Profession · 2026/27
Police Constable Salary 2026/27
England & Wales police constable pay (2024 uplift): starter £29,907 rest-of-England/Wales; London Met adds £2,841. Progression over 7 years to £46,044. Scottish and NI rates close but distinct.
Typical pay & take-home
- Median gross
- £38,000
- Typical range
- £30,000–£46,000
- Take-home at median
- £30,880
England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.
At the median for this profession, you earn about 2% above the UK full-time median (£37,430), placing you in the top 49% of UK earners.
What influences police constable pay
Police Federation pay scales (England & Wales) have 7 incremental steps — starter £29,907 progressing to £46,044 over 7 years (2024 settlement). London Metropolitan constables get a £2,841 London weighting on top.
Unsocial-hours shift premium can add 10–15% to take-home for officers on round-the-clock rotas. Overtime and policing-operation pay (e.g. public order, major events) is on top and taxed at marginal rate.
Police Pension Scheme 2015 is a CARE DB scheme — employee contributions 12.44% (standard rate 2024/25), net pay arrangement so IT relief is full. The scheme is generous (1/55.3rd accrual) and includes a 30-year lump-sum-plus-pension retirement package.
Career progression
- PC Year 0: £29,907 rest-of-E&W, £32,748 Met.
- PC Year 7 (top of scale): £46,044 rest-of-E&W, £48,885 Met.
- Sergeant: £48,030 rising to £51,195.
- Inspector: £61,830 rising to £67,365.
- Chief Inspector / Superintendent / Chief Officer ranks above.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a new Met constable take home 2026/27?
- At £32,748 gross with 12.44% Police Pension, approximately £23,000-£24,000 per year take-home. Unsocial-hours premia, shift enhancements and overtime typically add 10-20% on top of base depending on posting.
- Is the Police Pension still valuable?
- Yes - CARE 1/55.3rd accrual is one of the more generous public DB schemes. At constable-level contributions (12.44%) with 40% effective employer rate, total pension build-up is unusually strong. Many officers can retire at 60 on a near-final-salary equivalent pension.