UK Police Officer Salary 2026
What are the latest annual salaries for police officers across the UK in 2026? What was the pay increase set at? How does this compare across the ranks? This page provides the answers in one place, with how much officers earn through the ranks. This covers all forces across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the tables below also including the Metropolitan Police London weightings. See my latest police salary blog for how this has changed over time for England and Wales forces!
Police officers generally seek promotion to leave a larger legacy, develop their career and have greater impact through leadership. However, the additional income helps, as with great responsibility comes a better reward package. This page may be useful for those wanting promotion to Sergeant, Inspector and Chief Inspector (aka Federated ranks) to get a feel for the difference in remuneration. It's an additional motivator and shows that investment in your CPD to succeed will be worth every penny!
Investing in your future: When considering the return on your investment, Rank Success masterclasses, downloadable guides and coaching offers tremendous value for money that you'll get back in your first pay packet alone. See a comparison below of raw average salary alone. Note that the following information doesn't take account of factors like the additional police pension, overtime or other benefits received at higher ranks.
You might also find this handy Excel money manager helpful to keeping on top of your finances in these difficult times.
Police officers generally seek promotion to leave a larger legacy, develop their career and have greater impact through leadership. However, the additional income helps, as with great responsibility comes a better reward package. This page may be useful for those wanting promotion to Sergeant, Inspector and Chief Inspector (aka Federated ranks) to get a feel for the difference in remuneration. It's an additional motivator and shows that investment in your CPD to succeed will be worth every penny!
Investing in your future: When considering the return on your investment, Rank Success masterclasses, downloadable guides and coaching offers tremendous value for money that you'll get back in your first pay packet alone. See a comparison below of raw average salary alone. Note that the following information doesn't take account of factors like the additional police pension, overtime or other benefits received at higher ranks.
You might also find this handy Excel money manager helpful to keeping on top of your finances in these difficult times.
PC to SGT: £15,000 / year
SGT to INS: £10,000 / year
INS to C.INS: £5,000 / year
SGT to INS: £10,000 / year
INS to C.INS: £5,000 / year
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England & Wales Police Officer Salaries 2026
Latest England & Wales officer salary info is effective from 1 September 2025, following the 4.2% increase to all police pay scales for 2026. This follows 4.75% for 2024-25, 7% for 2023-24 salaries, an average 5% increase for officers for 2022, 0% in 2021, and 2.5% in both 2020 and 2019. See my pay blogs for more info on these trends vs. inflation and more.
Officers within the Metropolitan Police and City of London receive an additional £10k in London allowances. That's in addition to the bespoke London (L) salaries shown for the Inspecting ranks in the table below. There's a £3000 bolt-on allowance for officers in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, and Thames Valley Police. Officers within Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and Sussex attract a £2,000 allowance on top of the below salaries. Dog Handlers get an extra £2.9k allowance for the first dog, then £1.5k for any additional dogs. The 'On-Call Allowance' is now £35 per day.
Generally, officers progress to the next PP upon each year of service, for example it takes 6 years for Constables to reach the top of the band at £50k. The other ranks are shorter and quicker to progress through. The UK full time average salary is just over £39k (source: ASHE), which officers currently exceed when reaching 5 years' service.
Officers within the Metropolitan Police and City of London receive an additional £10k in London allowances. That's in addition to the bespoke London (L) salaries shown for the Inspecting ranks in the table below. There's a £3000 bolt-on allowance for officers in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, and Thames Valley Police. Officers within Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and Sussex attract a £2,000 allowance on top of the below salaries. Dog Handlers get an extra £2.9k allowance for the first dog, then £1.5k for any additional dogs. The 'On-Call Allowance' is now £35 per day.
Generally, officers progress to the next PP upon each year of service, for example it takes 6 years for Constables to reach the top of the band at £50k. The other ranks are shorter and quicker to progress through. The UK full time average salary is just over £39k (source: ASHE), which officers currently exceed when reaching 5 years' service.
POLICE CONSTABLE |
SERGEANT |
INSPECTOR |
CHIEF INSPECTOR |
PP0 - Removed |
PP1 - Removed |
PP0 - £63,768 |
PP1 - £70,344 |
PP1 - £31,164 |
PP2 - £53,568 |
PP1 - £65,505 |
PP2 - £71,715 |
PP2 - £32,472 |
PP3 - £54,660 |
PP2 - £67,236 |
PP3 - £73,148 |
PP3 - £33,789 |
PP4 - £56,208 |
PP3 - £68,982 |
- |
PP4 - £35,106 |
- |
PP(L)0 - £66,462 |
PP(L)1 - £73,062 |
PP5 - £37,737 |
- |
PP(L)1 - £68,202 |
PP(L)2 - £74,427 |
PP6 - £43,038 |
- |
PP(L)2 - £69,954 |
PP(L)3 - £75,855 |
PP7 - £50,256 |
- |
PP(L)3 - £71,697 |
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Police Scotland Officer Salaries 2026-2027
Police Scotland officer salary has been set out for two years. Officers here start at £33k and match the national average full time salary within three years. The latest Police Scotland officer salaries were settled in 2025, with a 4.2% increase for 2025/26 and 3.5% for 2026/27. This followed a 4.75% increase in 2024/25, 7% increase to the 2023/24 scales and 5% for 2022/23.
These increases are in addition to the that officers experience each year, as they progress through the Pay Points (PP) within each rank, until reaching the top of the band. Read more about Police Scotland salaries, including Chief Officer pay.
Officers in Scotland are immediately better off than other forces, and exceed the UK average salary within just three years of service. Conversely, it takes longer to reach the top of the officer pay scale at the Constable rank. Sergeants are now comfortably beyond the higher 42% tax bracket, and Chief Inspectors peak at nearly £78k after three years. The Chief Constable is now on £271k. For all ranks in between, see my latest Scotland police pay blog linked above.
These increases are in addition to the that officers experience each year, as they progress through the Pay Points (PP) within each rank, until reaching the top of the band. Read more about Police Scotland salaries, including Chief Officer pay.
Officers in Scotland are immediately better off than other forces, and exceed the UK average salary within just three years of service. Conversely, it takes longer to reach the top of the officer pay scale at the Constable rank. Sergeants are now comfortably beyond the higher 42% tax bracket, and Chief Inspectors peak at nearly £78k after three years. The Chief Constable is now on £271k. For all ranks in between, see my latest Scotland police pay blog linked above.
POLICE CONSTABLE |
SERGEANT |
INSPECTOR |
CHIEF INSPECTOR |
PP0 - £32,725 |
PP1 - Removed |
PP1 - £64,959 |
PP1 - £73,233 |
PP1 - £35,608 |
PP2 - £54,377 |
PP2 - £66,766 |
PP2 - £74,726 |
PP2 - £38,488 |
PP3 - £55,475 |
PP3 - £68,586 |
PP3 - £76,743 |
PP3 - £40,787 |
PP4 - £57,087 |
PP4 - £70,386 |
PP4 - £77,950 |
PP4 - £42,044 |
PP5 - £58,746 |
PP5 - £72,045 |
- |
PP5 - £43,373 |
- |
- |
- |
PP6 - £44,584 |
- |
- |
- |
PP7 - £45,660 |
- |
- |
- |
PP8 - £47,104 |
- |
- |
- |
PP9 - £49,897 |
- |
- |
- |
PP10 - £50,899 |
- |
- |
- |
PP11 - £52,549 |
- |
- |
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Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) Officer Salaries 2026
PSNI salaries follow that of their England and Wales counterparts and mirrors increases there over recent years. So see the E&W table above for rates by rank. The 4.2% increase for 2025/26 takes effect from 1 September 2025, but has been delayed until January 2026 salaries.
Generally, officers progress to the next Pay Point (PP) upon each year of service. In addition, all PSNI officers receive the Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA) of £4.3k is paid throughout. That means you can in practical terms add £4.3k to all the tabulated England & Wales figures above.
For longer-term context, both 2019 and 2020 pay reviews resulted in a 2.5% pay increase across all Federated officer PPs, with the latter also increasing the initial salary of Sergeants for newly promoted officers. There was no increase in 2021, 5% in 2022, 7% for the 2023-24 pay year, and 4.75% for 2024-25. Below shows the situation now with the 4.2% applied for 2025/26. In the longer term, policing as a career compares favourably to average UK wages; especially for promotion.
Generally, officers progress to the next Pay Point (PP) upon each year of service. In addition, all PSNI officers receive the Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA) of £4.3k is paid throughout. That means you can in practical terms add £4.3k to all the tabulated England & Wales figures above.
For longer-term context, both 2019 and 2020 pay reviews resulted in a 2.5% pay increase across all Federated officer PPs, with the latter also increasing the initial salary of Sergeants for newly promoted officers. There was no increase in 2021, 5% in 2022, 7% for the 2023-24 pay year, and 4.75% for 2024-25. Below shows the situation now with the 4.2% applied for 2025/26. In the longer term, policing as a career compares favourably to average UK wages; especially for promotion.
