PSNI pay scales & take-home pay
Take-home after pension, NI and income tax, with the £4,283 NITA included.
2026/27 award pending · checked 21 Oct 2026
In England & Wales: take-home pay calculator
When did you join?
Monthly take-home · PSNI 2025/26 scales
£2,153
- Annual take-home
- £25,830
- Weekly take-home
- £497
Annual breakdown
Effective rate (tax + NI): 15.8% of gross pay · tax code 1257L · your employer also pays into your pension. What will it pay?
Source: NI PRRB 2025 report (2026/27 NI award not yet announced) · HMRC 2026/27 tax and NI rates · Checked 21 October 2026 · How we calculate
PSNI 2026/27 pay award not yet announced — figures use the 2025/26 scales. PSNI pay is set through the Northern Ireland PRRB process, which runs behind England & Wales; until the 2026/27 NI award is announced the calculator uses the scales effective 1 September 2025, plus the Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA). Income tax uses UK rates — income tax is not devolved to Northern Ireland.
Tiered member contribution rates of the 2015 career-average scheme (12.88% to 14.22% of pensionable pay).
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-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.
What each PSNI rank takes home
Overtime
Basic hourly rate (excl. allowances)
£14.98/hr
£19.98 /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.
Working lots of shifts this month? Add them all up in the Shift Planner (Pro, £20/year). Plan my month →
Interactive PSNI Arrears & Pay Award Calculator
PSNI 2026/27 Pay Rise & Back Pay Lump Sum Calculator
Model your projected 2026/27 PSNI pay award from 1 September 2026, including the £4,283 NITA allowance and your backdated lump-sum catch-up payslip.
PSNI pay awards require NI PRRB reporting and Department of Justice sign-off, historically landing between January and March backdated to 1 September.
Taxable & NI-able, non-pensionable.
1. Ongoing Pay Rise (2025/26 vs Projected 2026/27)
Current 2025/26 Pay
£3,122 /mo net
£50,256 basic + £4,283 NITA = £54,539 gross
With 4.75% Award
£3,255 /mo net
£52,644 basic + £4,283 NITA = £56,927 gross
Ongoing Uplift
+£133 /mo net
+£2,388/yr gross (+£1,597/yr net)
2. Backdated PSNI Arrears Lump Sum & March Catch-Up Payslip
Exact single-month payroll calculation when 6 months of back pay land alongside your new monthly salary.
Net Back Pay Lump Sum (after deductions)
+£603.92
from £1,194.00 gross (6 × £199.00/mo)
Total March Catch-Up Month Take-Home Pay
£3,858.99
£3,255.07 regular new net + £603.92 net back pay
Basic pay arrears are pensionable at your annual rate (NITA is non-pensionable)
Taxed on £1,028.27 taxable arrears after pension deduction
Catch-up gross (£5,937.92) exceeds £4,189.17/mo UEL — NI above £4,189.17 drops from 8% to 2%
Why your NI deduction is lower than 8%: Class 1 National Insurance is assessed per monthly pay period, not cumulatively across the year. In your catch-up month, your combined gross pay (£5,937.92) crosses the £4,189.17/mo Upper Earnings Limit, so the slice above £4,189.17 is charged at 2% NI instead of 8% — saving you £71.64 in NI compared with a flat 8% calculation.
Get an email the day the PSNI 2026/27 award is confirmed
One email with the confirmed rate and the new scales, then occasional pay updates you can stop at any time.
Key figures, with NITA
- Constable, starting
- £2,153
- a month net · £35,447 gross
- Constable, top
- £3,122
- a month net · £54,539 gross
- Sergeant, first point
- £3,304
- a month net · £57,851 gross
Source: PSNI recruitment: your pay scale · GOV.UK: Northern Ireland remit letter for the Police Remuneration Review Body: 2026 · Checked 21 October 2026 · How we calculate
PSNI pay scales by rank
2025/26 scales (effective 1 September 2025), plus NITA. They change when the 2026/27 award is confirmed.
| Rank | Gross + NITA | Net / month |
|---|---|---|
| Constable | £35.4k–54.5k | £2,153–3,122 |
| Sergeant | £57.9k–60.5k | £3,304–3,413 |
| Inspector | £68.1k–73.3k | £3,726–3,942 |
| Chief Inspector | £74.6k–77.4k | £3,999–4,115 |
| Superintendent | £88.5k–103.3k | £4,557–5,169 |
| Chief Superintendent | £108.1k–120.1k | £5,366–5,800 |
See every pay point
| Pay point | Basic pay | Net / month |
|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £31,164 | £2,153 |
| PP2 | £32,472 | £2,220 |
| PP3 | £33,789 | £2,287 |
| PP4 | £35,106 | £2,355 |
| PP5 | £37,737 | £2,465 |
| PP6 | £43,038 | £2,734 |
| PP7 | £50,256 | £3,122 |
| Pay point | Basic pay | Net / month |
|---|---|---|
| PP2 | £53,568 | £3,304 |
| PP3 | £54,660 | £3,349 |
| PP4 | £56,208 | £3,413 |
| Pay point | Basic pay | Net / month |
|---|---|---|
| PP0 | £63,768 | £3,726 |
| PP1 | £65,505 | £3,798 |
| PP2 | £67,236 | £3,870 |
| PP3 | £68,982 | £3,942 |
| Pay point | Basic pay | Net / month |
|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £70,344 | £3,999 |
| PP2 | £71,715 | £4,055 |
| PP3 | £73,149 | £4,115 |
| Pay point | Basic pay | Net / month |
|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £84,177 | £4,557 |
| PP2 (approx.) | £87,145 | £4,679 |
| PP3 (approx.) | £90,112 | £4,802 |
| PP4 (approx.) | £93,080 | £4,924 |
| PP5 (approx.) | £96,047 | £5,046 |
| PP6 | £99,015 | £5,169 |
| Pay point | Basic pay | Net / month |
|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £103,797 | £5,366 |
| PP2 (approx.) | £106,794 | £5,489 |
| PP3 (approx.) | £109,791 | £5,613 |
| PP4 (approx.) | £112,788 | £5,719 |
| PP5 | £115,785 | £5,800 |
Source: PSNI recruitment: your pay scale · Checked 21 October 2026 · How we calculate
PSNI pay rise 2026/27
- No PSNI award yet: the Northern Ireland review report has not been published (checked 21 October 2026).
- Last year the report came out on 7 January 2026 and was paid in January 2026 salaries, backdated.
- England & Wales officers got 3.5% from 1 September 2026; the PSNI review is asked to follow broadly.
How PSNI pay differs from England & Wales
| Topic | PSNI | England & Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax | Same UK bands as England & Wales | 20%, 40%, 45% |
| Extra allowance | NITA, £4,283 a year | London or South East allowance in some forces |
| Annual pay award | Separate NI report, usually months later | 1 September (PRRB) |
| Pension | Police Pension Scheme 2015 | Police Pension Scheme 2015, same tiers |
More detail: PSNI pension. Holiday pay arrears after the Agnew ruling: PSNI holiday pay.
PSNI pay questions
When will PSNI officers get the 2026/27 pay rise?
Not yet announced (checked 21 October 2026). The Police Remuneration Review Body has not published its Northern Ireland report for 2026. Last year the report came out on 7 January 2026 and the 4.2% award was paid in January 2026 salaries, backdated to 1 September 2025. England & Wales officers got 3.5% from 1 September 2026; the PSNI figure is only final when the Department of Justice confirms it.
What is the Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA)?
NITA is a PSNI-only allowance of £4,283 a year, paid on top of basic pay from the student officer stage. It is taxed and subject to National Insurance but not pensionable. The calculator above includes it by default.
What is the PSNI starting salary?
A student officer starts on £31,164 basic pay on the 2025/26 scales, or £35,447 with NITA: about £2,153 a month take-home. Pay then rises one pay point a year to £54,539 with NITA.
How much does a PSNI sergeant earn?
On the 2025/26 scales still paid to PSNI, a sergeant earns £53,568 to £56,208 basic pay, plus NITA. At the top of the scale that is about £3,413 a month after pension, income tax and National Insurance.
How is PSNI back pay taxed when the award is backdated?
The arrears arrive as one lump sum with a normal month’s pay. Income tax is worked out after pension relief, and National Insurance is assessed on that month alone, so the part of the month above the Upper Earnings Limit is charged at 2% instead of 8%. The “Pay rise & back pay” tab above estimates the lump sum.
Source: PSNI recruitment: your pay scale · GOV.UK: Northern Ireland remit letter for the Police Remuneration Review Body: 2026 · GOV.UK: Police Remuneration Review Body report: 2026 England and Wales · GOV.UK: Northern Ireland Police Remuneration Review Body 11th report: 2025 · Checked 21 October 2026 · How we calculate