Police Pay Scale Calculator UK 2026/27
Reviewed by James Sheridan, CIPP-qualified payroll specialist · Last verified
Your results
- Annual salary
- £52,014.00
- Hourly rate
- £24.94
- Time and a third
- £33.25
Estimates only, based on 2026/27 HMRC rates. Verify against GOV.UK before making payroll decisions.
Police officer pay in England and Wales ranges from £32,255 for a starting constable to £115,383 for a top-of-scale Chief Superintendent in 2026/27, following the confirmed 3.5% pay award from 1 September 2026. Use this calculator to estimate your take-home pay after pension, income tax and National Insurance. The pay scales below cover every rank from Constable through Chief Superintendent, with hourly rates, overtime calculations and [London Weighting](#london-weighting-and-allowances). For NHS staff, see the [NHS take-home pay calculator](/nhs-take-home-pay/).
How to use this calculator
- Find your rank and pay point. Police pay is determined by rank and years of service. A constable starts at PP1 and progresses annually to PP7.
- Check the 2026/27 salary. The tables below show the confirmed 3.5% uplift effective 1 September 2026 for England and Wales.
- Calculate your hourly rate. Divide the annual salary by 2,085.6 to get the hourly rate. Multiply by 1.33 for rest-day overtime or by 2 for bank-holiday overtime.
- Estimate take-home pay. Deduct 12.44% police pension, income tax and employee National Insurance from the gross salary. London officers add £3,150 weighting before deductions.
How it is calculated
Police hourly rate is annual salary ÷ 2,085.6 (40 hours × 52.14 weeks). Rest-day overtime is time and a third (×1.33); bank-holiday overtime is double time (×2). Inspector and above are salaried ranks and do not normally receive paid overtime.
Police pay scales 2026/27: all ranks
The 2026/27 police pay award applies a 3.5% increase to all ranks from 1 September 2026. The table below shows the entry and top-of-scale salaries for each rank in England and Wales.
| Rank | Entry salary | Top of scale | Hourly rate (top) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constable (PP1–PP7) | £32,255 | £52,014 | £24.94 |
| Sergeant | £55,443 | £58,175 | £27.89 |
| Inspector | £65,999 | £71,386 | £34.23 |
| Chief Inspector | £74,393 | £77,474 | £37.15 |
| Superintendent | £97,014 | £106,419 | £51.03 |
| Chief Superintendent | £109,806 | £115,383 | £55.32 |
Pay points advance annually on the anniversary of joining, subject to satisfactory performance. The hourly rate is calculated on a 40-hour standard week (2,085.6 annual hours). For detailed breakdowns by rank, see the [constable](/police-constable-pay-calculator/), [sergeant](/police-sergeant-pay-calculator/) and [inspector](/police-inspector-pay-calculator/) pages.
Police constable pay (PP1–PP7)
A police constable in England and Wales starts at £32,255 (PP1) and reaches £52,014 (PP7) after seven years of service. Progression is annual and incremental.
| Pay point | Annual salary | Monthly gross | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £32,255 | £2,688 | £15.47 |
| PP2 | £33,609 | £2,801 | £16.11 |
| PP3 | £34,972 | £2,914 | £16.77 |
| PP4 | £36,335 | £3,028 | £17.42 |
| PP5 | £39,068 | £3,256 | £18.73 |
| PP6 | £44,544 | £3,712 | £21.36 |
| PP7 | £52,014 | £4,335 | £24.94 |
Officers appointed before 1 April 2013 may remain on the legacy pay structure, which starts at PP0 (£33,969). Both scales converge at the top (PP7). See the full [constable pay breakdown](/police-constable-pay-calculator/) for legacy rates and progression details.
Sergeant, Inspector and senior ranks
Promotion to sergeant requires passing the National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF) assessment. Sergeant pay starts at £55,443 and tops out at £58,175 across three pay points.
Inspector pay ranges from £65,999 to £71,386. Inspectors and above are salaried ranks: they do not receive paid overtime. Chief Inspectors earn £74,393 to £77,474.
Superintendents earn £97,014 to £106,419 and Chief Superintendents £109,806 to £115,383. For detailed pay tables, see the [sergeant pay calculator](/police-sergeant-pay-calculator/) and [inspector pay calculator](/police-inspector-pay-calculator/).
Police overtime: time and a third, double time
Police officers at constable and sergeant rank are entitled to paid overtime under Police Regulations. The standard rates are:
- Rest-day working: time and a third (×1.33)
- Public holiday working: double time (×2)
- Casual overtime (less than a full shift): time and a third
A top-of-scale constable earning £52,014 has an hourly rate of £24.94. A rest-day shift at time and a third pays £33.25 per hour, while a bank-holiday shift at double time pays £49.88 per hour.
A top-of-scale sergeant earning £58,175 has an hourly rate of £27.89. A rest-day shift at time and a third pays £37.19 per hour, while a bank-holiday shift at double time pays £55.79 per hour.
London Weighting and allowances
Metropolitan Police and City of London officers receive London Weighting of £3,150 per year on top of the national pay scale. This is added to gross pay before deductions.
For example, a London constable at PP7 earns £52,014 + £3,150 = £55,164 gross, raising monthly pay by about £263.
Other common allowances include:
- South East allowance (£2,000–£3,000 in some Home Counties forces)
- Dog handler’s allowance (£2,946 per year for the first dog)
- On-call allowance (varies by force)
- Competence-related threshold payment (CRTP, where still in use)
Allowances vary by force and are not part of the national pay scale.
Police pension (CARE 2015 scheme)
All police officers contribute 12.44% of pensionable pay to the 2015 CARE (Career Average Revalued Earnings) pension scheme. The employer contributes 31%. Pensionable pay includes basic salary and London Weighting but normally excludes overtime.
| Rank (top point) | Gross salary | Annual pension (12.44%) | Monthly pension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constable PP7 | £52,014 | £6,471 | £539 |
| Sergeant PP3 | £58,175 | £7,237 | £603 |
| Inspector PP4 | £71,386 | £8,880 | £740 |
Pension contributions are deducted before income tax (net pay arrangement), so they reduce taxable pay. The scheme provides a pension based on 1/55.3 of each year’s pensionable earnings, revalued annually by CPI + 1.25%. Normal pension age is 60 for the 2015 scheme. Officers on the legacy 1987 or 2006 schemes have different contribution rates and accrual.
Take-home pay examples
These estimates use 2026/27 income tax, National Insurance and the 12.44% police pension. They assume the standard 1257L tax code and no student loan.
| Scenario | Gross salary | Pension | Income tax | Employee NI | Take-home (year) | Take-home (month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constable PP1 | £32,255 | £4,013 | £3,134 | £1,575 | £23,533 | £1,961 |
| Constable PP7 | £52,014 | £6,471 | £6,595 | £3,051 | — | — |
| Sergeant PP3 | £58,175 | £7,237 | — | — | — | — |
Summary: use the police pay calculator
Find your rank and pay point in the tables above, then use the calculator to estimate pension, tax and take-home pay. Key points to remember:
- The 2026/27 pay award is 3.5% from 1 September 2026
- Hourly rate = annual salary ÷ 2,085.6
- Rest-day overtime is time and a third; bank holidays are double time
- Inspector and above are salaried — no paid overtime
- London Weighting adds £3,150 for Met and City of London officers
- Pension is 12.44% of pensionable pay (CARE 2015 scheme)
For employer costs and NI, see the [employer NI calculator](/employer-ni-calculator/) and the [employee cost calculator](/employee-cost-calculator/).
Key rates — tax year 2026/27
Source: GOV.UK, "Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027" (HMRC).
| Employer NI main rate | 15% |
|---|---|
| Secondary threshold (annual) | £5,000.00 |
| Employment Allowance | £10,500.00 |
| Employee NI main rate | 8% |
| Primary threshold (annual) | £12,570.00 |
| Personal Allowance | £12,570.00 |
| Basic income tax rate | 20% |
| SSP weekly rate | £123.25 |
| SMP weekly rate (flat weeks) | £194.32 |
| Auto-enrolment employer minimum | 3% |
| Auto-enrolment employee minimum | 5% |
| National Living Wage (21+, per hour) | £12.71 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a police officer earn in the UK in 2026?
A starting police constable in England and Wales earns £32,255 a year (PP1). After seven years, pay rises to £52,014 (PP7). Senior ranks earn more: a sergeant gets £55,443–£58,175, an inspector £65,999–£71,386, and a Chief Superintendent £109,806–£115,383.
What is the police pay rise for 2026/27?
The Home Office confirmed a 3.5% pay rise for all police ranks in England and Wales, effective 1 September 2026. Officers below the top of their scale may also receive a separate annual increment.
What is police time and a third overtime?
Time and a third (×1.33) is the standard overtime rate for rest-day working. A constable at PP7 earning £24.94 per hour receives £33.25 per hour at time and a third. Bank-holiday working is double time (×2).
Do inspectors get paid overtime?
No. Inspector and above are salaried ranks under Police Regulations and do not receive paid overtime. Some forces offer rest-day compensation or time off in lieu as a matter of local policy.
What is the police pension contribution rate?
Police officers contribute 12.44% of pensionable pay under the CARE 2015 pension scheme. The employer contributes 31%. Pension contributions are deducted before income tax, reducing your taxable pay.
How much is London Weighting for police?
Metropolitan Police and City of London officers receive £3,150 per year on top of the national pay scale. This is added to gross pay before tax and pension deductions.
What is the hourly rate for a police constable?
Based on a 40-hour week (2,085.6 annual hours), a constable at PP1 earns £15.47 per hour and at PP7 earns £24.94 per hour in 2026/27.
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