Inspector pay points, allowances, time off in lieu, promotion pathway. Independent reference.
Unofficial independent resource — always verify with official sources (College of Policing, your force, PFEW).
A UK police inspector in England and Wales earns £63,768 on promotion nationally and progresses annually to a top-of-scale of £68,982, typically over three years. Metropolitan and City of London inspectors are instead paid on a separate, higher London pay scale (up to £71,697) in lieu of the flat allowances. Inspectors are no longer entitled to overtime pay under the Police Regulations — additional hours worked attract Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) instead. From substantive inspector, promotion to chief inspector is via the NPPF Step 1 work-based assessment plus force-specific competency-based selection. Pay is set annually by the Home Secretary following the independent PRRB recommendation.
A police inspector on promotion in England and Wales starts on £63,768 nationally in 2025/26 and reaches top of scale at £68,982. Metropolitan and City of London inspectors are on a separate London pay scale, where the top-of-scale figure is £71,697.
Promotion to inspector follows the same NPPF process as sergeant promotion: Step 2 legal knowledge exam at inspector level (the inspectors' exam), Step 3 work-based assessment, and a force-led promotion board. The inspector exam is wider in scope than the sergeant's, covering a broader sweep of policing law and procedure.
| Pay point | Base (national) | London | South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| On promotion | £63,768 | £66,462 | — |
| Pay point 1 | £65,505 | £68,202 | — |
| Pay point 2 | £67,236 | £69,954 | — |
| Top of scale | £68,982 | £71,697 | — |
2025/26 scale, +4.2% (2025 PRRB award). Inspecting ranks are paid on a separate, higher London pay scale (shown in the London column) in place of the flat allowances. Verify against your force HR before relying on figures for financial decisions.
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.
Underlying figures derived from the Police Remuneration Review Body award (4.2% from 2025-09-01). Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
Inspectors and above are not entitled to overtime in the way constables and sergeants are. The Police Regulations provide for time off in lieu (TOIL) for inspectors required to work beyond their normal duty hours, and a compensatory grant in some circumstances. The exact treatment depends on the force's published policy and the type of duty performed — there is significant variation between forces. Check force HR and your Federation rep.
The next step from inspector is chief inspector. The chief inspector scale runs from £70,344 on promotion to £74,310 nationally in 2025/26, just above the inspector top of scale. Movement is typically via internal selection rather than a separate legal-knowledge exam.
BlueLineHub is independent and unofficial. Always verify with the authoritative source below.
PFEW Inspector Pay Scales
Authoritative live pay-scale table for inspectors.
Police Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/527)
Statutory framework for officer pay.
Home Office annual pay determination
Home Secretary's annual determination implementing the PRRB recommendation.
Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB)
Independent body that recommends annual pay awards.
BlueLineHub is independent and unofficial. Always verify against your latest force HR / pay slip before relying on these figures. Pay & Pensions Hub