Police pay scales and take-home pay at a glance
In England and Wales, police officer salaries for 2024/25 span from £26,682 for a newly appointed Constable up to £63,051 for a top-point Inspector. Following deductions for the 14.25% Police Pension Scheme, PAYE income tax, and National Insurance, estimated monthly take-home pay ranges from £1,641 to £3,478.
The table below provides starting and upper salaries alongside statutory deductions and take-home pay across annual, monthly, weekly, daily and hourly periods for every police pay point from Constable to Inspector. Figures reflect statutory pay rates published by the Home Office for England and Wales.
| Pay point | Rank | Gross salary | Police Pension (14.25%) | Income tax | National Insurance | Take-home a year | Monthly | Weekly | Daily | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constable pay point 0 | Constable | £26,682 | £3,802 | £2,062 | £1,129 | £19,689 | £1,641 | £379 | £76 | £9 |
| Constable pay point 1 | Constable | £28,551 | £4,069 | £2,382 | £1,278 | £20,822 | £1,735 | £400 | £80 | £10 |
| Constable pay point 2 | Constable | £30,366 | £4,327 | £2,694 | £1,424 | £21,921 | £1,827 | £422 | £84 | £11 |
| Constable pay point 3 | Constable | £32,181 | £4,586 | £3,005 | £1,569 | £23,021 | £1,918 | £443 | £89 | £11 |
| Constable pay point 4 | Constable | £34,002 | £4,845 | £3,317 | £1,715 | £24,125 | £2,010 | £464 | £93 | £12 |
| Constable pay point 5 | Constable | £37,638 | £5,363 | £3,941 | £2,005 | £26,328 | £2,194 | £506 | £101 | £13 |
| Constable pay point 6 | Constable | £43,032 | £6,132 | £4,866 | £2,437 | £29,597 | £2,466 | £569 | £114 | £14 |
| Constable pay point 7 | Constable | £46,044 | £6,561 | £5,383 | £2,678 | £31,422 | £2,619 | £604 | £121 | £15 |
| Sergeant pay point 0 | Sergeant | £47,454 | £6,762 | £5,624 | £2,791 | £32,277 | £2,690 | £621 | £124 | £16 |
| Sergeant pay point 1 | Sergeant | £48,447 | £6,904 | £5,795 | £2,870 | £32,878 | £2,740 | £632 | £126 | £16 |
| Sergeant pay point 2 | Sergeant | £49,443 | £7,046 | £5,965 | £2,950 | £33,482 | £2,790 | £644 | £129 | £16 |
| Sergeant pay point 3 | Sergeant | £51,435 | £7,329 | £6,307 | £3,039 | £34,759 | £2,897 | £668 | £134 | £17 |
| Sergeant pay point 4 | Sergeant | £53,424 | £7,613 | £6,648 | £3,079 | £36,084 | £3,007 | £694 | £139 | £17 |
| Inspector pay point 0 | Inspector | £58,332 | £8,312 | £7,490 | £3,177 | £39,353 | £3,279 | £757 | £151 | £19 |
| Inspector pay point 1 | Inspector | £59,904 | £8,536 | £7,979 | £3,209 | £40,180 | £3,348 | £773 | £155 | £19 |
| Inspector pay point 2 | Inspector | £61,479 | £8,761 | £8,519 | £3,240 | £40,959 | £3,413 | £788 | £158 | £20 |
| Inspector pay point 3 | Inspector | £63,051 | £8,985 | £9,058 | £3,272 | £41,736 | £3,478 | £803 | £161 | £20 |
How police pay and deductions work
The Home Office sets statutory pay rates across ranks for police forces in England and Wales. Pay progression follows established scales for constables, sergeants and inspectors.
Three main statutory deductions determine net salary: Police Pension Scheme contributions, PAYE income tax and Class 1 employee National Insurance.
Police Pension Scheme contributions: Under the Police Pension Scheme 2015, member contributions are 14.25% of pensionable earnings. Pension contributions operate under net pay arrangements, which means deductions are taken directly from gross earnings before income tax is calculated. This provides immediate income tax relief at your marginal tax rate.
Income tax and National Insurance: Income tax applies to taxable pay above the standard £12,570 personal allowance. Earnings up to £50,270 are taxed at the basic rate of 20%, while earnings above this threshold are taxed at the higher rate of 40%. Employee National Insurance is charged on gross earnings without deduction for pension contributions, levied at 8% between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above that limit.
Pay progression across police ranks
Police constables appointed on or after 1 April 2013 start on pay point 0 or 1, depending on entry routes, qualifications or prior experience. Officers advance by one pay point each year, subject to satisfactory appraisal, reaching pay point 7 after six or seven years of service.
Promotion to sergeant moves officers onto a separate five-point scale from point 0 to point 4. Inspectors progress along a four-point scale from point 0 to point 3. Higher ranks including Chief Inspector, Superintendent and Chief Officers follow distinct senior officer pay scales.
Additional allowances and regional variations
The figures above represent basic national pay for full-time police officers in England and Wales. Officers in the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police receive London Weighting and London Allowance to assist with higher costs in London.
Officers may also qualify for supplementary allowances such as unsocial hours payments, dog handler allowances, on-call allowances, or replacement allowances. If you receive allowances or repay a student loan, calculate your exact net pay with our take-home pay calculator.
Devolved administrations
These pay scales apply to police forces in England and Wales for 2024/25, effective 1 September 2024. Scotland and Northern Ireland operate separate police services with independent pay negotiating bodies and distinct salary structures.
Scottish police officers are also subject to Scottish income tax rates and bands set by the Scottish Parliament, which alters their net take-home pay compared to officers in England and Wales on identical gross earnings.