.
"The Met Commissioner earns about £290,000."
That was out of date: the rate was £294,840 from September 2022 and is £343,353 from 1 September 2025.
"Chief officers got a bigger rise than constables in 2026."
Everyone received 3.5% from 1 September 2026. The SSRB had recommended 3.7% for chief officers and the PRRB 3.9% for other ranks.
"The 2026/27 figures are official."
Not yet. At 30 September 2026 the amended Annex F had not been published. Figures for 2026/27 here are our 3.5% calculation.
"Bigger forces always pay more."
Only between groups. Within a group every chief constable receives the same rate, so for example Cheshire and Warwickshire chief constables are both paid £188,656.
On the way up? Check your own pay first
Our free Police Salary Calculator covers constable to chief superintendent, the ranks most chief officers come through. It shows take-home pay after tax, National Insurance and pension contributions for your rank, pay point and force. It does not cover chief officer ranks, whose salaries are in the tables above.
What we could not verify
- The official 2026/27 chief officer salaries. The determination had not been published at 30 September 2026; our figures are the 2025/26 rates x 1.035 and may differ by a pound or two from the final £3-rounded rates.
- Whether any chief officer receives a bonus payment under Annex U paragraph 8, or any other payment beyond salary and standard allowances.
- Salaries of chief constables appointed before 1 September 2024 on a rate varied by their PCC under the old 10% discretion.
- Current PCC salaries, the PSNI chief officer award for 2026, and the British Transport Police chief constable's salary.
- Any individual's pension. Earlier versions of this page gave pension and capital values we could not source, and they have been removed.
Chief Officer Pay
Questions
Answers to the questions people search for most, each with its source.
How much does a chief constable earn?
From 1 September 2025 a chief constable in England and Wales (outside London) is paid one of three national spot salaries: £188,656 in Group 3 forces, £208,477 in Group 2 and £240,215 in Group 1 (Home Office Circular 011/2026, Annex F Part 8). A 3.5% rise applies from 1 September 2026; on our calculation that gives about £195,259, £215,774 and £248,623, pending the official determination.
What is the chief constable salary in the UK?
It depends on the force and the country. In England and Wales it is £188,656 to £240,215 from 1 September 2025, by force group. The Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable was paid £251,289 from 1 September 2025 (SSRB 2026 supplement, Table 7.5). Police Scotland's chief constable is paid £281,522 from 1 April 2026 (Police Scotland pay and grading page). Each country decides its own award.
How much does a deputy chief constable earn?
From 1 September 2025 a deputy chief constable appointed on or after 1 June 2024 is paid £155,641 (Group 3), £171,993 (Group 2) or £198,176 (Group 1). In Merseyside, Northumbria and Nottinghamshire, a DCC appointed before 1 June 2024 keeps 82.6% or 82.7% of the chief constable's salary under the Annex F footnotes. Our calculated 2026/27 figures (3.5%) are £161,088, £178,013 and £205,112.
How much does an assistant chief constable (ACC) earn?
Assistant chief constables, and commanders in the Met and City of London, have a three-point national scale: £125,188, £133,115 and £141,050 from 1 September 2025 (Annex F Part 8). With the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026, our calculation is £129,570, £137,774 and £145,987. Home Office earnings data quoted by the SSRB put median ACC basic pay outside London at £123,152 in 2024/25.
Which chief constable is paid the most?
Among the 41 forces outside London, the four Group 1 forces (Greater Manchester, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Thames Valley) pay the highest chief constable salary, £240,215 from 1 September 2025. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, a separate rank, is paid £343,353, the highest police salary in the UK.
How much does the Met Commissioner earn?
£343,353 a year from 1 September 2025 (Annex F Part 8). The 3.5% award from 1 September 2026 would take it to about £355,370 on our calculation; the official 2026/27 figure had not been published at 30 September 2026. The Met Deputy Commissioner is paid £283,846.
Who sets chief constable pay?
The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) recommends pay for chief officer ranks in England and Wales; the government decides, and the Home Secretary gives effect to it in a determination under regulation 24 of the Police Regulations 2003 (Annex F). For 2026 the SSRB recommended 3.7% and the government awarded 3.5% from 1 September 2026 (written statement HCWS264, 15 July 2026).
Can a police and crime commissioner set the chief constable's salary?
Not any more. Annex F records that from 1 September 2024 the discretion for a PCC to set a chief constable's salary on appointment up to 10% above or below the table rate was removed. Appointments made before that date are not affected, so a small number of serving chief constables may still be on a varied rate.
Do chief constables get bonuses?
Annex F sets a fixed salary for each chief officer post with no performance-related element. Separately, Annex U paragraph 8 lets a chief officer award a one-off payment of £50 to £2,000 to a member of their force for outstandingly demanding, unpleasant or important work. The SSRB noted in 2026 that bonus provisions are used inconsistently. We could not confirm whether chief officers themselves receive such payments.
Are chief officers on fixed-term contracts?
Yes, except assistant chief constables and commanders. The SSRB's 2026 supplement says the initial fixed term may be up to five years, may be extended by a further three years, and after that only by one year at a time. A PCC appoints, suspends and removes a chief constable under section 38 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.
Did chief constables get the 2026 pay rise?
Yes. The government awarded 3.5% to all ranks and pay points, including chief officers, from 1 September 2026, against the SSRB's recommended 3.7% (HCWS264). The amended Annex F with the new figures had not been published at 30 September 2026, so any figure for 2026/27 is a calculation until it is.
What pension does a chief constable get?
The same police pension schemes as other officers. The SSRB says chief officers who joined before April 2006 are likely to be the majority, so much of their pension is in the 1987 scheme (up to two-thirds of final pay after 30 years) for service to 31 March 2022, with later service in the 2015 career average scheme. The SSRB reports the NPCC's view that 91% of chief officers retire at 30 years' service. Individual amounts vary and are not published here.
How much does a British Transport Police chief constable earn?
British Transport Police is not one of the 43 forces in Annex F, so its chief constable's pay is not set by the table on this page. We could not verify the current BTP figure from a primary source; the British Transport Police Authority is the body to check.
Sources
- Home Office Circular 011/2026: Annexes F, U and DA, Police Regulations 2003 (31 July 2026) Annex F Part 8: every chief constable, DCC, ACC/Commander, Met and City of London salary from 1 September 2025, the force groups, the DCC footnotes and the removal of the PCC 10% discretion. Annex U paragraph 8: bonus payments.
- Written ministerial statement HCWS264, Police workforce (15 July 2026) SSRB recommended 3.7% for chief officer ranks; government awarded 3.5% to all ranks and pay points from 1 September 2026.
- Supplement to the Senior Salaries Review Body Report 2026 (Report no. 101, CP 1641, July 2026) Pay history Tables 7.10 to 7.14, PSNI salaries (Table 7.5), appointment and fixed-term rules (paras 7.184 to 7.190), workforce and vacancy data, pension context (paras 7.37, 7.214 to 7.215), bonus payments (paras 7.112 to 7.113), PCC pay (paras 6.17 to 6.18).
- Police Remuneration Review Body, Twelfth Report on England and Wales 2026 (CP 1629) The 3.9% recommendation for ranks up to chief superintendent, for comparison with chief officer pay.
- Remit letter to the SSRB for chief police officers: 2026 to 2027 (19 February 2026) Confirms the SSRB's remit for chief police officer pay in England and Wales.
- The Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/267) 2015 scheme member contribution of 14.22% on pensionable pay of £79,588 or more from 1 April 2026.
- Police Scotland, pay and grading structure Police Scotland chief constable salary £281,522 from 1 April 2026 (read 1 October 2026).
- Police Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/527), regulation 24 The power under which the Home Secretary determines police pay, including chief officer pay.
All sources read on 1 October 2026. Figures are basic salary unless stated. This page explains published pay rules; it is not financial, pension or employment advice.
Related
Pay Guides
For constable to chief superintendent pay, including the 2026/27 figures after the 3.5% award, see the police pay scales guide.
Police Pay Scales 2026 →How the 2026/27 award was reached, what the PRRB recommended and what happens next.
Police Pay Rise 2026/27 →What the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association does and how chief officers are represented.
CPOSA explained →How the pay review process works, from remit letter to government decision.
Pay award process explained →The full rank structure, from constable to chief constable, with what each rank does.
Police ranks guide →