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Constables' pay (updated - September 2017)
The starting salary for a police officer ranges between £19,971 (no qualifications) and £23,124 for constables, rising to £38,382 seven years after joining.
The 2017 Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) report found that in 2015/16 police pay was six per cent above professional occupations and 41 per cent higher than wages in the wider economy.
More than half of police constables are currently at the top of their pay bracket. Median total earnings for constables and sergeants are £40,000.
Police officers are entitled to membership of a defined benefit pension scheme. Members benefit from employer contributions of 21.3 per cent of their pay towards their pensions on top of their own contribution. All contributing members are able to take their pension by age 60, with the majority able to take a pension sooner.
Officers receive a minimum of 22 days of annual leave, rising with service to 30 days, plus bank holidays as well as flexible working schedules and career breaks.
Further benefits include: enhanced maternity pay and leave and parental support pay (up to two weeks), paid allowances to compensate for disruption to family life and the demands of the role, and sick leave on full pay for up to six months.
Police officers who have not reached the top of their pay scale receive annual incremental pay of at least two per cent in addition to any annual pay awards depending on rank and experience. This is dependent upon an officer’s performance having been graded as either ‘satisfactory’ or above in the annual appraisal. Dependent on satisfactory performance, a constable will typically reach the top of their pay scale within five to seven years.
Police pay brackets
| Rank | With effect from 1 September 2019 |
| Constable (appointed on or after 1 April 2013) |
£20,880 |
| Pay Point 1 | £24,177 |
| 2 | £25,269 |
| 3 | £26,370 |
| 4 | £27,471 |
| 5 | £29,670 |
| 6 | £34,098 |
| 7 | £40,128 |
| Constable (appointed before 1 April 2013) |
£25,560 |
| 1 | £28,527 |
| 2 | £30,180 |
| 3 | £32,025 |
| 4 | £33,036 |
| 5 | £34,098 |
| 6 | £37,095 |
| 7 | £40,128 |
| Sergeant | £41,499 |
| 2 | £42,894 |
| 3 | £43,806 |
| 4 | £45,099 |
| Rank | With effect from 1 September 2019 |
| Inspector | £51,414 |
| 1 | £52,863 |
| 2 | £54,312 |
| 3 | £55,767 |
| Inspector (London) | £53,664 |
| 1 | £55,119 |
| 2 | £56,580 |
| 3 | £58,038 |
| Chief Inspector | £59,910 |
| 2 | £58,050 |
| 3 | £59,250 |
| In post 31 August 1994 | £60,219 |
| Chief Inspector (London) |
£59,175 |
| 2 | £60,315 |
| 3 | £61,509 |
| In post 31 August 1994 | £62,469 |
| Superintendent (promoted to rank on or after 1 April 2014) |
£68,460 |
| 2 | £72,033 |
| 3 | £75,795 |
| 4 | £80,859 |
| Superintendent (promoted to rank before 1 April 2014) |
£68,460 |
| 2 | £71,283 |
| 3 | £74,103 |
| 4 | £76,932 |
| 5 | £79,758 |
| Chief Superintendent |
£84,849 |
| 2 | £87,717 |
| 3 | £89,511 |
* Pay for chief officer ranks is determined by the size of the force and level of crime demand
Additional pay allowances
- In addition to basic pay, police officers in London receive regional allowances of up to £6,735 per annum.
- Police officers in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey or Thames Valley constabulary may receive regional allowances of up £3,000 per annum.
- Police officers in Bedfordshire, Hampshire or Sussex constabulary may receive regional allowances of up £2,000 per annum.
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