No adverts · Calculations run in your browser · Not affiliated with PFEW, NPCC or any force · How we calculate
When did you join?
Some forces start at PP2: check your offer letter.
Monthly take-home · Sep 2026 scales
£1,952
- Annual take-home
- £23,420
- Weekly take-home
- £450
Annual breakdown
Effective rate (tax + NI): 14.5% of gross pay · tax code 1257L · your employer also pays into your pension. What will it pay?
Source: PRRB 2026 report (3.5% award) · HMRC 2026/27 tax and NI rates · Checked October 2026 · How we calculate
Contribution rates updated 1 April 2026 (Home Office consultation response)
Student loan
Many officers claim tax relief on Fed subscriptions and uniform upkeep via HMRC, changing their code to 1300L or similar. Check your payslip. How to claim (P87)
Pay periods
Working hours
Police officers are full-time on a 40-hour week, so both default to 40. Working full time? Leave them equal. Part-time? Lower “your hours” (and set the full-time week to your force's standard if it isn't 40).
Salary sacrifice (pre-tax)
Other deductions (post-tax)
Salary sacrifice deductions reduce your taxable pay and therefore your income tax and NI. Other deductions are taken after tax.
Going for sergeant? Up to +£6,160 a year
Overtime
Basic hourly rate (excl. allowances)
£15.51/hr
£20.68 /hr overtime (×1.33)
Estimated overtime pay
Overtime is non-pensionable. Tax shown is an estimate based on your marginal rate — actual deduction depends on your total earnings that month.
Unsocial hours (8pm–6am)
Enhancement rate
£1.55/hr
+10% of £15.51/hr basic rate
Monthly impact
Non-pensionable. Based on your average weekly unsocial hours × 52 ÷ 12.
Working lots of shifts this month? Add them all up in the Shift Planner (Pro, £20/year). Plan my month →
More police pay, pension and career tools
Pension
Promotion
Forces and regions
Take-home pay by rank (2026/27)
From 1 September 2026, police officer salaries in England & Wales include the confirmed 3.5% PRRB pay award. A new police constable starts on £32,255 gross (£1,952/month net take-home after PPS 2015 pension, income tax and National Insurance) and progresses to £52,015 (£2,942/month net) at Pay Point 7. Metropolitan and City of London officers receive up to £10,079/year in additional London Weighting and London Allowance.
| Rank | Starting gross | Top of scale gross | Take-home /month | Pay scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constable (PC / DC)Constable (PC / DC) | £32,255 | £52,015 | £1,952 – £2,942 | Constable (PC / DC) pay scale → |
| Sergeant (PS / DS)Sergeant (PS / DS) | £55,443 | £58,175 | £3,133 – £3,285 | Sergeant (PS / DS) pay scale → |
| Inspector (Insp / DI)Inspector (Insp / DI) | £66,000 | £71,396 | £3,612 – £3,835 | Inspector (Insp / DI) pay scale → |
| Chief InspectorChief Inspector | £72,806 | £75,709 | £3,893 – £4,014 | Chief Inspector pay scale → |
| SuperintendentSuperintendent | £87,123 | £102,480 | £4,471 – £5,104 | Superintendent pay scale → |
| Chief SuperintendentChief Superintendent | £107,430 | £119,838 | £5,308 – £5,773 | Chief Superintendent pay scale → |
Net figures assume tax code 1257L, outside London, no student loan, and standard PPS 2015 pension contributions (12.88%–14.22%). View the full 2026/27 police pay scales for every pay point, project your retirement pot with the police pension calculator, or check the police pension increase April 2027 for retired officers.
Frequently asked questions
Which pay award does this use?
The pay scales in force from 1 September 2026, including the 3.5% award confirmed by the Government on 15 July 2026 following the PRRB recommendation.
Why is my actual take-home different from the calculator?
The calculator uses the standard 1257L tax code. If your code differs (e.g. due to a previous underpayment, company car, or additional income), your income tax will vary. Overtime, unsocial hours payments, and force-specific allowances are also not included.
How are pension contributions calculated?
Contributions under the PPS 2015 (CARE) scheme are charged at a single rate based on which band your actual pensionable pay falls in — 12.88% up to £37,035, 13.88% up to £79,587, and 14.22% above that. These rates are effective 1 April 2026 (Home Office consultation response). Contributions are deducted before income tax is calculated, giving you tax relief at your marginal rate.
Does London Weighting affect the pension calculation?
Partly. Metropolitan and City of London officers receive £3,260 London Weighting plus £6,819 London Allowance — a total of £10,079/year from 1 September 2026. Only the £3,260 London Weighting is pensionable (it is part of pay under the Police Regulations); the London Allowance is a non-pensionable allowance. The calculator counts just the Weighting towards your pension contribution and accrual — the full £10,079 is still subject to income tax and National Insurance.
Is this calculator for Scotland and Northern Ireland too?
These pay scales are for England and Wales. Scottish officers are subject to Scottish income tax rates, which differ from England & Wales — we have a dedicated Police Scotland take-home pay calculator at /scotland/ that applies the Scottish income tax bands (with a Plan 4 student loan option). PSNI officers in Northern Ireland have a dedicated calculator at /northern-ireland/ that adds the Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA), with a Plan 1 student loan option.
Why do many officers use a different tax code like 1300L or 1302L?
Officers who claim tax relief on Police Federation subscriptions (£315.72/yr) plus the £140 flat-rate uniform maintenance allowance (£455.72 total) through HMRC receive an adjusted tax code of 1302L in 2026/27 (or ~1300L if claiming Federation subs alone). This raises your tax-free personal allowance from £12,570 to £13,025, reducing your income tax each month and allowing you to claim up to £690 in backdated rebates. You can enter your actual tax code in the calculator above for an accurate result.
Calculate your 1302L tax code & claim up to £690 via HMRC P87 →Can I calculate part-time police pay?
Yes — enter your contracted weekly hours in the Deductions & adjustments section. The calculator pro-rates your salary, pension contributions, tax and NI based on your FTE (full-time equivalent). Note that your pension tier is based on your actual pro-rated pay, not your full-time equivalent salary, which can mean lower pension contributions than you might expect.
How is police overtime calculated?
Police overtime is calculated from your basic hourly rate — your annual salary divided by 52 weeks and 40 hours. The multiplier depends on the type of overtime: casual overtime pays time and a third (×1.33), rest day working with short notice pays time and a half (×1.50), and public holidays pay double time (×2.00). Night duty enhancements of 10% apply to hours worked between 8pm and 6am. Overtime is not pensionable, so no pension contributions are deducted — but it is subject to income tax and National Insurance at your marginal rate.