Understanding UK Police Salary

When researching uk police salary, it helps to know that police pay is structured differently from many other public sector roles. Officers follow a fixed pay scale with annual increments, and there are additional allowances for London, unsocial hours, and overtime. This article explains the current rates, how to convert them to an hourly wage, and how they compare with national benchmarks.

Police Constable Pay Scales

From September 2025, a new police constable starts at pay point 1 with an annual salary of £31,164. Through annual incremental progression, a constable can reach pay point 7 at £50,256 within about six years. The full scale is:

• Pay point 1: £31,164
• Pay point 2: £32,472
• Pay point 3: £33,789
• Pay point 4: £35,106
• Pay point 5: £37,737
• Pay point 6: £43,038
• Pay point 7: £50,256

These figures come from the GOV.UK police pay determination (Annex F amendment).

Hourly Rate Calculation for Police Officers

Unlike many jobs that use a 37.5-hour week, police full-time hours are defined as 40 per week. The official formula for calculating the hourly rate is to multiply the annual salary by 6/12520. For a constable on £31,164, this gives approximately £14.94 per hour. At the top of the scale (£50,256), the hourly rate is about £24.09.

For part-time officers, the same multiplier is applied to their pro-rata annual salary. This is important when comparing police pay to other roles that use a different hourly divisor. You can use our hourly calculator to convert any salary to an hourly rate, but remember to adjust for the correct weekly hours.

London Weighting and Regional Differences

Officers in the City of London and Metropolitan Police receive an additional £3,150 per year as London weighting. This is paid on top of basic salary and is not included in calculations for other allowances. For a starting constable in London, total basic pay would be £34,314 (£31,164 + £3,150). The hourly rate for a full-time London constable would then be about £16.45.

Regional differences are significant. The Home Office evidence to the Police Remuneration Review Body (2026-27) shows that median basic pay for constables in 2025 was £39,688 across England and Wales, but £45,140 for the Metropolitan Police. This reflects both London weighting and a higher proportion of officers on upper pay points in the capital.

Seniority and Progression

Police pay increases with rank and experience. The table below shows the minimum and maximum salaries for each rank (from Home Office evidence):

• Sergeant: £53,568 – £56,208
• Inspector: £63,768 – £68,982
• Chief Inspector: £70,344 – £73,149
• Superintendent: £84,177 – £99,015
• Chief Superintendent: £103,797 – £115,785

In addition to basic pay, officers in federated ranks (constable to chief inspector) receive a 10% night allowance for hours worked between 8pm and 6am. Overtime is paid separately under Annex G of the Police Regulations.

Comparing Police Pay to Other Public Sector Roles

To put police salaries in context, consider the NHS pay scales for 2026/27. A newly qualified nurse (Band 5) starts at £38,488 per year, rising to £46,852 at the top of the band. The hourly rate for a Band 5 entry step is £19.68 (based on a 37.5-hour week). A police constable at the top of their scale (£50,256) earns more than a top Band 5 nurse, but the starting police salary (£31,164) is lower than the nurse's starting point.

Nationally, the UK median full-time gross annual pay is about £39,039, equivalent to £20.02 per hour at 37.5 hours. A police constable on pay point 5 (£37,737) is close to this median, while those on higher points exceed it. The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 per hour (2026/27), so even the lowest police starting rate (£14.94/hr) is well above that floor.

For more detailed comparisons, see our salary data page, which tracks pay across multiple sectors.

Key Takeaways

• uk police salary starts at £31,164 for constables and rises to £50,256 after six years.
• Hourly rates are calculated using a 40-hour week (multiply annual by 6/12520).
• London weighting adds £3,150 for Metropolitan and City of London officers.
• Senior ranks command significantly higher pay, with chief superintendents earning over £100,000.
• Police pay compares favourably with NHS and national median earnings, especially at senior levels.

Always check your contract and official guidance, as actual take-home pay depends on shift patterns, overtime, and pension contributions. For more articles on UK pay, visit our salary articles section.