Police constables in England and Wales earn between £31,164 and £50,256 depending on pay point, with annual progression through seven points over six years. Enter your salary below to see your take-home pay after Income Tax, National Insurance and police pension contributions for the current tax year.
Salary · pension · 2026/27
| Pay point | Annual salary | Monthly gross |
|---|---|---|
| PP1 (on appointment) | £31,164 | £2,597 |
| PP2 | £32,472 | £2,706 |
| PP3 | £33,789 | £2,816 |
| PP4 | £35,106 | £2,926 |
| PP5 | £37,737 | £3,145 |
| PP6 | £43,038 | £3,587 |
| PP7 (top of scale) | £50,256 | £4,188 |
Source: Police Oracle / PRRB 11th Report 2025 (1 September 2025). Pay scales change; check the source before relying on a figure.
Police officer pay in England and Wales is set nationally by the Home Secretary, based on recommendations from the independent Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB). Unlike most public-sector roles, police officers cannot negotiate pay individually or through collective bargaining; instead, the Police Federation of England and Wales submits evidence to the PRRB each year.
From 1 September 2025, all police pay scales rose by 4.2 per cent, following the PRRB's eleventh report. A new constable appointed after April 2013 starts at pay point 1 on £31,164 and progresses automatically by one pay point each year, reaching the top of the scale (PP7, £50,256) after six years of service. There is no performance-related element for constables; progression is incremental and guaranteed provided the officer remains in post.
Officers appointed before 1 April 2013 sit on a legacy pay scale with slightly different entry points. That scale starts higher (£32,820 on commencement) but reaches the same ceiling at PP7. Both scales converge at PP5 and above.
Promotion is the main route to higher police pay. Each rank has its own pay scale with multiple points:
| Rank | Starting salary | Top of scale |
|---|---|---|
| Constable | £31,164 (PP1) | £50,256 (PP7) |
| Sergeant | £53,568 (PP2) | £56,208 (PP4) |
| Inspector (outside London) | £63,768 (PP0) | £68,982 (PP3) |
| Inspector (London) | £66,462 (PP0) | £71,697 (PP3) |
| Chief Inspector | £71,715 (PP2) | £73,000+ |
To become a sergeant, a constable must pass the National Police Promotion Framework assessment, which typically requires at least two years' independent patrol. Sergeants manage a team of constables and take on greater operational responsibility. Inspectors oversee multiple teams and carry budgetary accountability.
All figures above are from the PRRB 11th Report effective 1 September 2025, as published by Police Oracle and the Home Office.
All officers who joined from April 2015, and most who were transitioned from the 1987 or 2006 schemes, belong to the 2015 Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) pension scheme. It works differently from a defined-contribution workplace pension:
Because contribution rates are high (roughly 12.4% to 13.8%), officers' take-home pay is noticeably lower than a private-sector worker on the same gross salary. On a PP1 constable salary of £31,164, pension contributions alone are around £3,877 a year, or £323 a month. However, the pension benefit at retirement is far more generous than a typical auto-enrolment scheme.
Source: PolicePay.co.uk guide to police pay scales.
Officers in London and the South East receive additional regional allowances on top of national basic pay:
| Allowance | Annual amount | Pensionable? |
|---|---|---|
| London Weighting (Met/City of London) | £3,024 | Yes |
| London Allowance (Met/City of London) | £5,338 | No |
| South East Allowance (e.g. Essex, Kent, Surrey, Herts, Thames Valley) | £3,000 | No |
| South East Allowance (Beds, Hants, Sussex) | £2,000 | No |
A newly appointed Metropolitan Police constable therefore earns an effective total of around £39,526 (£31,164 basic + £3,024 London Weighting + £5,338 London Allowance), before overtime. The London Weighting is pensionable and counts towards your CARE pension accrual; the London Allowance and South East Allowance do not.
These allowance figures are set by the Home Office in the annual pay circular and confirmed by the Police Federation. Source: PolicePay.co.uk and Police Oracle.
Constables and sergeants are entitled to overtime pay under Police Regulations. The rates are more generous than many private-sector equivalents:
Inspectors and ranks above are classed as salaried officers and do not normally receive overtime pay. They may receive a compensatory rest day instead. This is a significant factor to weigh when considering promotion from sergeant to inspector: the headline salary rises, but overtime eligibility is lost.
Many constables, particularly in response and neighbourhood policing, work a rotating shift pattern that regularly includes nights, weekends and bank holidays. In practice, overtime can add several thousand pounds a year to a constable's income.
Police pay is taxed in the same way as any other employment income under PAYE. For the 2026/27 tax year (from April 2026):
Because police pension contributions are deducted before tax, the taxable income of a constable is lower than their headline salary. A PP7 constable on £50,256 with a 12.44% pension deduction has taxable income of roughly £43,995, keeping them well inside the basic-rate band. A sergeant near the top of their scale, however, may edge into higher-rate territory, especially with overtime.
Use the calculator above to model your exact position, including student loan repayments if applicable.
A newly appointed constable in England and Wales starts on £31,164 (pay point 1, effective 1 September 2025). After six years of annual progression, a constable reaches the top of the scale at £50,256 (pay point 7). These figures are set by the Home Secretary following the PRRB's recommendations.
Yes. Police officers pay employee National Insurance at the standard rate: 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% on earnings above that threshold, for the 2026/27 tax year. NI is deducted through PAYE alongside Income Tax.
Under the 2015 CARE scheme, police officers contribute between 12.44% and 13.78% of gross pensionable pay. The exact rate depends on your salary band. Contributions are deducted before Income Tax, giving automatic tax relief, but they do reduce your monthly take-home pay significantly compared to a standard auto-enrolment pension.
Metropolitan Police and City of London officers receive a pensionable London Weighting of £3,024 per year plus a non-pensionable London Allowance of £5,338 per year, totalling £8,362 on top of national basic pay. Forces in the wider South East pay a separate regional allowance of £2,000 to £3,000.
No. Inspectors and ranks above are classed as salaried officers under Police Regulations and do not normally receive overtime payments. They may receive a compensatory rest day instead. Constables and sergeants, by contrast, receive time-and-a-third for casual overtime and up to double time for rest-day or bank-holiday working.
