How Much Do Police Officers Actually Take Home? (2026/27)

The number that matters

Your contract says one thing. Your payslip says another. The question most officers have is straightforward: after everything comes out, what actually lands in my account?

Here we break it down for the most common ranks on the England & Wales pay scales in force for the 2026/27 tax year, assuming PPS 2015 pension and standard tax code 1257L. Pay scales effective 1 September 2026: the 3.5% award confirmed on 15 July 2026, applied to each 2025 pay point and rounded to the nearest £3 as published points are. The Police Federation has not yet published its official 2026 tables, so individual points may differ by a few pounds.

Constable take-home pay

A constable on PP5 (£39,057 gross) paying into the Police Pension Scheme 2015 would typically see:

• Gross annual pay: £39,057
• Pension (13.88%): −£5,421
• Income tax: −£4,213
• National Insurance: −£2,119
• Net annual: ~£27,304
• Net monthly: ~£2,275

That's roughly 70p in the pound taken home. At PP7 — the top of the constable scale — gross pay is £52,014 and take-home rises to around £2,942/month.

Sergeant take-home pay

A sergeant starting at PP2 (£55,443 gross — the sergeant scale starts at PP2) will typically take home around:

• Pension (13.88%): −£7,695
• Income tax: −£7,036
• National Insurance: −£3,119
• Net monthly: ~£3,133
• Net annual: ~£37,593

Sergeant gross pay is above £50,270, but the pension contribution comes off before income tax. Even at the top of the scale (£58,176), taxable pay is about £50,101 — still below the £50,270 higher-rate threshold, so basic pay is taxed at 20%. National Insurance, which is charged on gross pay, does drop to 2% above £50,270.

Inspector take-home pay

An inspector on PP1 (£67,797 gross) crosses into higher-rate income tax territory:

• Pension (13.88%): −£9,410
• Income tax (20% + 40%): ~−£10,787
• National Insurance: ~−£3,367
• Net monthly: ~£3,686

Met and City of London inspectors are on a separate, higher base scale (£68,787–£74,205) set by Police Regulations, on top of which London Weighting and the London Allowance are still paid.

At this level the higher-rate tax band starts to bite, which is why many inspectors look closely at whether salary sacrifice pension options (where available) can help.

London Weighting

Officers in the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police receive a total of £10,079/year on top of basic pay — £3,260 London Weighting (pensionable) and £6,819 London Allowance (non-pensionable). After pension, tax and NI, this adds roughly £577/month to take-home for a constable on PP1.

The pension trade-off

The contribution feels painful, especially early in service. But the Police Pension Scheme 2015 (CARE) is a defined benefit scheme — the employer contributes 35.3% of your pensionable pay on top, and your pension is guaranteed. The contribution isn't money lost; it's deferred compensation with significant employer top-up.

Use our calculator to see your specific take-home based on your rank, pay point and circumstances. The full 2026/27 pay scales are also available for every rank, with estimated take-home figures included. If a pay award is announced, use the pay rise calculator to see what any percentage means for your actual monthly take-home after pension, tax and NI.

The pension tier boundary: the hidden pay cut inside a pay rise

One thing the gross figures don't show: what happens when a pay rise pushes you across a pension tier boundary.

Under PPS 2015, the contribution rates are:

The rates aren't marginal. They apply to your entire pensionable pay once you cross a boundary.

A constable on PP4 (£36,336) contributing at 12.88% pays £4,680/year in pension. Move to PP5 (£39,057) and the rate becomes 13.88% — on the full £39,057. That's £5,421/year in pension, £741 more than at PP4 — of which £391 is the tier change alone, partially offsetting the gross pay increase.

So the actual net benefit of the PP4→PP5 step is smaller than the gross tables suggest — and any officer whose pay award pushes them across the £37,035 boundary faces the same effect.

How student loans interact with police pay

Officers with student loans see repayments that don't appear in gross-to-net comparisons unless you specifically account for them. On the 2026/27 repayment thresholds:

• Plan 2 (most graduates since 2012): 9% on earnings above £29,385. A constable on PP5 (£39,057) repays roughly £870/year (£73/month) on top of pension, tax and NI. For an inspector on PP1, the repayment is roughly £3,457/year (£288/month).
• Plan 1 (loans before 2012): 9% on earnings above £26,900. The lower threshold means repayments are higher at every pay level.

These repayments aren't tax-deductible. They come out of your net pay after HMRC has taken its share.

The 40% band: where it starts hurting

Two thresholds matter, and they are measured differently. National Insurance drops from 8% to 2% once your gross pay passes £50,270. Income tax rises from 20% to 40% once your taxable pay — gross less your pension contribution, which comes off first — passes £50,270. Officers in the 40% band pay 40p per additional £1 of gross income to HMRC in tax, plus 2p in NI. That applies to:

• All inspector and above pay
• Any constable or sergeant overtime that takes taxable pay above £50,270
• Detective allowances paid on top of basic pay at the higher rate

A practical example: a PP7 constable (£52,014 gross, about £44,794 taxable after pension) working a 4-hour casual overtime shift earns around £133 gross. Their gross is over the NI limit but their taxable pay is not over the higher-rate threshold, so they pay 20% income tax and 2% NI on it and keep roughly £104. 40% only starts after about £5,476 of extra taxable pay in the year. A Met constable on PP5 (£49,136 gross with the London payments) has about £7,008 of headroom before overtime is taxed at 40%.

A note on accuracy

All figures are estimates using the pay scales in force and the 2026/27 tax year. Actual take-home can vary based on force-specific allowances, shift premiums, overtime, student loan repayments, and tax codes. If your tax code differs from 1257L, your income tax will vary.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my payslip show a different figure from this breakdown?

Several reasons are possible: your tax code may not be 1257L (officers claiming Fed subscription relief often use 1300L, which gives a higher take-home), you may have student loan deductions, or your force may pay additional allowances not included in the standard calculation. Use the calculator and enter your specific tax code and deductions for an accurate figure.

How much does the pension contribution actually cost me after tax relief?

Pension contributions under PPS 2015 are deducted before income tax. That gives you tax relief at your marginal rate. A basic-rate taxpayer paying 12.88% effectively pays ~10.3% in net cost. A higher-rate taxpayer paying 13.88% effectively pays ~8.3% net. The pension is expensive on the payslip; the real cost after HMRC's contribution is meaningfully lower.

Does London Weighting count as pensionable pay?

Only partly. Of the £10,079 Met/City total, just the £3,260 London Weighting is pensionable — it is pay under the Police Regulations, so you pay contributions on it and it builds your CARE pension accrual. The £6,819 London Allowance is not pensionable: it is taxed, but it builds no pension. Most mortgage lenders still count the full £10,079 as part of your salary multiple calculation.

What's the take-home difference between a basic and higher-rate taxpayer at the same gross pay?

There are three zones, not two. Below £50,270 gross you pay 20% income tax and 8% NI on each extra £1 — you keep 72p. Above £50,270 gross, NI drops to 2% but, because the pension comes off before tax, your taxable pay may still be in the 20% band — you keep 78p. Once taxable pay passes £50,270, income tax is 40% and NI 2% — you keep 58p, a 14p difference per pound versus the 72p zone.