Can I Afford to Join the Police?
Your take-home now against a new constable's, the monthly gap, how quickly it closes and what to put aside before you start. Nothing you enter is saved or sent.
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Can I afford to join the police?
Your pay now against a new constable’s take-home from 1 September 2026, the monthly gap and how quickly it closes.
The short answer
A new constable on point 1 earns £32,255 from 1 September 2026, about £1,925 a month after the pension, tax, National Insurance and Federation subscription. Pay normally rises one point a year, so any gap with your pay now narrows each year. London and some South East forces add allowances.
Figures for 2026/27, England and Wales. Last reviewed 21 October 2026.
Constable pay for the first four years
Everyone joining now is on the 7-point constable scale. Constables normally move up one pay point a year on their increment date; since 1 April 2023 that also depends on meeting the pay progression standard, which includes completing an annual PDR and not being subject to formal performance action. A chief officer may start new constables on point 2 to meet local recruitment needs.
| Pay point | Basic pay a year | Take-home a month (no allowance) |
|---|---|---|
| Point 1 | £32,255 | £1,925 |
| Point 2 | £33,609 | £1,995 |
| Point 3 | £34,972 | £2,065 |
| Point 4 | £36,335 | £2,135 |
Take-home includes the police pension, income tax, National Insurance and the Federation subscription; no student loan, overtime or unsocial hours payments.
How the calculator works
- Constable pay. The 2025/26 national scale from the Police Remuneration Review Body's 11th report plus the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026, rounded to the nearest pound.
- Location payments. London Weighting £3,260 plus the London Allowance up to £6,819 for the Met and the City of London Police; the South East Allowance up to £3,105 or £2,070. These are the maximum rates in Annex U raised by the 3.5% the Government applied from 1 September 2026; forces can pay less. London Weighting is pensionable; the two allowances are not, so the pension is worked out on basic pay plus London Weighting only.
- Deductions. 2026/27 income tax and National Insurance for England and Wales, the police pension at the 2026/27 member rate (taken before tax), student and postgraduate loans as payroll collects them and, if ticked, the Federation subscription. Scotland has different tax bands and its own police pay.
- Your pay now. Either the monthly take-home you enter, or your gross salary with the same tax, National Insurance and student loan rules and your own pension percentage taken off before tax.
- Employer pension. 35.3% of pensionable pay, the scheme-wide rate for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027. It is shown as value you do not see in your take-home, not as a valuation of your pension.
- Not included. Overtime, on-call and unsocial hours payments, future pay awards, other benefits and tax relief on the Federation subscription (claimable from HMRC; the Met gives it through payroll). The London figure for point 2 is £43,688 gross, of which £36,869 is pensionable.
Related guides and tools
- Career change into the police What changes when you leave another job to join.
- Police starting salary 2026 Pay points, allowances and the first five years.
- Police salary calculator Every rank and force, with overtime and allowances.
- Joining from the armed forces Service leavers and the police recruitment routes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a new police constable take home a month?
A constable on pay point 1 earns £32,255 a year from 1 September 2026. After the police pension (12.88%), income tax, National Insurance and the Police Federation subscription, that is about £1,925 a month in 2026/27, with no student loan and no allowances. On point 2 (£33,609) it is about £1,995 a month. Overtime and unsocial hours payments come on top but vary.
Will I take a pay cut if I join the police?
It depends on what you earn now. Starting pay is £32,255 on point 1. Constables normally move up one pay point a year to £52,015 at point 7, subject to the pay progression standard. The calculator shows the monthly gap and the pay point at which your take-home catches up.
Do new police recruits in London get paid more?
Yes. Metropolitan Police and City of London Police officers get London Weighting (£3,260, which counts for the pension) plus the London Allowance of up to £6,819 (which does not). The Met said on 12 October 2026 that new recruits get a starting salary of more than £43,000; point 2 plus both London payments comes to £43,688.
Which forces pay the South East Allowance?
The South East Allowance is paid up to £3,105 a year in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Thames Valley; it is up to £2,070 in Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Sussex. These are maximum rates, so a force can pay less. It is an allowance rather than pay, so it does not count for the pension.
How much does the police pension cost and what does the force pay in?
New constables pay 12.88% of pensionable pay from 1 April 2026, taken before tax. The force pays 35.3% of pensionable pay on top (the scheme-wide employer rate from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027), which is why a police salary is worth more than the take-home figure suggests. The employer rate also pays for past service, so it is not a valuation of your own pension.
How long is the wait before I start and should I save?
The national recruitment site says joining usually takes around 4 to 6 months, often longer. You keep your current pay during that time, so it is the natural moment to build a buffer. The calculator turns your first-year gap into a monthly amount to put aside over the wait you enter.
Sources
- Police Remuneration Review Body, 11th report (2025), Appendix F: police officer pay scales: the 2025/26 constable scale for officers appointed on or after 1 April 2013, on which the 2026/27 figures are built.
- Home Secretary written statement HCWS264, Police workforce pay and conditions (15 July 2026): 3.5% pay award from 1 September 2026, also applied to London Weighting and the maximum London and South East allowances.
- Home Office Circular 011/2026: Annexes F and U to the Police Regulations 2003: London Allowance and South East England Allowance maxima and the forces that pay the South East Allowance.
- Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/267): member contribution rates from 1 April 2026 (12.88% on pensionable pay up to £37,035).
- GAD: Police Pension Scheme (England and Wales) valuation as at 31 March 2020: employer contribution rate of 35.3% of pensionable pay.
- Police Pensions Regulations 2015, regulation 33; Police Regulations 2003, regulation 34: London Weighting is pay and pensionable; the London and South East allowances are reg 34 allowances and are not.
- HMRC: Collection of student loans from 6 April 2026: student and postgraduate loan thresholds and rates for 2026/27.
- Police Federation of England and Wales: Join the Fed: subscription of £26.31 a month from 1 January 2026.
- Joining the Police (national recruitment site): joining typically takes around 4 to 6 months, often longer.
- Metropolitan Police news release (12 October 2026): new recruits get a starting salary of more than £43,000.
Accessed 21 October 2026. Estimates for planning, not financial advice and not a payslip.