Early-Career Earnings
Illustrative gross and take-home figures built from the national pay scales.
*Overtime rates depend on notice and your force's rules. Pick the rate that applies to the hours you expect to work. Overtime is not guaranteed.
Year 1 Earnings
Year 3 Earnings
What is not included
This does not count the value of your pension: your force pays an employer contribution on top of your salary. See the pension calculator for the detail. Pay points and allowances come from the site's pay data (effective from 1 September 2026), and you are assumed to join on pay point 1 of the constable scale for officers appointed on or after 1 April 2013 and move up one point each year (some forces start recruits on pay point 2, and progression depends on your force). Allowances such as unsocial hours payments are not included.
Disclaimer: Take-home figures are estimates using the 2026/27 England tax and National Insurance rules in our pay engine and the standard police pension rate, with no student loan or other deductions. Actual pay will vary. See police pay scales for the full scales.
The Short Answer
On the pay scales effective from 1 September 2026, a new constable starts on £32,255 (pay point 1 of the scale for officers appointed on or after 1 April 2013) before any force allowance. The scale rises through pay points 2 to 7, reaching £52,015 at the top. Some forces start recruits on pay point 2 (£33,609). Overtime, unsocial hours payments and allowances are extra.
Source: the site's pay scales data, calculated from the official 2025/26 scale (Police Remuneration Review Body 11th report) plus the confirmed 3.5% from 1 September 2026, rounded to the nearest pound. See the police pay scales guide. Last reviewed 30 September 2026.
Understanding Your Package
📈 The Pay Spine
Constable pay follows a national scale rather than being negotiated individually. Officers appointed on or after 1 April 2013, which includes every new recruit, are on a scale that starts at pay point 1 and runs to pay point 7, and you move up one point at a time under the rules for progression. Only constables appointed before that date are on the older scale with a pay point 0. The top of the constable scale is reached at pay point 7. Pay above that comes from promotion or allowances.
🦉 The "Unseen" Pay
Your pension contribution (12.88% of pensionable pay up to £37,035 and 13.88% above that, from 1 April 2026, at constable salaries in this tool) reduces your take-home pay, but your force also pays an employer contribution. The police pension is a defined-benefit scheme, so benefits are based on your pay and service. See the pension calculator for detail.
Unsocial Hours
Unsocial hours payments may be paid for hours worked at night or at weekends, depending on the rules and your force's shift pattern. This tool does not include them.
Rest Day Working
If a rest day is cancelled at short notice (typically less than 15 days), payment is usually at time and a half. Check your force's rules.
Bank Holidays
Working a public holiday usually attracts double time. Check your force's rules for how this is applied.
If you want to see this in context
The readiness report places early-career earnings alongside recruitment timing and preparation considerations in one realistic plan.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the starting salary for a police constable in England and Wales?
A new constable joining now starts on pay point 1 of the constable scale for officers appointed on or after 1 April 2013, which is £32,255 on this site's 2026/27 figures (the official 2025/26 scale plus the confirmed 3.5% award from 1 September 2026, rounded to the nearest pound). A chief officer may assign new constables to pay point 2 (£33,609) to meet local recruitment needs, so some forces start recruits there. The scale rises through pay points 1 to 7, with pay point 7 at £52,015. Constables appointed before 1 April 2013 are on an older 8-point scale whose bottom point is £33,969, but that does not apply to anyone joining now. Force allowances such as London Weighting are paid on top. See the police pay scales guide for the full table.
How much is London Weighting?
In this tool, Metropolitan Police and City of London Police officers receive London Weighting (£3,260) plus the London Allowance (£6,819), a total of £10,079 on top of base pay. These are the 2026/27 figures: the official 2025/26 rates (London Weighting £3,150 and a maximum London Allowance of £6,588) raised by 3.5% from 1 September 2026 under the Government's announcement, rounded to the nearest pound. South East forces pay a separate allowance of up to £3,105 (£2,070 in Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Sussex). Check the current figures with the force.
Do I get paid for overtime?
Yes. Overtime is usually paid at time and a third for casual overtime, time and a half for a rest day worked at short notice, and double time on public holidays, but the rate depends on the notice given and your force's rules. Overtime is not guaranteed and is generally not pensionable.
When does pay go up?
Constables move up the pay scale by one pay point at a time, as set out in the national pay scales, until they reach the top of the scale. National pay awards are applied separately, usually from 1 September. The tool assumes you join on pay point 1 and move up one point a year (year 3 is pay point 3), which is a simplification. Check your force's rules on progression.
Is the pension worth it?
The police pension is a defined-benefit scheme: you pay a percentage of pensionable pay (12.88% up to £37,035 and 13.88% above that at constable salaries in this tool, from 1 April 2026) and your force pays an employer contribution on top. The value depends on your career length and pay, so use the pension calculator to model your own case.
Do detectives get paid more?
A Detective Constable is on the constable pay scale, so the base pay is the same as for a uniformed constable. Forces may pay additional allowances for some roles, so ask the force about the role you want.