Essex Police · 1 September 2026 Scales · +£2,750 South East Allowance
Essex Police salary 2026/27: pay scales, £2,750 South East Allowance & take-home pay
Essex Police has around 3,760 FTE warranted officers serving 1.87 million residents across 14 districts and London Stansted Airport. From 1 September 2026 (+3.5% PRRB award plus the £2,750/year South East Allowance), an Essex Police constable earns £35,006 on joining (£2,117/month net) rising to £54,764 at Pay Point 7 (£3,120/month net).
Sep 2026 scales (3.5% award applied; official PFEW tables pending) · Tax year 2026/27
Your details
When did you join?
Sep 2026 scales (3.5% award applied; official PFEW tables pending).
Some forces start new constables at PP2. Check your offer letter.
Set by each force, up to £3,105, and reviewed annually. Kent cut its allowance from £3,000 to £2,750 on 1 September 2026.
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.
Pay periods
Working hours
Police officers are full-time on a 40-hourweek, 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.
Monthly take-home
£2,117
Annual take-home
£25,400
Weekly take-home
£488
Annual breakdown
Effective rate (tax + NI): 15.6% of gross pay · Employer also contributes ~35% pension (£12,357/yr on your behalf) · See what your pension will actually pay →
Tax code 1257L · Sep 2026 scales (3.5% award applied; official PFEW tables pending).
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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 and project your real monthly take-home in the Shift Planner — Pro, £20 / year.
How the £2,750 Essex Police South East Allowance works (2026/27)
Because Essex borders Greater London and faces high commuter-belt housing costs across Brentwood, Epping Forest, Harlow and Thurrock, Essex Police is one of the eight forces in the statutory South East Allowance ring. Having been raised from £2,000 to £3,000 in September 2023, the Essex South East Allowance is set at £2,750/year (£229.17/month gross) from 1 September 2026 (while the PRRB statutory ceiling sits at £3,105).
Under Police Regulations 2003 Annex U, the £2,750 South East Allowance is non-pensionable: your PPS 2015 employee pension contribution (12.88%, 13.88% or 14.22%) is calculated only on your national basic salary (£32,256–£52,014 for a Constable), while Income Tax and National Insurance apply to the combined total. Most UK mortgage lenders count the full £2,750 as contractual guaranteed income — see our police officer mortgage calculator.
Essex Police salary by rank (2026/27 — including £2,750 SE Allowance)
Compare all 43 England & Wales forces →Every rank up to Chief Superintendent below shows national basic pay (1 September 2026) plus the £2,750 Essex South East Allowance. For Chief Officers, Essex Police sits in Annex F Band 3 (Force Weighting 5.5–7.5):
| Essex Police Rank | Combined Gross (+£2,750) | Take-home / month (PPS 2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Constable (PC / DC) | £35,006 – £54,764 | £2,117 – £3,120 |
| Sergeant (PS / DS) | £58,193 – £60,926 | £3,308 – £3,421 |
| Inspector (Insp / DI) | £68,750 – £74,147 | £3,745 – £3,968 |
| Chief Inspector | £75,557 – £78,458 | £4,026 – £4,147 |
| Superintendent | £89,873 – £105,230 | £4,604 – £5,237 |
| Chief Superintendent | £110,180 – £122,588 | £5,441 – £5,860 |
| Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) | £131,916 – £148,926 | 3-point national scale |
| Deputy Chief Constable (DCC — Band 3) | £174,189 | Annex F Band 3 spot rate |
| Chief Constable (CC — Band 3) | £211,140 | Annex F Band 3 (±10% Essex PFCC) |
Essex Police pay points by rank (Constable to Chief Inspector, 2026/27)
Essex Police Constable (PC / DC) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Constable (PC / DC) guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Essex Combined Gross (+£2,750) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £32,256 | £35,006 | £2,117 |
| PP2 | £33,609 | £36,359 | £2,186 |
| PP3 | £34,971 | £37,721 | £2,256 |
| PP4 | £36,336 | £39,086 | £2,326 |
| PP5 | £39,057 | £41,807 | £2,440 |
| PP6 | £44,544 | £47,294 | £2,719 |
| PP7 | £52,014 | £54,764 | £3,120 |
Essex Police Sergeant (PS / DS) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Sergeant (PS / DS) guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Essex Combined Gross (+£2,750) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP2 | £55,443 | £58,193 | £3,308 |
| PP3 | £56,574 | £59,324 | £3,354 |
| PP4 | £58,176 | £60,926 | £3,421 |
Essex Police Inspector (Insp / DI) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Inspector (Insp / DI) guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Essex Combined Gross (+£2,750) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP0 | £66,000 | £68,750 | £3,745 |
| PP1 | £67,797 | £70,547 | £3,819 |
| PP2 | £69,588 | £72,338 | £3,893 |
| PP3 | £71,397 | £74,147 | £3,968 |
Essex Police Chief Inspector pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Chief Inspector guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Essex Combined Gross (+£2,750) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £72,807 | £75,557 | £4,026 |
| PP2 | £74,226 | £76,976 | £4,085 |
| PP3 | £75,708 | £78,458 | £4,147 |
Essex Police Entry Routes (PCEP, DHEP, PCDA & Detective)
Initial training takes place at Essex Police College in Springfield, Chelmsford. Every entry pathway starts on Constable Pay Point 1 (£32,256 basic + £2,750 SE Allowance = £35,006 gross / £2,117/mo net), rising to £54,764 (£3,120/mo net) at PP7:
- Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP): Two-year non-degree entry pathway open to candidates with Level 3 qualifications or equivalent policing/forces experience.
- Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP & Detective DHEP): Two-year graduate conversion route (including direct-entry Detective DHEP leading to the National Investigators' Exam and PIP2 accreditation).
- Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA): Three-year funded BSc (Hons) Professional Policing Practice route earning full salary from day one.
- Transferees (Home Office & BTP/MDP): Match your existing pay point plus immediate eligibility for the +£2,750/year Essex South East Allowance.
Essex PCSO Salary, Overtime & Unsocial Hours
- Essex PCSO & Staff Pay (Scale 4/5): Essex PCSOs earn £27,204 to £32,613 basic salary plus a 12.5% shift disturbance allowance and weekend working enhancement — giving a total package of roughly £31,500 to £37,500/year. See our PCSO take-home calculator and police staff pay guide.
- Overtime Rates (Constable & Sergeant): Overtime is calculated on your basic hourly rate (£15.51/hr at PC PP1 to £25.01/hr at PC PP7): casual overtime at ×1.33 (£33.34/hr at PP7), short-notice rest day working at ×1.50 (£37.51/hr), and bank holidays at ×2.00 (£50.01/hr). Model your shifts in our police overtime calculator.
- 10% Unsocial Hours & On-Call: Hours worked between 8pm and 6am earn a 10% enhancement on basic hourly pay (£1.55–£2.50/hr for a PC), alongside the £35 On-Call Allowance per rostered on-call duty.
Essex Police Pension Administrator, Federation & Welfare
- Officer Pension Administrator (PPS 2015): XPS Administration (PO Box 562, Middlesbrough TS1 9JA · portal: myownpension.co.uk) administers the 1987, 2006 and 2015 police pension schemes and McCloud RSS statements for Essex Police. See who runs my police pension.
- Police Staff & PCSO Pension (LGPS): Essex Pension Fund (Essex County Council, County Hall, Chelmsford), administering the Local Government Pension Scheme for civilian staff and PCSOs.
- Essex Police Federation & Tax Relief: Based at 82 Springfield Road, Chelmsford (CM2 6JY). Remember to claim HMRC P87 tax relief on Federation subscriptions and the £140 uniform allowance.
- Flint House Rehabilitation: Essex officers are in the Southern constituency for Flint House Police Rehabilitation Centre (Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire) and the South East Police Benevolent Fund.
Essex's 3 Local Policing Areas (LPAs) & Stansted Airport Unit
Headquartered at Kingston Crescent, Springfield, Chelmsford (CM2 6DN) under Chief Constable Rachel Nolan and Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) Roger Hirst, Essex Police operates across three Local Policing Areas:
- South Essex Local Policing Area (LPA): Basildon, Southend-on-Sea, Castle Point, Rochford, and Thurrock
- North Essex Local Policing Area (LPA): Colchester, Tendring (Clacton & Harwich), Braintree, Uttlesford, Maldon, and Chelmsford
- West Essex Local Policing Area (LPA): Harlow, Epping Forest, and Brentwood (plus dedicated London Stansted Airport policing unit)
Specialist commands include the dedicated London Stansted Airport armed and border policing unit, the Essex Marine Unit at Burnham-on-Crouch, Operational Policing Command (ARV/Firearms, Roads Policing, Dogs) and the Joint Essex & Kent Serious Crime Directorate (SCD).
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Related Essex Police & South East pay guides
Revising for promotion in Essex Police (PS £58,193–£60,926 / Insp £68,750–£74,147 / CI £75,557–£78,458)? Try Join The Cops NPPF Sergeants' Exam prep →
Essex Police salary — frequently asked questions
How much does an Essex Police officer earn in 2026/27?
From 1 September 2026, an Essex Police constable starts on £35,006 a year (£32,256 national basic salary plus the £2,750 Essex South East Allowance), giving £2,117/month net after PPS 2015 pension, income tax and National Insurance. At Pay Point 7 (after six years' service), an Essex Police constable earns £54,764 combined gross (£3,120/month net).
What is the Essex Police South East Allowance in 2026/27?
Essex Police pays a South East Allowance of £2,750 a year (£229.17/month gross) from 1 September 2026. The allowance was previously increased from £2,000 to £3,000 in September 2023 and is set at £2,750/year for 2026/27 (whereas the PRRB statutory maximum ceiling is £3,105). Like all South East Allowances under Police Regulations 2003 Annex U, it is taxable and subject to National Insurance, but non-pensionable.
How much does an Essex Police Sergeant or Inspector earn?
Including the £2,750 South East Allowance, an Essex Police Sergeant earns £58,193 to £60,926 combined gross (£3,308–£3,421/month net) and an Essex Police Inspector earns £68,750 to £74,147 combined gross (£3,745–£3,968/month net) on the 1 September 2026 scales.
How much do Essex Police PCSOs and police staff earn?
Essex Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) sit on Essex Police Staff Scale 4/5 (£27,204 to £32,613 basic salary), supplemented by a 12.5% shift disturbance allowance and weekend working enhancement — bringing a full-time shift-working PCSO package to approximately £31,500–£37,500 a year.
Who administers the Essex Police pension scheme?
Warranted police officers in Essex Police belong to the Police Pension Scheme 2015 (CARE), administered by XPS Administration (PO Box 562, Middlesbrough, online via myownpension.co.uk). Civilian police staff and PCSOs belong to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), administered by the Essex Pension Fund at County Hall, Chelmsford.
How much does the Chief Constable of Essex Police earn?
Under Home Office Determination Annex F, Essex Police sits in Force Weighting Band 3 (weighting 5.5–7.5). On the 1 September 2026 scales (+3.5%), the Band 3 statutory spot salary is £211,140 for Chief Constable Rachel Nolan and £174,189 for the Deputy Chief Constable (subject to ±10% variation set by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex).