Complete 2026 pay scales, allowances calculator, salary progression modelling, and PFEW pay campaign updates.
Unofficial independent resource — always verify with official sources (College of Policing, your force, PFEW).
UK police officer pay scales including London weighting and South East allowance. Click column headers to sort.
| Rank | Pay Point | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Constable | Pay point 1 (starting) | £31,164 | £34,314–£40,902 | £31,164–£34,164 |
Constable | Pay point 2 | £32,472 | £35,622–£42,210 | £32,472–£35,472 |
Constable | Pay point 3 | £33,789 | £36,939–£43,527 | £33,789–£36,789 |
Constable | Pay point 4 | £35,106 | £38,256–£44,844 | £35,106–£38,106 |
Constable | Pay point 5 | £37,737 | £40,887–£47,475 | £37,737–£40,737 |
Constable | Pay point 6 | £43,038 | £46,188–£52,776 | £43,038–£46,038 |
Constable | Pay point 7 (top of scale) | £50,256 | £53,406–£59,994 | £50,256–£53,256 |
Sergeant | On promotion | £53,568 | £56,718–£63,306 | £53,568–£56,568 |
Sergeant | Pay point 1 | £54,660 | £57,810–£64,398 | £54,660–£57,660 |
Sergeant | Top of scale | £56,208 | £59,358–£65,946 | £56,208–£59,208 |
Inspector | On promotion | £63,768 | £66,462 | — |
Inspector | Pay point 1 | £65,505 | £68,202 | — |
Inspector | Pay point 2 | £67,236 | £69,954 | — |
Inspector | Top of scale | £68,982 | £71,697 | — |
Chief Inspector | On promotion | £70,344 | £73,062 | — |
Chief Inspector | Pay point 1 | £71,715 | £74,427 | — |
Chief Inspector | Top of scale | £73,149 | £75,855 | — |
Superintendent | Minimum | £84,177 | — | — |
Superintendent | Maximum | £99,015 | — | — |
Chief Superintendent | Minimum | £103,797 | — | — |
Chief Superintendent | Maximum | £115,785 | — | — |
* London for constables and sergeants is shown as a range: the guaranteed floor (national base + the pensionable London Weighting £3,150) up to the maximum once a discretionary London Allowance of up to £6,588 is paid. Inspecting ranks are on a separate London pay scale (a single figure, not a range).
† South East is shown as base up to base + £3,000 — a force-discretionary regional allowance paid by some South-East forces. “—” means no distinct figure applies.
The +3.5% 2026/27 pay award took effect on 1 September 2026, but the Home Office has not yet published the official per-point pay figures. The scale shown is the last official determination (2025/26); we will update it when the 2026/27 figures are published.
Estimate your monthly and annual take-home pay after income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, and optional student loan deductions.
Include student loan deductions in the calculation
2026/27 tax year figures. NI rates: 8% on £12,570–£50,270; 2% above. Pension: CARE 2015 standard contribution rate 12.44%. Student loan thresholds apply from April 2026. Does not include Scottish income tax rates.
Estimate your total annual package including location allowance, overtime, and unsocial hours supplement.
London Weighting (£3,150) is guaranteed and pensionable. The London Allowance (up to £6,588) and the South East allowance (up to £3,000) are set at force discretion, so they are shown separately and not added to the guaranteed total.
Adds ~10% supplement for regular unsocial hours working
Dog Handler
+£2,946/yr
Firearms (AFO)
+£3,561/yr
Detective
+£1,260/yr
Allowance amounts vary by force. Figures shown are typical. TOIL may apply instead of payment in some forces.
Tax estimates: 2026/27 personal allowance £12,570 | Basic rate 20% to £50,270 | Higher rate 40% above £50,270 | NI ~12% included in estimate.
Overtime pay rates, on-call allowances, mutual aid rules, and key regulations for police officers in England and Wales.
Current overtime rates under Police Regulations 2003 (Annex O).
| Situation | Rate |
|---|---|
| Duty day overtime (beyond rostered hours) | Time-and-a-third (×1.33) |
| Rest day working (fewer than 15 days notice) | Double-time (×2.0) |
| Rest day working (15+ days notice) | Time-and-a-half (×1.5) |
| Public holiday working | Double-time + day off in lieu |
| Recall to duty | Minimum 4 hours at applicable rate |
NPCC has proposed reducing rest day compensation from the current minimum 4 hours at time-and-a-half to time-and-a-third. PFEW is strongly opposing this through the “Hands Off Our Rest Days” campaign. As of March 2026, the current rates still apply — check with your force and PFEW for the latest position.
Force Variation: Overtime policies vary significantly between forces. Some forces have overtime budgets that limit availability. Always check your force's overtime policy and consult your Federation representative if you have concerns.
Check your expected 2025/26 base salary by rank and pay point. Optionally compare against your actual gross salary.
Select your rank, years at that rank, and location allowance.
All pay points by rank (before location allowances).
0 yrs
£31,164
1 yr
£32,472
2 yrs
£33,789
3 yrs
£35,106
4 yrs
£37,737
5 yrs
£43,038
6+ yrs
£50,256
0 yrs
£53,568
1 yr
£54,660
2+ yrs
£56,208
0 yrs
£63,768
1 yr
£65,505
2 yrs
£67,236
3+ yrs
£68,982
Tracking the Police Federation of England & Wales pay claim through the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) process.
PFEW submits 7% multi-year claim + P Factor recognition
PRRB evidence gathering
PRRB report to Home Secretary
Home Secretary announces 3.5% award for 2026/27 (15 July 2026)
Applied to pay from 1 September 2026
P Factor Recognition
PFEW continues to push for formal recognition of the “P Factor” — the unique demands placed on officers including danger, unsocial hours, and restrictions on personal freedom. This would establish a permanent premium above standard public sector pay, reflecting that officers cannot strike and face unique risks on duty.
NPCC Counter-Proposals
NPCC proposed either 3.5% (fully government-funded) or 2.5% for 2026/27 — against PFEW's 7% claim. The outcome for 2026/27 was a 3.5% award, in force from 1 September 2026.
“Copped Enough”
PFEW's national pay campaign highlighting the real-terms pay erosion officers have faced since 2010, officer attrition, and the cost-of-living crisis. Demands fair pay that reflects risk, restriction, and responsibility.
“Hands Off Our Rest Days”
PFEW campaign opposing NPCC proposals to reduce rest day overtime from double-time to time-and-a-third. Officers argue this would cut already-stretched take-home pay and worsen retention.
Police officer pay awards 2020–2026, as recommended by the PRRB and accepted by the Home Secretary.
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.5% |
| 2021 | 0% (frozen) |
| 2022 | £1,900 flat |
| 2023 | 7.0% |
| 2024 | 4.75% |
| 2025 | 4.2% |
| 2026 | 3.5% |
Estimate how much you could borrow based on your police salary, with both standard and specialist lender calculations.
Select your rank or enter a custom salary.
Total Annual Salary (guaranteed)
£31,164
Standard Lender (4.5×)
Max Borrowing
£140,238
Max Property Price
£170,238
Est. Monthly Repayment
£779/mo
Stamp Duty Estimate
£0
Specialist Lender (5.5×)
Max Borrowing
£171,402
Max Property Price
£201,402
Est. Monthly Repayment
£953/mo
Stamp Duty Estimate
£0
Police Mutual and other specialist lenders may offer up to 5.5× salary for serving officers.
Key Worker Living schemes may be available in your area — check with your local authority.
This is an estimate only — always get a formal mortgage offer from a lender. Stamp duty shown is for residential purchases (not first-time buyer relief).
HMRC allowances, deductible expenses, how to claim, and what you can't claim — practical financial guidance for police officers. This is information only, not financial advice.
HMRC allows police officers to claim a flat-rate deduction of £140 per year for the cost of cleaning, repairing, and replacing their uniform. This is a fixed amount agreed between HMRC and the Police Federation — you do not need receipts to claim it.
The allowance is set against your income tax, so the actual cash benefit is £140 multiplied by your income tax rate:
How to claim:
Once registered, HMRC adjusts your tax code automatically going forward. You only need to claim once unless your circumstances change.
Estimate how much you could reclaim if you have not previously claimed the uniform maintenance allowance. For illustration purposes only — always verify with HMRC.
Estimated uniform allowance refund
£112.00
Based on 4 years × £140 allowance × 20% tax rate. Professional subscription refunds would be additional. This calculator covers the uniform allowance only.