Police Jobs
Worth Taking
Every UK police vacancy we can verify — with the one thing no job board tells you: what the job actually pays where you're applying, after allowances, tax and pension.
Which police forces are recruiting? The short answer
On 1 October 2026 the national joining the police website listed 27 of the 43 forces in England and Wales as recruiting police constables through at least one entry route, and 16 as not currently recruiting constables. Police staff, PCSO and special constable jobs are advertised separately on each force's own site, so the board further down shows more than officer intakes.
Read from joiningthepolice.co.uk (national police recruitment site) on 1 October 2026. Forces open and close routes at short notice, so treat this as a dated reading and confirm on the live national list or the force's own site. This table disappears from the page automatically once the reading is more than five weeks old.
68
live vacancies we can read
5
forces with a readable job feed
6
forces confirmed recruiting
Last checked today. We check every force twice a day and show you exactly where each answer came from.
Showing 43 of 43 forces
West Midlands Police
Read from West Midlands Police's own job board, today.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
South Yorkshire Police
Read from South Yorkshire Police's own job board, today.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
North Yorkshire Police
From North Yorkshire Police's own job board — 5 of 10 shown, checked today.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Cleveland Police
From Cleveland Police's own job board — 4 of 8 shown, checked today.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Greater Manchester Police
Read from Greater Manchester Police's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Avon and Somerset Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Bedfordshire Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£34,325
incl. £2,070 allowances
≈ £2,076/mo take-home
Cambridgeshire Constabulary
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Cheshire Constabulary
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Cumbria Constabulary
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Derbyshire Constabulary
Read from Derbyshire Constabulary's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Devon and Cornwall Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Dorset Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Durham Constabulary
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Dyfed-Powys Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Essex Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£35,360
incl. £3,105 allowances
≈ £2,138/mo take-home
Gloucestershire Constabulary
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Gwent Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Hampshire Constabulary
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£34,325
incl. £2,070 allowances
≈ £2,076/mo take-home
Hertfordshire Constabulary
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£35,360
incl. £3,105 allowances
≈ £2,138/mo take-home
Humberside Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Kent Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£35,360
incl. £3,105 allowances
≈ £2,138/mo take-home
Leicestershire Police
Read from Leicestershire Police's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Lincolnshire Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Metropolitan Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£42,334
incl. £10,079 allowances
≈ £2,528/mo take-home
Norfolk Constabulary
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
North Wales Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Northamptonshire Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Northumbria Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Nottinghamshire Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
South Wales Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Staffordshire Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Suffolk Constabulary
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Surrey Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£35,360
incl. £3,105 allowances
≈ £2,138/mo take-home
Sussex Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£34,325
incl. £2,070 allowances
≈ £2,076/mo take-home
Thames Valley Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£35,360
incl. £3,105 allowances
≈ £2,138/mo take-home
Warwickshire Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
West Mercia Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
West Yorkshire Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Wiltshire Police
This force's recruitment system blocks automated checks, so we can't read it directly.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
City of London Police
Read from City of London Police's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£42,334
incl. £10,079 allowances
≈ £2,528/mo take-home
Lancashire Constabulary
Read from Lancashire Constabulary's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£32,255
national scale
≈ £1,952/mo take-home
Where every answer comes from
Most recruitment trackers show a green tick and hope. We would rather show you the working, because a wrong "open" costs you an application window and costs us your trust. Every card on this page carries one of four labels.
Live vacancy feed
We read the force's own job board directly and list every advert on it, with real posting and closing dates. This is the strongest evidence we can offer, and it's the only tier we submit to Google as a structured job posting.
Careers page reading
The force's careers page is readable but has no machine-readable job list. We can tell you which routes they mention and whether the page says they're open — not a list of individual adverts.
Checked by our team
A person opened the force's site and recorded what they saw, with the date. These checks expire after three weeks rather than sitting there looking current, because a month-old note isn't evidence of anything.
Can't verify
Some recruitment platforms deliberately block automated access. We don't work around that — we say we can't see it and send you straight to the force's own site. It's the honest answer, and it's the only one we're willing to give.
Right now we can read 5 forces' job boards directly, giving 68 individual adverts with real closing dates. The rest are covered by page readings and human checks. Applications always complete on the force's own system — we never take an application, and we're not paid per click.
Browse by entry route
Which route you can use depends mostly on whether you already have a degree, and whether you're already serving.
PCEP
Police Constable Entry Programme
A two-year, non-degree route to becoming a police constable, delivered by the force. Forces can choose to accredit it with a level 5 professional policing qualification.
PCDA
Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship
A three-year apprenticeship where you are paid as a constable while completing a degree in professional policing practice, delivered by the force with a university.
DHEP
Degree Holder Entry Programme
A two-year route for people who already hold a degree in any subject, leading to a graduate diploma in professional policing practice paid for by the force.
Detective
Detective Entry Routes
Detective pathways built on the constable entry routes: a detective degree holder entry programme for graduates and, in some forces, a detective police constable entry programme that usually needs no degree.
Transferee
Transferee (Serving Officers)
A move for officers already serving in another force, keeping rank, pay point and pension scheme membership.
Rejoiner
Rejoiners (Former Officers)
A route back for former officers who completed constable probation and resigned or retired, appointed at a rank the chief officer decides.
Specials
Special Constable
A volunteer police officer with the same powers as a regular officer, giving a minimum number of hours each month alongside other work.
PCSO
Police Community Support Officer
A paid, uniformed, non-warranted role focused on neighbourhood policing, visibility and community engagement.
Staff
Police Staff
Civilian roles inside a force: control room, custody, investigation, forensics, analysis, finance, HR and digital.
Browse by region
Which force pays most to start?
The constable pay scale is national, so the base figure is identical everywhere. The gap between forces is entirely regional allowances — worth up to £10,079 a year on day one.
| Force | Starting salary |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan Police London | £42,334 |
| City of London Police London | £42,334 |
| Essex Police East of England | £35,360 |
| Hertfordshire Constabulary East of England | £35,360 |
| Kent Police South East | £35,360 |
| Surrey Police South East | £35,360 |
| Thames Valley Police South East | £35,360 |
| Bedfordshire Police East of England | £34,325 |
| Every other force National scale, no supplement | £32,255 |
Recruitment alerts
Get told when forces open applications
Recruitment windows open and close without much notice, and the entry rules change from time to time. Leave your email and we will tell you when forces open applications and when the entry rules change. Occasional emails, written by hand. Unsubscribe any time.
Sent by a person when there is news, not on a schedule. Unsubscribe any time. See our privacy policy.
Common questions
Which police forces are recruiting right now? +
On 1 October 2026 the national joining the police website listed 27 of the 43 forces in England and Wales as recruiting police constables through at least one entry route; the table on this page shows which routes at which force. Our own tracker reads force job boards twice a day and currently confirms 6 forces advertising roles of some kind, most of them police staff posts. Windows open and close often, so check the force's own site before applying.
How do I find police jobs near me? +
Police officers are employed by the force that covers the area, so start with the force for where you live or want to work: the national joining the police website has a postcode search, and our region pages group the forces by area. Commuting matters because new officers are posted where the force needs them, anywhere in its area.
Is police recruitment open in 2026? +
Yes, but force by force rather than nationally. There is no single national intake: each force opens its own routes and closes them when it has enough applicants. In the year to 31 March 2026, 8,872 full-time equivalent officers joined the 43 forces, excluding transfers, according to the Home Office.
Do you need a degree to become a police officer? +
No. The police constable degree apprenticeship (PCDA) and the police constable entry programme (PCEP) are for people without a degree; the Home Office qualification list lets forces accept a level 3 qualification such as two A levels, or equivalent experience. Graduates can use the degree holder entry programme (DHEP).
How is this different from a normal job board? +
Two things. First, we tell you what the job pays where you are applying — the national advert figure is identical almost everywhere, but the allowance on top is not, and no advert tells you what actually reaches your account after the pension contribution. Second, we tell you where every status came from: a live feed, a page reading, or a person checking. A job board shows you a green tick either way.
Do you have every police vacancy in the UK? +
No, and we would rather say so. Around a third of forces run recruitment on systems that block automated reading — Oleeo's tal.net platform serves an anti-bot challenge and the shared police.uk careers CMS refuses automated requests. For those forces we show a human-verified status and link you straight to their own site, rather than inventing a vacancy list.
Does this cover Police Scotland or the PSNI? +
Not yet. This board covers the 43 Home Office forces of England and Wales. Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland recruit on entirely separate terms and pay scales — our Scottish pay guide covers those figures.
How often is it updated? +
Every force is checked twice a day, at 6am and 2pm UK time. Each card shows when it was last checked and what the check was based on. If something has not been checked recently, the card says that instead of showing a stale status.
All 43 forces, A–Z
Recruiting for a force?
Every force on this board gets a free monthly summary of how many candidates viewed their jobs, which routes those candidates filtered for, and how many clicked through to their own system. Aggregate numbers only — no candidate personal data.