Police pay 2026/27.
Every pay point for police officers in England and Wales after the 3.5% rise on 1 September 2026, and what each one comes to after tax, National Insurance and pension.
Updated 2 November 2026 · 2026/27 tax year
Take-home pay calculator
Pick your rank and pay point, add anything extra, and see what lands in your account. It uses 2026/27 tax and National Insurance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the 2015 police pension.
Police pay scales from 1 September 2026
Basic pay for each rank and pay point, before the 3.5% rise and after it. Take-home is a monthly estimate with the police pension and no student loan, outside London.
| Pay point | 2025/26 | From Sept 2026 | Take-home/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point 1 | £31,164 | £32,255 | £1,952 |
| Point 2 | £32,472 | £33,609 | £2,021 |
| Point 3 | £33,789 | £34,972 | £2,091 |
| Point 4 | £35,106 | £36,335 | £2,161 |
| Point 5 | £37,737 | £39,058 | £2,275 |
| Point 6 | £43,038 | £44,544 | £2,554 |
| Point 7 | £50,256 | £52,015 | £2,942 |
| Pay point | 2025/26 | From Sept 2026 | Take-home/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| On joining | £32,820 | £33,969 | £2,040 |
| After training | £36,375 | £37,648 | £2,204 |
| After 2 years | £38,346 | £39,688 | £2,307 |
| Point 3 | £40,557 | £41,976 | £2,423 |
| Point 4 | £41,766 | £43,228 | £2,487 |
| Point 5 | £43,038 | £44,544 | £2,554 |
| Point 6 | £46,626 | £48,258 | £2,742 |
| Point 7 | £50,256 | £52,015 | £2,942 |
| Pay point | 2025/26 | From Sept 2026 | Take-home/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point 2 | £53,568 | £55,443 | £3,133 |
| Point 3 | £54,660 | £56,573 | £3,196 |
| Point 4 | £56,208 | £58,175 | £3,285 |
| Pay point | 2025/26 | From Sept 2026 | Take-home/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point 0 | £63,768 | £66,000 | £3,612 |
| Point 1 | £65,505 | £67,798 | £3,686 |
| Point 2 | £67,236 | £69,589 | £3,760 |
| Point 3 | £68,982 | £71,396 | £3,835 |
| Pay point | 2025/26 | From Sept 2026 | Take-home/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point 0 | £66,462 | £68,788 | £3,727 |
| Point 1 | £68,202 | £70,589 | £3,802 |
| Point 2 | £69,954 | £72,402 | £3,877 |
| Point 3 | £71,697 | £74,206 | £3,951 |
| Pay point | 2025/26 | From Sept 2026 | Take-home/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point 1 | £70,344 | £72,806 | £3,893 |
| Point 2 | £71,715 | £74,225 | £3,952 |
| Point 3 | £73,149 | £75,709 | £4,014 |
| In rank since 1994 | £74,310 | £76,911 | £4,063 |
| Pay point | 2025/26 | From Sept 2026 | Take-home/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point 1 | £73,062 | £75,619 | £4,010 |
| Point 2 | £74,427 | £77,032 | £4,068 |
| Point 3 | £75,855 | £78,510 | £4,130 |
| In rank since 1994 | £77,004 | £79,699 | £4,165 |
Superintendents and chief superintendents also get 3.5% from 1 September 2026. On last year’s published scale a superintendent earned £84,177 to £99,015 and a chief superintendent £103,797 to £115,785; the new figures are 3.5% higher. Chief officers’ pay is set separately for each force.
What promotion is worth
At the top of the constable scale, pay stops rising. Promotion is the next step up: £3,428 more a year on day one as a sergeant, and £13,985 more as an inspector.
How the sergeant exam works- Constable, point 1£32,255 · £1,952/mo
- Constable, point 7£52,015 · £2,942/mo
- Sergeant, point 2£55,443 · £3,133/mo
- Sergeant, point 4£58,175 · £3,285/mo
- Inspector, point 0£66,000 · £3,612/mo
- Inspector, point 3£71,396 · £3,835/mo
Topped out at point 7?
Get the pay rise yourself.
Sergeant starts with the NPPF legal exam: 150 questions in three hours on crime, evidence and procedure, and general police duties. We’ll get you through it: exam-style questions, full timed mocks and a plan built round your shifts.
Allowances and extra pay
- London weighting
- £3,260 a year for Met and City of London officers. It counts towards your pension.
- London allowance
- Up to £6,819 a year on top, for officers in London. Not pensionable.
- South East allowance
- Up to £3,105 or £2,070 a year, depending on the force, for forces round London. Each chief constable sets their force’s rate up to that limit.
- Overtime
- Constables and sergeants are paid for overtime, at time and a third for most extra hours, and more for rest days and public holidays.
- Unsocial hours
- Constables and sergeants get an extra 10% of their hourly rate for hours worked between 8pm and 6am.
- On-call and role allowances
- Being on call earns a fixed allowance for each day, and roles such as dog handlers get their own allowance. Your force’s pay notice lists the rates.
Questions people ask
How much does a police officer earn in 2026?
In England and Wales, a constable starts on £32,255 and reaches £52,015 at the top of the scale, from 1 September 2026. Sergeants earn £55,443 to £58,175, and inspectors £66,000 to £71,396 outside London. Officers in London get extra London weighting and a London allowance.
What is the police starting salary?
£32,255 a year from 1 September 2026, on constable pay point 1. That's about £1,952 a month after tax, National Insurance and pension, with no student loan.
How much is the 2026 police pay rise?
3.5% for every rank up to chief superintendent, from 1 September 2026. The government confirmed it on 15 July 2026; the review body had recommended 3.9%. Forces pay it from September, so if it reached your payslip later you should get it backdated.
How much does a police sergeant earn?
£55,443 to £58,175 a year from 1 September 2026, across three pay points. A constable at the top of the scale gets about £3,428 a year more on promotion to sergeant, and more as they move up the sergeant points.
How much does a police inspector earn?
£66,000 to £71,396 a year outside London, and £68,788 to £74,206 in London, from 1 September 2026.
How much do police pay into their pension?
On the 2015 scheme, from 1 April 2026: 12.88% of pensionable pay up to £37,035, 13.88% up to £79,588 and 14.22% above that. Contributions come off before tax, so the real cost is lower than it looks.
How do police officers move up the pay scale?
One pay point a year, as long as their performance is satisfactory. A constable joining today goes from point 1 to point 7 over about six years.
Do police officers get paid overtime?
Constables and sergeants are paid for overtime and for working rest days and public holidays, at enhanced rates. Inspectors and above generally aren’t paid overtime.
Is police pay the same in Scotland?
No. Police Scotland has its own pay scales, set separately and paid from April, and Scotland has its own income tax rates. This page covers England and Wales.
Pay points are from the Police Federation of England and Wales pay scales. Tax, National Insurance and student loan figures are for 2026/27. Take-home figures are estimates: overtime, allowances, tax codes and salary sacrifice all change what you get. Points to Prove is independent and isn’t connected to the Home Office or any force.