Police Inspector Salary UK: Understanding Pay Scales and Hourly Rates

If you are considering promotion to inspector or simply want to benchmark your earnings, knowing the police inspector salary UK is essential. Police inspector pay is set nationally by the Home Secretary following the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) recommendations, with separate scales for London forces. This article explains the current pay points, how to convert annual salary to an hourly rate, and what London weighting means for your take-home pay.

Annual Pay Scales for Police Inspectors (2025/26)

According to the official GOV.UK Annex F determination, police inspectors in England and Wales are paid on a scale with four pay points (PP0 to PP3). The figures below are effective from 1 September 2025.

National scale (all forces except Met and City of London):

• PP0: £63,768
• PP1: £65,505
• PP2: £67,236
• PP3: £68,982

London scale (Metropolitan Police and City of London Police):

• PP0: £66,462
• PP1: £68,202
• PP2: £69,954
• PP3: £71,697

Inspectors in London also receive an additional London weighting of £3,150 per year, as specified in Part 10 of the determination. However, the London pay scale already includes a higher base, so the total pay for a London inspector is the scale rate plus the weighting. For example, a London inspector at PP0 would receive £66,462 + £3,150 = £69,612. Some sources treat the London scale as inclusive of the allowance – check with your force HR.

2026/27 Pay Award

The 2026/27 pay award provides a 3.5% uplift from 1 September 2026. Based on data from Employers Calculators, the national inspector scale becomes:

• PP1: £65,999
• PP2: £68,124
• PP3: £70,237
• PP4: £71,386

Note that the number of pay points may vary between years. London scales for 2026/27 are not yet published in the search results, but the same percentage increase is expected.

Hourly Rate Calculation for Police Inspectors

Police officers work a standard 40-hour week, but the annual hours are calculated using 52.14 weeks (to account for leave and bank holidays). The formula is:

Hourly rate = Annual salary ÷ (40 × 52.14) = Annual salary ÷ 2,085.6

For a national inspector at PP0 (£63,768), the notional hourly rate is: £63,768 ÷ 2,085.6 ≈ £30.58 per hour

For a London inspector at PP3 (£71,697 + £3,150 = £74,847 total), the hourly rate is: £74,847 ÷ 2,085.6 ≈ £35.89 per hour

These are notional rates because inspectors are salaried and do not receive overtime pay. The hourly figure is useful for comparing with hourly-paid roles or for part-time calculations.

Overtime and Additional Payments

Inspectors and above are not entitled to paid overtime under the Police Regulations 2003. Additional hours worked are typically compensated with time off in lieu (TOIL) or, in some forces, a rest-day buy-back scheme. This is a significant change from the ranks of constable and sergeant, who can earn overtime at time-and-a-third for rest-day work and double time for bank holidays.

When considering promotion, it is worth calculating the value of overtime you currently earn as a sergeant. For example, a sergeant at the top of the scale (£58,175) working 8 hours of rest-day overtime per month could earn around £3,570 extra annually, bringing total earnings to about £61,745 – still below the inspector starting salary of £63,768. However, if you work more overtime, the gap narrows.

London Weighting and Regional Variations

London weighting of £3,150 is paid to all officers in the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police. For inspectors, the separate London pay scale already provides a higher base than the national scale, so the weighting is added on top. Some forces outside London may offer additional allowances, but these are not guaranteed nationally.

Pension and Deductions

Police officers in the CARE 2015 pension scheme contribute 12.44% of pensionable pay. This is deducted before income tax and National Insurance. Using the 2026/27 tax rates:

• Personal Allowance: £12,570
• Basic rate (20%): £12,571 to £50,270
• Higher rate (40%): above £50,270
• Employee NI: 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% above

For a national inspector at PP1 (£65,999), the take-home pay after pension, tax, and NI would be approximately £3,800 per month (depending on exact thresholds). Use our salary articles for more detailed net pay calculators.

Part-Time Inspectors

Part-time inspectors have their pay calculated using the same hourly rate formula. The hourly rate is multiplied by the number of hours worked per week, up to a maximum of 40 hours. Annual leave pay is based on 8 times the hourly rate per day, reduced proportionally.

Summary

The police inspector salary UK ranges from about £63,768 to £71,697 (2025/26) depending on location and pay point, with an additional £3,150 London weighting for Met and City officers. The notional hourly rate is between £30.58 and £35.89. Inspectors do not receive overtime, but the base salary is significantly higher than that of a sergeant. For the latest pay scales and to convert your hourly rate to an annual salary, visit our Hourly to Salary page.