Should I Join
The Police?
Type in what you earn now and pick the force you would join. The calculator compares your take-home pay and the pension your employer pays in, year by year, using the 2026/27 police pay scale and your own figures. Free, no account, nothing stored.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Often yes over time, but not always at the start. Most forces start new constables on £32,255 (the Met on £43,688 with London pay) and pay rises one point a year to £52,015 by year 7. The police pension is a defined benefit scheme your force pays 35.3% of pay into, though you pay 12.88% or more yourself. If you earn more than the starting salary now, expect a few lean years first. The calculator shows when, or whether, you catch up.
Your result
Take-home in year 1
Now: £1,993 a month
Police: £2,138 a month
+£145 a month
Take-home over 10 years
+£91,789
more in the police, after tax, NI, pension and any student loan
Employer pension paid in
Now: £10,083
Police (35.3%): £171,760
Over 10 years. What the employer pays in, not what your pension is worth.
On these assumptions you would take home more in the police from year 1. Counting the employer's pension contribution as well, the police package is +£253,466 over 10 years. You would also pay £66,502 into the police pension yourself (12.88% of pensionable pay in year 1), which is already taken off the police take-home above.
| Year | Now: gross | Now: take-home | Police: role | Police: gross | Police: take-home | Running difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £30,000 | £23,920 | Constable, point 1 | £35,360 | £25,655 | +£1,736 |
| 2 | £30,750 | £24,430 | Constable, point 2 | £37,632 | £27,065 | +£4,371 |
| 3 | £31,519 | £24,952 | Constable, point 3 | £40,005 | £28,537 | +£7,956 |
| 4 | £32,307 | £25,488 | Constable, point 4 | £42,473 | £29,755 | +£12,222 |
| 5 | £33,114 | £26,037 | Constable, point 5 | £46,540 | £32,241 | +£18,426 |
| 6 | £33,942 | £26,600 | Constable, point 6 | £53,910 | £36,957 | +£28,783 |
| 7 | £34,791 | £27,177 | Constable, point 7 | £63,922 | £42,609 | +£44,215 |
| 8 | £35,661 | £27,769 | Constable, point 7 | £65,520 | £43,410 | +£59,856 |
| 9 | £36,552 | £28,375 | Constable, point 7 | £67,158 | £44,231 | +£75,712 |
| 10 | £37,466 | £28,996 | Constable, point 7 | £68,837 | £45,073 | +£91,789 |
Assumptions used
- Police pay: the 2026/27 constable scale from 1 September 2026, starting on point 1 at Kent Police, one point a year to point 7, then the pay award you set (2.5% a year) from year 2.
- Allowances at Kent Police: £3,105 a year at the maximum rate in year 1. Only London Weighting counts for the pension; the London Allowance and South East Allowance do not.
- Police pension: you pay 12.88%, 13.88% or 14.22% of pensionable pay (rates from 1 April 2026). The force pays 35.3% of pensionable pay (the 2024 to 2027 rate).
- Your current job: £30,000 in year 1, rising 2.5% a year. Your pension: 5% from you and 3% from your employer, taken before tax.
- Tax and National Insurance: 2026/27 England and Wales rates, held at those levels every year. Student loan: No student loan.
- Non-police pay figures checked 21 October 2026. Sources are listed on this page.
What this does not include
- Overtime, rest day working and on-call pay, in either job.
- Police unsocial hours allowance (10% of hourly pay between 8pm and 6am) and shift or unsocial pay in your current job.
- Bonuses, commission, company cars or other benefits in your current job.
- Future changes to tax, National Insurance or student loan thresholds.
- The full value of a defined benefit pension. The employer figure is what goes in, not the pension you would get: a police pension pays a guaranteed income from 60, which a defined contribution pot does not.
- Federation subscriptions, travel costs or the cost of moving to join a force.
If you decide to apply: start with the sift
Most constable applicants in England and Wales sit the National Sift online after the application form: a situational judgement test and a behavioural styles questionnaire. It is the first test you face, so it is the right place to start practising.
Recruitment window alerts
Get told when Kent opens applications
Pick up to three forces. When we see one open a constable intake on its own site or the national list, we will tell you by email, written by hand. Occasional emails. Unsubscribe any time.
How the comparison works
The calculator runs two careers side by side for 5 or 10 years: the job you do now and constable in the force you pick. For each year it works out gross pay, then takes off income tax, National Insurance, your pension contribution and any student loan to give take-home pay. Separately, it adds up what each employer pays into your pension.
- Your current job. Year 1 is the salary you type. Each later year adds the pay rise you expect. For jobs with a published national scale (teacher, nurse, paramedic, firefighter, prison officer, soldier) you can also move up that scale from where your salary sits on it. The scales come from one data file, checked 21 October 2026.
- The police side. The 2026/27 constable scale from 1 September 2026. Most forces start new constables on pay point 1 (£32,255); the Met starts them on point 2 (£33,609). Pay moves up one point a year to point 7 (£52,015). From year 2 the pay award you set is applied to every point and allowance.
- Allowances. London Weighting and the London Allowance at the Met and City of London. The South East Allowance in eight forces, at the maximum rate. Only London Weighting counts as pensionable pay, so only it attracts pension contributions.
- Tax and deductions. 2026/27 England and Wales income tax and National Insurance, held at those levels every year. Pension contributions are taken before tax in both jobs, as public sector schemes do. Student loan repayments use the 2026/27 thresholds for the plan you pick.
- Pension. Police officers pay 12.88%, 13.88% or 14.22% of pensionable pay depending on their pay (from 1 April 2026). The force pays 35.3% of pensionable pay. Your current job uses the rates you enter, pre-filled where we found a published figure.
"Take-home over 10 years" is the total difference in money reaching your bank account, after every deduction. The "package" figure adds what each employer pays into your pension. Neither is a valuation of your pension: a defined benefit pension pays a guaranteed income for life. What that is worth depends on how long you serve, how long you live and inflation.
Worked examples (2026/27 rates)
Three examples run through the same engine as the calculator, with a 2.5% yearly pay award in both jobs and no student loan. They are illustrations, not predictions.
1. A newly qualified teacher joining Kent Police
Starting on M1 (£34,068) and moving up the main pay range, paying an assumed 8% into the Teachers' Pension Scheme (teachers pay a tiered rate: check yours), against a Kent constable on point 1 plus the South East Allowance (£35,360 in year 1).
| Year | Teacher take-home | Police take-home | Running difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £25,868 | £25,655 | -£213 |
| 3 | £30,548 | £28,537 | -£3,316 |
| 5 | £35,644 | £32,241 | -£10,007 |
| 7 | £39,479 | £42,609 | -£8,448 |
| 10 | £41,743 | £45,073 | +£1,300 |
Over 10 years the police take-home difference is +£1,300. The police employer pension contributions total £171,760 against £139,371 for teaching. A teacher who moves onto the upper pay range or into leadership would narrow or reverse the gap.
2. A Band 5 nurse joining the Metropolitan Police
Starting at Band 5 entry (£32,073, paying the 8.3% NHS tier) against a Met constable starting on point 2 with London Weighting and London Allowance (£43,688 in year 1).
| Year | Nurse take-home | Police take-home | Running difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £24,483 | £31,176 | +£6,693 |
| 3 | £27,274 | £34,010 | +£19,152 |
| 5 | £31,687 | £41,133 | +£34,315 |
| 7 | £33,113 | £46,985 | +£61,891 |
| 10 | £35,389 | £49,786 | +£104,548 |
London pay does most of the work here. The comparison uses national Agenda for Change pay: a nurse in London also gets a high cost area supplement, so a London nurse should type their own salary.
3. Someone on £38,000 in a private sector job joining Cumbria
£38,000 rising 2.5% a year with a typical auto-enrolment pension (5% from you, 3% from the employer), against a Cumbria constable on point 1 with no allowance.
| Year | Current job take-home | Police take-home | Running difference | With sergeant in year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £29,360 | £23,420 | -£5,940 | -£5,940 |
| 3 | £30,668 | £26,188 | -£15,652 | -£15,652 |
| 5 | £32,042 | £29,774 | -£21,919 | -£10,737 |
| 7 | £33,486 | £40,520 | -£13,423 | +£9,442 |
| 10 | £35,790 | £42,824 | +£7,679 | +£41,730 |
The police catches up on take-home by the end of year 9. The bigger difference is the pension: the force pays in £171,760 over 10 years against £12,772 from a 3% employer. The last column shows the optional sergeant scenario, which is not typical: promotion depends on the exam and a selection process.
Will I take a pay cut joining the police?
Many career changers do, at first. The starting salary is set nationally, so your experience elsewhere does not move you up the scale. What you start on depends on the force:
| Where | Gross a year | What makes it up |
|---|---|---|
| Most forces (33 of 43) | £32,255 | Pay point 1, no allowance |
| Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Sussex | £34,325 | Point 1 plus South East Allowance of up to £2,070 |
| Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, Thames Valley | £35,360 | Point 1 plus South East Allowance of up to £3,105 |
| City of London Police | £42,334 | Point 1 plus London Weighting and London Allowance (start point not confirmed) |
| Metropolitan Police | £43,688 | Point 2 plus London Weighting and London Allowance |
On point 1 with no allowance that is about £1,952 a month after tax, NI and pension. If you take home more than that now, the first two or three years are the hard part. Pay then rises by a point each year: points 5 to 7 are where most of the increase comes, from £36,335 at point 4 to £52,015 at point 7 (about £2,942 a month).
Ways people manage the first years:
- Pick the force with your eyes open. A South East or London force pays more, but housing costs more too. Compare starting pay by force with our starting pay by force tool and the regional affordability comparator.
- Count overtime and unsocial hours carefully. Officers are paid for overtime and get an unsocial hours allowance for hours worked between 8pm and 6am, but neither is guaranteed, so the calculator leaves both out.
- Try it part-time first. Special constables volunteer alongside a paid job, which tells you whether you like the work before you give up a salary.
Constable pay progression, point by point
Constables appointed since 1 April 2013 are on a seven-point scale. You move up one point on each anniversary of your appointment, subject to satisfactory performance. Take-home below is at 2026/27 rates with no allowance and no student loan.
| Point | When | Gross a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point 1 | On appointment (most forces) | £32,255 | £1,952 |
| Point 2 | Year 2 (the Met starts recruits here) | £33,609 | £2,021 |
| Point 3 | Year 3 | £34,972 | £2,091 |
| Point 4 | Year 4 | £36,335 | £2,161 |
| Point 5 | Year 5 | £39,058 | £2,275 |
| Point 6 | Year 6 | £44,544 | £2,554 |
| Point 7 | Year 7 | £52,015 | £2,942 |
Unlike teaching or the NHS, there is no higher band to apply for as a constable: the next step up in pay is promotion. Specialist roles such as detective work do not change the pay scale, though some come with allowances. See the full 2026/27 pay scales for every rank.
Promotion to sergeant
Tick the sergeant option in the calculator to see what promotion in year 5 would add. It is a scenario, not a prediction: to be promoted you need to pass the sergeant exam and then a force selection process. Many constables choose not to go for it. Sergeants are paid on this scale from 1 September 2026:
| Point | Gross a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| Sergeant point 2 | £55,443 | £3,133 |
| Sergeant point 3 | £56,573 | £3,196 |
| Sergeant point 4 | £58,175 | £3,285 |
The role brings more responsibility as well as more pay. Read our promotion guides if you want to understand the process before you join.
The police pension, honestly
New officers join the Police Pension Scheme 2015. It is a career average (CARE) defined benefit scheme: each year you build a slice of guaranteed pension. The scheme, not the stock market, carries the investment risk.
- What you build: 1/55.3 of each year's pensionable pay, as yearly pension.
- How it grows: each year's slice is revalued by CPI plus 1.25% while you are serving.
- When it is paid: in full from the normal pension age of 60. You can take it from 55 with a reduction.
- What it costs you: 12.88% of pensionable pay up to £37,035, 13.88% above that and 14.22% from £79,588 (rates from 1 April 2026). Contributions come off before tax, so a basic rate taxpayer's real cost is about 80% of that.
- What the force pays in: 35.3% of pensionable pay from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027. That rate is set by the Government Actuary and also funds past service, so it describes what goes in, not your personal pension's value.
A worked example: a constable on point 1 (£32,255 pensionable) builds about £583 a year of pension from 60 in their first year, before revaluation. They pay about £4,154 towards it. The force pays about £11,386.
You pay more for it than almost any other public sector scheme asks of its members. If you leave after a few years you keep what you built (after two years' service), but it is paid at your State Pension age, or from 55 with a reduction, so a short police career builds a small pension. And because only basic pay and London Weighting are pensionable, the London Allowance and South East Allowance never count.
Against a private sector job where your employer pays the 3% auto-enrolment minimum, the police pension is usually worth far more than the pay difference suggests. Against teaching, the NHS, the civil service or the fire service, which also run defined benefit schemes, the gap is much smaller. Model a full career with the police pension calculator.
Pay in the jobs people compare with policing (2026/27)
These are the published national figures the calculator pre-fills, all from one file checked on 21 October 2026. Your own salary may differ: always type it in.
| Job | Entry | Top used here | Employer pension | Pay from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police constable (most forces) | £32,255 | £52,015 (6 years) | 35.3% | 1 September 2026 |
| Teacher (main pay range) | £34,068 | £46,939 (5 years) | 28.68% | 1 September 2026 |
| NHS nurse (Band 5) | £32,073 | £39,043 (4 years) | 23.7% | 1 April 2026 |
| Paramedic (Band 5 to 6) | £32,073 | £48,117 (7 years) | 23.7% | 1 April 2026 |
| Firefighter (wholetime) | £31,539 | £40,358 (2 years) | 37.6% | 1 July 2026 |
| Prison officer (Band 3) | £34,928 | £36,778 (2 years) | 28.97% | 1 April 2026 |
| Army (Private, Trade Supplement 1) | £27,282 | £38,553 (9 years) | Not comparable | 1 April 2026 |
- Teacher (main pay range): England outside London. The 3.5% award from 1 September 2026 applied to the 2025 figures (£32,916 and £45,352), per the DfE announcement: STPCD 2026 not yet published, so the final figures may differ by a pound. The points between M1 and M6 are advisory and set by each school, so the years in between are a straight line.
- NHS nurse (Band 5): England, from 1 April 2026. Basic pay only: unsocial hours enhancements are not included.
- Paramedic (Band 5 to 6): England, from 1 April 2026. Assumes a move from Band 5 to Band 6 after two years, which is common for newly qualified paramedics but depends on your trust. Unsocial hours enhancements are not included.
- Firefighter (wholetime): NJC rates from 1 July 2026 (Circular NJC/2/26). How long the development period lasts depends on the fire and rescue service: two years is our assumption. CPD payments are not included.
- Prison officer (Band 3): National rates from 1 April 2026 for a 37-hour week, INCLUDING the 20% unsocial hours payment that is part of the standard Band 3 contract. Base pay alone is £29,107 to £30,648. London and some other prisons pay more.
- Army (Private, Trade Supplement 1): From 1 April 2026, Other Ranks Trade Supplement 1, including the 14.5% X-Factor. Assumes one increment a year: real progression depends on time served, trade and promotion.
Civil Service pay is set by each department, so there is no single figure for an Executive Officer. Security work has no national scale: the calculator's illustration starts at the National Living Wage (£12.71 an hour from 1 April 2026) for a 40-hour week. For a full side by side, see the public sector career comparison.
Is policing for me? A two-minute check
Money is only half the decision. Seven quick questions on the parts of the job that most often decide whether people stay: conflict, shifts, standards, hierarchy, distressing incidents, paperwork and postings. It is a self-reflection check, not a test. It predicts nothing about selection.
Question 1 of 7
How do you handle conflict?
A criminal record does not automatically rule you out, but some convictions do. Vetting looks at your finances too. A county court judgment is a civil debt, not a criminal record, but an unpaid one is a vetting concern. Read can I join the police with a criminal record? and can I join the police with debt? before you apply.
Beyond the money
- Shifts. Response and neighbourhood officers work rotating shifts including nights, weekends and bank holidays. Read the shift work survival guide.
- Training and probation. The PCDA is a three-year programme with a three-year probation; DHEP and PCEP are two years. You are paid throughout. See police training: what to expect.
- Restrictions. Officers hold the office of constable rather than being employees. You cannot take industrial action, business interests must be declared to the force and the standards of professional behaviour apply off duty too.
- Pay rises. Police pay is set nationally each year after the Police Remuneration Review Body reports, so every force pays the same scale (plus its own allowances).
- Which route? Degree apprenticeship, entry programme, degree holder, detective, Police Now or specials: the entry route quiz matches you to one.
If you decide to apply
- Check who is recruiting. Forces open and close windows through the year: see which forces are recruiting now.
- Practise the sift. Most applicants in England and Wales sit the National Sift first. Start with the free situational judgement practice.
- Plan the timeline. Recruitment usually takes months. The timeline planner shows each stage.
- Get the fitness test done early. Level 5.4 on the 15m bleep test: see how to pass the bleep test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do police earn more than teachers?
At the start, no: a teacher in England outside London starts on about £34,068 (main pay range minimum from 1 September 2026) and a constable usually starts on £32,255 (pay point 1 from 1 September 2026), before any police allowance. By year 7 a constable reaches £52,015, above the main pay range maximum of about £46,939. Teachers can go further on the upper pay range and through leadership roles; constables go further through promotion. Police get overtime and unsocial hours pay that teachers do not. Use the calculator with your own salary for a like-for-like answer.
Do police earn more than nurses?
A Band 5 nurse in England starts on £32,073 and reaches £39,043 after four years (from 1 April 2026). A constable starts on £32,255 at most forces and reaches £52,015 at point 7. On basic pay the constable scale ends higher than Band 5. Both jobs pay extra for unsocial hours, which this comparison leaves out. Nurses also earn more by moving up a band.
Is the police pension worth it?
It is a defined benefit pension: each year you build 1/55.3 of that year's pensionable pay as guaranteed yearly pension, revalued by CPI plus 1.25% while you serve, payable in full from 60. You pay 12.88% to 14.22% of pensionable pay for it (rates from 1 April 2026), which is more than most jobs ask. Your force pays in 35.3% of pensionable pay on top. Against a typical private sector pension, where an employer may pay as little as 3%, it is usually much more valuable. Against a teacher, NHS or civil service pension the gap is smaller, because those are defined benefit schemes too.
Will I take a pay cut joining the police?
It depends on what you earn now and where you join. Most forces start new constables on £32,255, about £1,952 a month after tax, NI and pension. The Met starts recruits on point 2 with London pay (£43,688) and eight South East forces add an allowance. If you earn more than that now, you will probably take a cut for the first few years, then pay rises one point a year to £52,015 in year 7. The calculator shows the year it catches up, if it does.
How long does it take to reach the top of the constable scale?
Six annual steps. A constable who starts on point 1 reaches point 7 (£52,015 from 1 September 2026) in their seventh year; one who starts on point 2, as at the Met, gets there a year sooner. Pay points rise on the anniversary of appointment, subject to satisfactory performance.
Can I join the police at 40 or 50?
Yes. The Police Regulations 2003 set a minimum age, not a maximum. The national recruitment site says there is no upper age limit, though some forces publish their own guidance. You face the same stages as everyone else, including the fitness test. Joining later means fewer years in the pension before its normal pension age of 60, so run the calculator over 10 years and look at the pension figures as well as take-home.
Do you get paid while training to be a police officer?
Yes. On the PCDA, PCEP and DHEP routes you are appointed as a constable before training starts and are paid from your start date, including during initial training, from pay point 1 (£32,255) at most forces. The pre-join degree is different: you study it yourself before you apply.
How much does a new police officer take home a month?
On pay point 1 with no allowance, about £1,952 a month after income tax, National Insurance and the 12.88% pension contribution (2026/27 rates, no student loan). At the Met, starting on point 2 with London pay, it is about £2,598 a month.
What happened to the paid Join Police Simulator report?
We withdrew it on 21 October 2026. The whole comparison is now free, uses the salary you type in and shows every assumption. Nobody needs to pay to see a result.
How accurate is this calculator?
The police figures use the official 2026/27 scale and allowances, the 2026/27 tax and NI rules and the police pension rates from 1 April 2026. The other job uses your own salary, growth and pension figures. It leaves out overtime, unsocial hours and bonuses in both jobs and holds tax rules at 2026/27 levels, so treat it as a guide to the size of the difference, not a payslip.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 21 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Police pay scales 2026/27 (site data, from the PRRB 2025 scales plus the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026) : Constable points 1 to 7, sergeant points, London Weighting, London Allowance and South East Allowance (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police: release of 12 October 2026 : New recruits start on more than £43,000, which only point 2 plus London pay reaches (accessed 21 October 2026)
- SI 2026/267: Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2026 : Member contributions 12.88%, 13.88% and 14.22% from 1 April 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- GAD: Police Pension Scheme (England and Wales) valuation as at 31 March 2020 : Employer rate 35.3% from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027 (was 31%) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Pensions Regulations 2015 : Career average scheme, accrual 1/55.3, normal pension age 60 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 10 : Minimum age for appointment; no maximum (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Department for Education: teacher pay award, 3.5% from 1 September 2026 (accepted 1 July 2026) : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- School Teachers' Review Body 36th Report (July 2026) : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Teachers' Pensions: employer contribution rate 28.68% from 1 April 2024 : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- NHS Employers: Agenda for Change pay scales 2026/27 (England, from 1 April 2026) : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- NHS Employers: NHS Pension Scheme employer contributions (23.7% from 1 April 2024) : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- NHS Employers: NHS Pension Scheme member contributions from 1 April 2026 : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- LGA: Circular NJC/2/26, firefighter pay from 1 July 2026 : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Government Actuary's Department: Firefighters' Pension Scheme (England) 2020 valuation results : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Prison Service Pay Review Body 25th Report 2026, Appendix E (Band 3, National, from 1 April 2026) : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Ministry of Justice: PSPRB 2027/28 remit letter (Government accepted all 2026/27 recommendations) : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Civil Service Pension Scheme: employer contribution rates (28.97% from 1 April 2024) : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Armed Forces' Pay Review Body 55th Report 2026, Appendix 1, Table 1.1 (from 1 April 2026) : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Forces Pension Society: 2026 armed forces pay award accepted, 3.6% from 1 April 2026 : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: National Living Wage increases to £12.71 per hour (from 1 April 2026) : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: workplace pensions, what you, your employer and the government pay : Non-police pay and pensions, checked 21 October 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Next steps if you apply
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is independent and is not affiliated with any police force, the Home Office or the College of Policing. This calculator is an estimate built on the assumptions shown, not financial advice. Pay awards, tax rules and pension rates change. Your own pay, pension scheme and circumstances will differ. Check your payslip, your pension scheme and the force's advert before you decide. Details are as checked on 21 October 2026.