Sussex Police · 1 September 2026 Scales · +£3,000 South East Allowance
Sussex Police salary 2026/27: pay scales, £3,000 SE Allowance & take-home pay
Sussex Police employs around ~3,150 FTE warranted officers serving 1.7 million residents across Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex (including London Gatwick Airport). From 1 September 2026 (including the 3.5% PRRB pay award and £3,000/year South East Allowance), a Sussex Police constable earns £35,256 on joining (£2,132/month net) and rises to £55,014 at Pay Point 7 (£3,137/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
£2,132
Annual take-home
£25,580
Weekly take-home
£492
Annual breakdown
Effective rate (tax + NI): 15.7% of gross pay · Employer also contributes ~35% pension (£12,445/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.
£2,132
Sussex Police South East Allowance: £3,000/year (£250/month) across East & West Sussex
Sussex Police pays a £3,000/year South East Allowance (£250/month gross) across all three Divisional Commands — Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex — aligning pay parity with neighbouring Surrey Police across their Joint Operations Command (note: the PRRB statutory maximum ceiling rose by 3.5% to £3,105/year from 1 September 2026; you can adjust the South East Allowance slider in the calculator above if modelling an alternative tier).
Under Police Regulations 2003 Annex U, the South East Allowance is non-pensionable. Your PPS 2015 pension deduction (12.88% / 13.88% / 14.22%) is calculated only on your national basic pay (£32,256–£52,014 for a Constable), while Income Tax and National Insurance apply to your combined gross pay.
Sussex Police salary by rank (2026/27 — including £3,000 SE Allowance)
Compare all 43 England & Wales forces →Combined gross pay below includes national basic pay (effective 1 September 2026, +3.5%) plus the £3,000 South East Allowance. For Chief Officers, Sussex Police sits in Annex F Band 3 (Force Weighting 5.5–7.5):
| Sussex Police Rank | Combined Gross (+£3,000) | Take-home / month (PPS 2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Constable (PC / DC) | £35,256 – £55,014 | £2,132 – £3,137 |
| Sergeant (PS / DS) | £58,443 – £61,176 | £3,320 – £3,433 |
| Inspector (Insp / DI) | £69,000 – £74,397 | £3,757 – £3,980 |
| Chief Inspector | £75,807 – £78,708 | £4,039 – £4,159 |
| Superintendent | £90,123 – £105,480 | £4,616 – £5,249 |
| Chief Superintendent | £110,430 – £122,838 | £5,453 – £5,868 |
| 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% Sussex PCC) |
Sussex Police pay points by rank (Constable to Chief Inspector, 2026/27)
Sussex Police Constable (PC / DC) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Constable (PC / DC) guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Sussex Combined Gross (+£3,000) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £32,256 | £35,256 | £2,132 |
| PP2 | £33,609 | £36,609 | £2,201 |
| PP3 | £34,971 | £37,971 | £2,271 |
| PP4 | £36,336 | £39,336 | £2,341 |
| PP5 | £39,057 | £42,057 | £2,455 |
| PP6 | £44,544 | £47,544 | £2,734 |
| PP7 | £52,014 | £55,014 | £3,137 |
Sussex Police Sergeant (PS / DS) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Sergeant (PS / DS) guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Sussex Combined Gross (+£3,000) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP2 | £55,443 | £58,443 | £3,320 |
| PP3 | £56,574 | £59,574 | £3,367 |
| PP4 | £58,176 | £61,176 | £3,433 |
Sussex Police Inspector (Insp / DI) pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Inspector (Insp / DI) guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Sussex Combined Gross (+£3,000) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP0 | £66,000 | £69,000 | £3,757 |
| PP1 | £67,797 | £70,797 | £3,831 |
| PP2 | £69,588 | £72,588 | £3,905 |
| PP3 | £71,397 | £74,397 | £3,980 |
Sussex Police Chief Inspector pay scale (1 September 2026)
National Chief Inspector guide →| Pay Point | Basic Pay (Pensionable) | Sussex Combined Gross (+£3,000) | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £72,807 | £75,807 | £4,039 |
| PP2 | £74,226 | £77,226 | £4,097 |
| PP3 | £75,708 | £78,708 | £4,159 |
Sussex Police Entry Routes (PCEP, DHEP, PCDA & Transferees)
New student officers train across Sussex Police's Lewes (Malling House) and Eastbourne training centres and start on Constable Pay Point 1 (£32,256 basic + £3,000 SE Allowance = £35,256 gross / £2,132/mo net):
- Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP): Two-year non-degree vocational route with initial classroom training followed by tutored response postings in Brighton & Hove, East Sussex or West Sussex.
- 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 conversion routes on full starting salary + £3,000 South East Allowance.
- Transferees & Gatwick Armed Posts: Experienced officers transferring from another Home Office force retain their pay point and immediately receive the £3,000 South East Allowance (including AFOs transferring into the dedicated London Gatwick Airport unit).
Sussex PCSO Salary, Overtime & Unsocial Hours
- Sussex Police PCSO Pay: Sussex PCSOs earn approximately £31,800 to £35,500/year once shift disturbance (19%–20%) and weekend working allowances are added to basic staff pay. Compare take-home in our PCSO salary calculator.
- Overtime Rates (Constable & Sergeant): Calculated on basic pensionable pay (£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 Brighton Pride, Lewes Bonfire and bank holiday Gatwick 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 on basic hourly pay (£1.55–£2.50/hr for a PC), plus the £35 On-Call Allowance per rostered on-call period.
Sussex Police Pension Administrator (Equiniti / EQ Paymaster) & Federation
- Officer Pension Administrator (PPS 2015): Equiniti (EQ Paymaster) (Sutherland House, Russell Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 1UH) administers the 1987, 2006 and 2015 Police Pension Schemes (PPS 2015) and McCloud Remediable Service Statements for Sussex Police. See who runs my police pension.
- Police Staff & PCSO Pension (LGPS): East Sussex Pension Fund / West Sussex Pension Fund (Local Government Pension Scheme).
- Sussex Police Federation & Tax Relief: Based at Worth Corner, Turners Hill Road, Crawley (RH10 7SL). Remember to claim HMRC P87 tax relief on Federation subscriptions and the £140 uniform allowance.
- Flint House Rehabilitation: Sussex officers fall within the Southern catchment for Flint House Police Rehabilitation Centre (Goring-on-Thames, RG8 0LL).
Sussex's 3 Divisional Commands, London Gatwick Airport & Surrey Joint Ops
Headquartered at Malling House, Church Lane, Lewes (BN7 2DZ) under Chief Constable Jo Shiner and PCC Katy Bourne OBE, Sussex Police (~3,150 FTE officers) is structured into 3 Divisional Commands:
- Brighton & Hove Divisional Command: City of Brighton & Hove unitary authority (Brighton, Hove, Portslade & Rottingdean)
- East Sussex Divisional Command: Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother (Bexhill & Battle), and Wealden (Crowborough, Hailsham & Uckfield)
- West Sussex Divisional Command: Adur & Worthing, Arun (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton), Chichester, Crawley (including London Gatwick Airport), Horsham, and Mid Sussex (Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill & East Grinstead)
Sussex Police maintains a dedicated armed and border policing unit at London Gatwick Airport(the UK's second-busiest airport) and operates Joint Sussex & Surrey Major Crime & Specialist Operations (Roads Policing, Tactical Firearms, Dogs and Forensic Scientific Services) with Surrey Police.
Related Sussex Police & South East pay guides
Revising for promotion in Sussex Police (PS £58,443–£61,176 / Insp £69,000–£74,397 / CI £75,807–£78,708)? Try Join The Cops NPPF Sergeants' Exam prep →
Sussex Police salary — frequently asked questions
How much does a Sussex Police officer earn in 2026/27?
From 1 September 2026, a Sussex Police constable starts on £35,256 a year (£32,256 national basic salary plus the £3,000 South East Allowance), giving £2,132/month net after PPS 2015 pension, income tax and National Insurance. At Pay Point 7 (after six years' service), a Sussex Police constable earns £55,014 combined gross (£3,137/month net).
What is the Sussex Police South East Allowance in 2026/27?
Sussex Police pays the £3,000/year South East Allowance (£250/month gross) across Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex (matching neighbouring Surrey Police across their Joint Operations Command, after previously uplifting from £2,000 to £3,000 to boost recruitment and retention). Under Police Regulations 2003 Annex U, the South East Allowance is taxable and NI-able, but non-pensionable.
Who administers the Sussex Police pension scheme?
Warranted police officers in Sussex Police belong to the Police Pension Scheme 2015 (CARE), administered by Equiniti (EQ Paymaster) in Crawley, West Sussex. Civilian police staff and PCSOs belong to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), administered by the East Sussex Pension Fund (or West Sussex Pension Fund depending on contract administration).
Where is Sussex Police Headquarters and who leads the force?
Sussex Police Headquarters is located at Malling House, Church Lane, Lewes, East Sussex (BN7 2DZ). The force (~3,150 FTE warranted officers) is led by Chief Constable Jo Shiner and overseen by Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne OBE.
Do Sussex Police officers stationed at London Gatwick Airport get London Weighting?
No. London Gatwick Airport lies within the Borough of Crawley in West Sussex and is policed by Sussex Police’s dedicated Gatwick Airport armed and border policing unit. Officers stationed at Gatwick receive the £3,000/year South East Allowance (rather than Metropolitan Police London Weighting), plus applicable firearms, unsocial hours and overtime enhancements.
How much does a Sussex Police PCSO earn in 2026/27?
Sussex Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) start on approximately £26,900 basic pay plus a shift disturbance allowance (typically 19%–20%) and weekend working enhancements, bringing total annual PCSO earnings to around £31,800–£35,500 a year.