Police Staff Pay Scales
2026/27, Explained
The short answer
There is a national police staff pay spine: Police Staff Council points 9 to 45, worth £24,747 to £60,912 from 1 September 2025. As at 2 November 2026 no 2026/27 spine has been agreed, so these are still the current national figures. Your force decides which points your grade uses, so the spine alone will not tell you your exact salary.
Status last checked 2 November 2026
The two-layer system
The pay spine and the annual award
The Police Staff Council (employers' side: APCC, NPCC and the Home Office; trade union side: UNISON, GMB and Unite) keeps one national pay spine of numbered points. Each year it negotiates an award, normally effective from 1 September, that moves every point. The handbook says the negotiators must have regard to pay elsewhere in the public sector and the economy, RPI, recruitment and retention, and police funding.
Your force's own grades
Each force decides its grades through job evaluation and maps each grade to a single point or a range of points on the spine. Shift, unsocial-hours and other allowances are added on top, and the handbook's terms can be varied by local collective agreement. That is why the same job title can pay differently in two forces.
The PSC pay spine: current figures
Annual salaries effective from 1 September 2025, from PSC Joint Circular 142 (Appendix I). The circular notes that for payroll purposes each point is rounded up to a figure divisible by three. Monthly and hourly columns are our arithmetic: monthly is annual ÷ 12, and hourly is an approximate figure for a 37-hour week (annual × 7 ÷ 365 ÷ 37, the conversion that matches the union claim's own £15-an-hour figure). These are basic pay only, before allowances, tax, National Insurance and pension.
| Point (SCP) | Annual from 1 Sep 2025 | Monthly (gross) | Approx. hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | £24,747 | £2,062 | £12.83 |
| 10 | £25,242 | £2,104 | £13.08 |
| 11 | £25,713 | £2,143 | £13.33 |
| 12 | £26,196 | £2,183 | £13.58 |
| 13 | £26,703 | £2,225 | £13.84 |
| 14 | £27,204 | £2,267 | £14.10 |
| 15 | £28,071 | £2,339 | £14.55 |
| 16 | £28,914 | £2,410 | £14.99 |
| 17 | £29,859 | £2,488 | £15.48 |
| 18 | £30,333 | £2,528 | £15.72 |
| 19 | £30,897 | £2,575 | £16.01 |
| 20 | £31,749 | £2,646 | £16.46 |
| 21 | £32,613 | £2,718 | £16.90 |
| 22 | £33,603 | £2,800 | £17.42 |
| 23 | £34,662 | £2,889 | £17.97 |
| 24 Overtime bar | £35,772 | £2,981 | £18.54 |
| 25 | £37,020 | £3,085 | £19.19 |
| 26 | £38,169 | £3,181 | £19.78 |
| 27 | £39,276 | £3,273 | £20.36 |
| 28 | £40,383 | £3,365 | £20.93 |
| 29 | £41,487 | £3,457 | £21.50 |
| 30 | £42,612 | £3,551 | £22.09 |
| 31 | £43,668 | £3,639 | £22.63 |
| 32 | £44,700 | £3,725 | £23.17 |
| 33 | £45,765 | £3,814 | £23.72 |
| 34 | £47,046 | £3,921 | £24.39 |
| 35 | £48,459 | £4,038 | £25.12 |
| 36 | £49,716 | £4,143 | £25.77 |
| 37 | £50,949 | £4,246 | £26.41 |
| 38 | £52,194 | £4,350 | £27.05 |
| 39 | £53,451 | £4,454 | £27.71 |
| 40 | £54,696 | £4,558 | £28.35 |
| 41 | £55,944 | £4,662 | £29.00 |
| 42 | £57,186 | £4,766 | £29.64 |
| 43 | £58,431 | £4,869 | £30.29 |
| 44 | £59,664 | £4,972 | £30.93 |
| 45 | £60,912 | £5,076 | £31.57 |
Points above 45 that forces have built under the handbook were also increased by 4.2% from 1 September 2025. Source: PSC Joint Circular 142.
Is there a 2026/27 spine yet?
Not nationally, as at 2 November 2026. The unions claimed 9% or £2,700 (whichever is greater) from 1 September 2026. Talks met on 19 August and were adjourned; the 10 September session was postponed; on 1 October 2026 GMB told members that negotiations "have been taking place and are ongoing"; on 9 October it said there was "no substantive update"; and on 29 October UNISON's West Midlands Police branch said negotiations had resumed in the week commencing 26 October. No employers' offer, ballot or joint circular has been published, so there are no 2026/27 spine figures to show. When a joint circular is issued, this table will be updated from it.
Dated timeline: police staff pay rise 2026 tracker. What different percentages would be worth on your point: police staff pay rise calculator (scenarios, not a forecast).
Police Staff Back Pay Report
No award agreed (checked 2 November 2026)Your back pay on your own pay, for every possible rise
Pick your spine point, hours, region and the payslip the rise might reach. See your own back pay for one scenario free. The full report covers five scenarios: back pay before and after tax, your new monthly and yearly pay and what it does to your pension.
Pension6.5% LGPS main section band for your pay
LGPS England and Wales bands from 1 April 2026, set on your actual pay (source).
Free preview: if staff got 3.5%, the same as officers
Scenario, not an agreed awardYour back pay in the January 2027 payslip, before tax:
£354
4 months (September 2026 to December 2026) on your full-time pay of £30,333 a year. Assumes the rise is backdated to 1 September 2026, as last year's was. Nothing is agreed.
2026 figures forces have published
Only figures we read on a force's own website, with its date. A force's own figures are not the national settlement. As at 2 November 2026 this is the only force publication of 2026 staff pay we found.
| Force | Role | Published figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thames Valley Police 1 Sep 2026 · source | PCSO | £34,092 to £35,512 | Salary depends on shift pattern and location |
| Thames Valley Police 1 Sep 2026 · source | Contact Management (emergency call handlers) | £40,945 | Starting salary |
| Thames Valley Police 1 Sep 2026 · source | Detention Officer | £37,484 | Includes all unsocial hours allowances on qualifying shifts |
Thames Valley's post says staff "will also benefit from a 3.5% pay increase" from 1 September 2026, written in line with the officer announcement. Not stated. The post does not mention the Police Staff Council or any national staff agreement, and we found no PSC circular or union statement for a 2026/27 staff award. Not stated (no payslip month or arrears information). More on roles: PCSO pay, 999 call handler pay, custody detention officer pay.
Why this matters for you
Because grading is local, the same job title in two forces can sit on different points: one force's "Band D" is not necessarily another force's. National news about "the 2026/27 police staff pay rise" will tell you the percentage that moves the spine, not your exact number, because your number depends on the point you are already on.
Officers are different: "Constable, pay point 4" means the same basic salary in every force in England and Wales, before London and South East allowances. If someone quotes one figure for "police staff pay" everywhere, check whether they mean a spine point, a single force's grade, or a starting salary that includes allowances.
Who is not on the national spine
| Group | How pay is set | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Police staff | Negotiated with the Met, outside the Police Staff Council. 2025/26: 4.2% uplift and a £900 one-off payment accepted in January 2026, with talks on 2026-27 increases to follow. No 2026/27 settlement found as at 2 November 2026. Met staff recruitment pages describe Civil Service pension arrangements rather than the LGPS. | Joint Circular 142 copy line; PCS, 28 Jan 2026 |
| Police Scotland staff | Separate Scottish arrangements; not covered by the England and Wales Police Staff Council. | Joint Circular 142 copy line |
| Other forces outside the Council | A 2010 trade union side submission named City of London, Surrey and Kent (as well as the Met) as outside the Council. We could not confirm whether that is still the case, so ask your HR whether national awards apply to your contract. | PSC trade union side submission (2010) |
The Point 24 overtime bar
The handbook's rates for additional hours over an average 37-hour week (plain time on weekday days, time and a half on weekday nights and weekends, double time on public holidays) apply to staff paid at or below point 24, currently £35,772. Above that point, extra hours depend on local arrangements, except call-outs, where the handbook lifts the restriction.
UNISON says the bar was set in 1996. Because it is a spine point, it moves up with each award; the unions' 2026 claim asks for it to be removed so that all staff can be paid overtime at premium rates. See the 2026 pay rise guide for where the negotiation stands.
Free calculator · Police Staff mode
Turn your spine point into take-home pay
Enter the salary for your point, plus your hours, and the calculator works out tax, National Insurance and LGPS pension, and flags whether you sit above the Point 24 overtime bar.
What we could not verify
- Which forces are currently outside the Police Staff Council besides the Met. A 2010 trade union side submission to the Winsor review named the Met, City of London, Surrey and Kent as outside; we could not confirm whether that list is still accurate in 2026.
- Whether Thames Valley Police's 3.5% for staff is a local decision, a payment on account or linked to a national deal. The force's post does not say.
- Any force's payroll date for 2026/27 staff pay. We found no force statement giving one.
- How each force maps PCSO, call handler and detention officer grades onto the spine. These tables are local and mostly not published in a comparable form.
Common questions
What are the police staff pay scales for 2026?
For forces covered by the Police Staff Council, the national pay spine runs from point 9 (£24,747) to point 45 (£60,912). Those are the figures effective from 1 September 2025 (Joint Circular 142). As at 2 November 2026 no 2026/27 spine has been agreed, so they are still the current national figures. Your force decides which points your grade uses.
Is there a national police staff pay scale like there is for officers?
Partly. There is one national pay spine of numbered points, set by the Police Staff Council and uplifted each year by the national award. What is not national is the grading: the PSC handbook says each employee's basic pay is a single point or a scale of points 'selected from the national spine', and the handbook's terms can be varied by local collective agreement. So two forces can pay the same job title from different points. Officers, by contrast, have one national rank-and-pay-point scale.
Has the police staff pay spine gone up in 2026?
Not nationally, as at 2 November 2026. The unions' claim asks for a rise from 1 September 2026. No employers' offer, ballot or joint circular has been published. On 29 October 2026 UNISON's West Midlands Police branch told members there was "no substantive update" on the Police Staff Council negotiations, which resumed in the week commencing 26 October. In 2025 the 4.2% award took effect from 1 September 2025 but was confirmed by joint circular only on 3 November 2025. Arrears were paid afterwards.
What is PCSO pay in 2026?
There is no single national PCSO rate. In Police Staff Council forces a PCSO grade sits on points of the national spine, plus any shift and unsocial-hours allowances the force pays. The only 2026 PCSO figures we found on a force's own site are Thames Valley Police's: £34,092 to £35,512 from 1 September 2026, depending on shift pattern and location (published 1 Sep 2026). Other forces' figures will differ.
How much does a police call handler earn in 2026?
It depends on the force and the grade. The only 2026 figure we could verify on a force's own site is Thames Valley Police: £40,945 for Contact Management (emergency call handlers) from 1 September 2026. Job adverts elsewhere may still show 2025/26 rates while the national award is unsettled, so check the date on any figure.
Why do different forces pay police staff differently for similar roles?
Because each force designs its own grading structure: job evaluation, grade boundaries and which spine points each grade uses are set force by force. The PSC handbook recommends that employers adopt an analytical job evaluation scheme by local agreement and publishes one. Two forces can apply the same national percentage award and still pay a similar role differently because their grades start from different points, and shift or unsocial-hours allowances add more variation.
Are Metropolitan Police staff on the PSC pay spine?
No. The Met is outside the Police Staff Council: Joint Circular 142 was copied to 'Scotland and MPS (for information only)', and the handbook's advisory role on general police staff questions excludes the Metropolitan Police. Met staff pay is negotiated with the Met. PCS reported on 28 January 2026 that its Met members accepted a 4.2% uplift and a commitment to talks on consolidated increases for 2026-27; we found no 2026/27 Met staff settlement as at 2 November 2026.
How do I find out what my actual pay grade and point are?
Your payslip, contract or job description shows your grade and, usually, your spinal column point (SCP). Your force's HR or intranet will have the grade-to-point table. That local table is the definitive answer; this page only shows the national spine it is built from.
Does the Point 24 overtime bar apply across all grades?
It is tied to a spine point rather than a grade name. The handbook's rates for additional hours apply to staff "paid at or below point 24 of the national salary spine" (£35,772 from 1 September 2025). Above that point, extra hours are a matter for local arrangements, except call-outs, where the handbook lifts the restriction. Because it is a pay point, the bar rises with each award. Removing it is part of the 2026 union claim.
When does the 2026/27 pay award actually reach my payslip?
Only after the Police Staff Council settles and your own force puts it through payroll: two separate steps with their own timing. Last year forces paid in the November or December 2025 runs with arrears back to 1 September. See the pay rise tracker for the dated status and the back pay explainer for how arrears are worked out.
Why does a job advert show a different salary from this spine?
Adverts often quote a grade range, or a figure that includes shift, unsocial-hours or location allowances, and some are older than the latest award. A force that has published its own 2026 figures (as Thames Valley did on 1 September 2026) may also be ahead of the national round. Compare the base salary with the spine points, and check the advert's date.
Sources (checked 2 November 2026)
- PSC Joint Circular 142, pay award 2025-26 and pay spine (3 November 2025) : The current spine figures and the 'Scotland and MPS (for information only)' copy line.
- Police Staff Council handbook (copy posted by UNISON Merseyside Police branch, 21 May 2026) : Scope, pay spine rule, point 24 overtime rule, pay-setting factors.
- LGA, EMP circular 1/2026, police staff pay 2026 (9 April 2026; read via web.archive.org) : The claim and the 1 September 2026 settlement date.
- UNISON West Midlands Police branch, Police Staff Pay Talks (29 October 2026) : Negotiations resumed in the week commencing 26 October; no substantive update; members to be balloted once a final offer is received.
- GMB, police force staff page (talks updates 1 and 9 October 2026) : Ongoing on 1 October; no substantive update on 9 October.
- UNISON, police staff pay claim 2026 (10 April 2026) : Claim details and the 1996 origin of the overtime bar.
- Thames Valley Police careers, updated pay scales effective 1 September 2026 : Force-published PCSO, call handler and detention officer figures.
- PCS, Met Police members accept improved offer (28 January 2026) : Met staff pay is negotiated locally; 2026-27 talks commitment.
- Police Staff Council trade union side submission to the Winsor review (2010, GOV.UK) : Historical list of forces outside the Council; may be out of date.
The LGA website, which hosts Police Staff Council circulars, blocks automated reading; where we relied on it we used an archived copy or a union-published copy of the same document. General information, not financial advice.