Merseyside Police · 1 September 2026 Scales · 5 Metropolitan Boroughs
Merseyside Police salary 2026/27: pay scales & take-home pay
Merseyside Police employs around ~4,130 FTE warranted officers serving 1.43 million residents across the five metropolitan boroughs of Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens. From 1 September 2026 (+3.5% PRRB pay award), a Merseyside constable starts on £32,256 (£1,952/month net) and rises to £52,014 at Pay Point 7 (£2,942/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.
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
£1,952
Annual take-home
£23,420
Weekly take-home
£450
Annual breakdown
Effective rate (tax + NI): 14.5% of gross pay · Employer also contributes ~35% pension (£11,386/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).
Paying Federation subs or washing uniform? Claim tax code 1302L & up to £690 backdated (HMRC P87) →
Next step for your rank
New recruit or applying to join?
You earn Pay Point 1 from day one of initial training across PCDA, DHEP and PCEP — and can claim £140/yr uniform tax relief immediately.
Get an alert when this figure changes
The next pay award will change your take-home. We'll email you the moment it's announced — and update the calculator the same day. Free, unsubscribe any time.
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.
£1,952
Merseyside Police salary by rank (2026/27)
Compare all 43 England & Wales forces →Merseyside Police officers are paid on the national England & Wales salary scales (effective 1 September 2026, £0 regional weighting). For Chief Officers, Merseyside Police sits in Annex F Band 2 (Force Weighting 8.0–9.0) alongside Thames Valley and West Yorkshire:
| Merseyside Rank | Starting Gross | Maximum Gross | Take-home / month (PPS 2015) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constable (PC / DC) | £32,256 | £52,014 | £1,952 – £2,942 |
| Sergeant (PS / DS) | £55,443 | £58,176 | £3,133 – £3,285 |
| Inspector (Insp / DI) | £66,000 | £71,397 | £3,612 – £3,835 |
| Chief Inspector | £72,807 | £75,708 | £3,894 – £4,014 |
| Superintendent | £87,123 | £102,480 | £4,471 – £5,104 |
| Chief Superintendent | £107,430 | £119,838 | £5,308 – £5,773 |
| Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) | £131,916 | £148,926 | 3-point national scale |
| Deputy Chief Constable (DCC — Band 2) | £181,890 | £181,890 | Annex F Weighting 8.0–9.0 |
| Chief Constable (CC — Band 2) | £227,364 | £227,364 | Annex F Band 2 (±10% Merseyside PCC) |
Merseyside Police pay points by rank (Constable to Chief Inspector, 2026/27)
Merseyside Police Constable (PC / DC) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Constable (PC / DC) guide →| Pay Point | Annual Gross | Monthly Gross | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £32,256 | £2,688 | £1,952 |
| PP2 | £33,609 | £2,801 | £2,021 |
| PP3 | £34,971 | £2,914 | £2,091 |
| PP4 | £36,336 | £3,028 | £2,161 |
| PP5 | £39,057 | £3,255 | £2,275 |
| PP6 | £44,544 | £3,712 | £2,554 |
| PP7 | £52,014 | £4,335 | £2,942 |
Merseyside Police Sergeant (PS / DS) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Sergeant (PS / DS) guide →| Pay Point | Annual Gross | Monthly Gross | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP2 | £55,443 | £4,620 | £3,133 |
| PP3 | £56,574 | £4,715 | £3,196 |
| PP4 | £58,176 | £4,848 | £3,285 |
Merseyside Police Inspector (Insp / DI) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Inspector (Insp / DI) guide →| Pay Point | Annual Gross | Monthly Gross | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP0 | £66,000 | £5,500 | £3,612 |
| PP1 | £67,797 | £5,650 | £3,686 |
| PP2 | £69,588 | £5,799 | £3,760 |
| PP3 | £71,397 | £5,950 | £3,835 |
Merseyside Police Chief Inspector pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Chief Inspector guide →| Pay Point | Annual Gross | Monthly Gross | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £72,807 | £6,067 | £3,894 |
| PP2 | £74,226 | £6,186 | £3,952 |
| PP3 | £75,708 | £6,309 | £4,014 |
Merseyside Police Entry Routes (Mather Avenue Training Academy)
Student officers complete their initial training at the Mather Avenue Training Academy (Allerton, Liverpool, L18 9TG) and start on Constable Pay Point 1 (£32,256 gross / £1,952/mo net):
- Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP): Two-year non-degree vocational route combining classroom and practical instruction at Mather Avenue with tutored response patrols across Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley or St Helens.
- Detective Entry Programme (DCEP / Detective DHEP): Direct-entry investigative pathway fast-tracking trainees through the National Investigators' Exam (NIE) and PIP2 accreditation.
- PCDA & Graduate DHEP: Three-year degree apprenticeship and two-year graduate diploma routes delivered in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) on full starting pay.
- Transferees & Rejoiners: Experienced officers transferring from another Home Office force retain their existing pay point on the national scale.
Merseyside PCSO Salary, Overtime & Unsocial Hours
- Merseyside PCSO & Traffic PCSO Pay: Merseyside Police Community Support Officers sit on Staff Grade C/D and typically earn £29,800 to £35,200/year inclusive of shift disturbance and weekend working enhancements. Compare take-home in our PCSO salary calculator.
- Overtime Rates (Constable & Sergeant): Based on your basic hourly rate (£15.51/hr at PC PP1 to £25.01/hr at PC PP7): casual overtime pays ×1.33 (£33.34/hr at PP7), short-notice rest-day working pays ×1.50 (£37.51/hr), and public holidays (including Aintree Grand National, Premier League matchdays and bank holiday deployments) pay ×2.00 (£50.01/hr). See our police overtime calculator.
- 10% Unsocial Hours & On-Call: Hours worked between 8pm and 6am earn a 10% enhancement (£1.55–£2.50/hr for a PC), plus the £35 On-Call Allowance per rostered on-call period.
Merseyside Pension Administrator (XPS & Merseyside Pension Fund)
- 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 Merseyside Police. See who runs my police pension.
- Police Staff & PCSO Pension (LGPS): Merseyside Pension Fund (administered by Wirral Council, Castle Chambers, 43 Castle Street, Liverpool L2 9SH), part of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
- Merseyside Police Federation & Tax Relief: Based at Malvern House, 13 Green Lane, Tuebrook, Liverpool (L13 7DT). Remember to claim HMRC P87 tax relief on Federation subscriptions and the £140 uniform allowance.
- Benevolent Fund & Treatment Centres: Merseyside officers belong to the North West Police Benevolent Fund (St Michael's Lodge, Langho) and The Police Treatment Centres (St Andrews, Harrogate).
Merseyside's 5 Local Policing Areas, Rose Hill HQ & Matrix Operations
Headquartered at Rose Hill, 15 Cazneau Street, Liverpool (L3 3AN) under Chief Constable Serena Kennedy KPM and PCC Emily Spurrell, Merseyside Police (~4,130 FTE officers) is structured into 5 Local Policing Areas matching the five Merseyside boroughs:
- Liverpool Local Policing Area: City of Liverpool (City Centre, Anfield, Everton, Kirkdale, Norris Green, Speke, Allerton, Wavertree & Toxteth)
- Wirral Local Policing Area: Metropolitan Borough of Wirral (Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebington, Heswall, West Kirby & Hoylake)
- Sefton Local Policing Area: Metropolitan Borough of Sefton (Bootle, Crosby, Formby, Maghull, Litherland & Southport)
- Knowsley Local Policing Area: Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley (Kirkby, Huyton, Prescot, Whiston & Halewood)
- St Helens Local Policing Area: Metropolitan Borough of St Helens (St Helens town, Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows, Rainhill & Eccleston)
Specialist operations are led by Merseyside's Matrix Serious & Organised Crime / Tactical Operationscommand (Armed Policing, Roads Policing, Dogs, Mounted & Marine), alongside the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) and Port of Liverpool / Liverpool John Lennon Airport policing.
Related Merseyside & North West police guides
Revising for promotion in Merseyside Police (PS £55,443–£58,176 / Insp £66,000–£71,397 / CI £72,807–£75,708)? Try Join The Cops NPPF Sergeants' Exam prep →
Merseyside Police salary — frequently asked questions
How much does a Merseyside Police officer earn in 2026/27?
From 1 September 2026, a Merseyside Police constable starts on £32,256 a year (£1,952/month net after PPS 2015 pension, income tax and National Insurance) across all entry routes (PCEP, PCDA and DHEP). After six years' service (Pay Point 7), a Merseyside constable earns £52,014 gross (£2,942/month net), while a Sergeant earns £55,443 to £58,176 (£3,133–£3,285/month net).
Does Merseyside Police pay a regional location allowance?
No. Under Police Regulations 2003, only London and the eight South East ring forces pay a regional location allowance (£0 regional weighting in the North West). Merseyside Police pays the national England and Wales PRRB salary scales, supplemented by the 10% Unsocial Hours Allowance (between 8pm and 6am), £35 On-Call Allowance, overtime, and Targeted Variable Pay (TVP) in qualifying Matrix and detective posts.
Who administers the Merseyside Police pension scheme?
Warranted police officers in Merseyside 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 Merseyside Pension Fund (Wirral Council, Castle Chambers, Liverpool).
Where are Merseyside Police Headquarters and the training academy located?
Merseyside Police Headquarters is at Rose Hill, 15 Cazneau Street, Liverpool (L3 3AN), while initial recruit and detective training takes place at the Mather Avenue Training Academy in Allerton, Liverpool (L18 9TG). The force (~4,130 FTE officers serving 1.43 million residents across 5 metropolitan boroughs) is led by Chief Constable Serena Kennedy KPM and PCC Emily Spurrell.
How much does the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police earn?
Under Home Office Determination Annex F, Merseyside Police sits in Force Weighting Band 2 (weighting 8.0–9.0, alongside Thames Valley Police and West Yorkshire Police). On the 1 September 2026 scales (+3.5%), the Band 2 statutory spot salary is £227,364 for Chief Constable Serena Kennedy KPM and £181,890 for the Deputy Chief Constable (subject to ±10% variation set by the Merseyside PCC).
How much does a Merseyside Police PCSO earn in 2026/27?
Merseyside Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs & Traffic PCSOs) sit on the Merseyside Police Staff Grade C/D pay structure and typically earn between £29,800 and £35,200 a year once the shift disturbance allowance and weekend working enhancement are included.