Police Service of Northern Ireland · Insignia & Salaries
PSNI ranks in order: badges, insignia & salary by rank
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) uses the same nine-rank hierarchy as forces in Great Britain — from Constable to Chief Constable — but with unique bottle-green epaulettes, point-up sergeant chevrons, and the six-pointed PSNI Star in place of the Crown. Here is every PSNI rank in order, how to identify its badge, and what it pays including the £4,283 Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA).
Looking for England & Wales or Scotland ranks? UK police ranks in order → · Police Scotland ranks →
How PSNI rank insignia differ from Great Britain
1. Six-pointed Star replaces Crown
Superintendents, Chief Superintendents and the Chief Constable wear the six-pointed star from the post-2001 PSNI badge rather than St Edward's Crown.
2. Point-up Sergeant chevrons
PSNI Sergeants wear their three stripes pointing upwards (ʌ) above their service number, unlike every territorial force in England, Wales and Scotland.
3. Bottle-green epaulettes
Rank slides are silver-on-bottle-green (“rifle green”) to match the PSNI uniform, rather than silver-on-black.
PSNI rank structure from lowest to highest
1.
Constable (PC · CID: DC)
Front-line Local Policing Team (LPT) officers, Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPT), Roads Policing and Tactical Support Group (TSG) across Northern Ireland’s 11 policing districts.
PSNI Insignia: Service number only (silver numerals on bottle-green epaulette).
PSNI salary: £31,164 – £50,256 basic (£35,447 – £54,539 with £4,283 NITA; £2,153 – £3,122/month net). See constable pay table →
2.
Sergeant (PS or Sgt · CID: DS)
First-line operational supervisor leading a section of constables, supervising custody suites or managing district CID teams.
PSNI Insignia: Three point-up chevrons above the service number (unique in the UK).
PSNI salary: £53,568 – £56,208 basic (£57,851 – £60,491 with £4,283 NITA; £3,304 – £3,413/month net). See sergeant pay table →
3.
Inspector (Insp · CID: DI)
Manages response sections, neighbourhood policing areas or specialist tactical units across a policing district.
PSNI Insignia: Two Order of the Bath stars ("pips").
PSNI salary: £63,768 – £68,982 basic (£68,051 – £73,265 with £4,283 NITA; £3,726 – £3,942/month net). See inspector pay table →
4.
Chief Inspector (CI or Ch Insp · CID: DCI)
Deputy District Commander or Operations Manager within one of the 11 policing districts, or Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) in Crime Operations.
PSNI Insignia: Three Order of the Bath stars ("pips").
PSNI salary: £70,344 – £73,149 basic (£74,627 – £77,432 with £4,283 NITA; £3,999 – £4,115/month net). See chief inspector pay table →
5.
Superintendent (Supt · CID: Det Supt)
District Commander leading one of Northern Ireland’s 11 policing districts (aligned with local council areas, such as Belfast City or Derry City & Strabane) or a Crime Operations branch.
PSNI Insignia: The six-pointed PSNI Star (replaces the Crown used in Great Britain).
PSNI salary: £84,177 – £99,015 basic (£88,460 – £103,298 with £4,283 NITA; £4,557 – £5,169/month net). See superintendent pay table →
6.
Chief Superintendent (Ch Supt · CID: Det Ch Supt)
Senior commander heading a major operational department (such as Local Policing, Legacy & Legal, or Specialist Operations) or Belfast District command.
PSNI Insignia: The six-pointed PSNI Star above one Bath star ("pip").
PSNI salary: £103,797 – £115,785 basic (£108,080 – £120,068 with £4,283 NITA; £5,366 – £5,800/month net). See chief superintendent pay table →
7.
Assistant Chief Constable (ACC)
Member of the PSNI Service Executive Team holding a service-wide portfolio (Local Policing, Crime Operations, Operational Support, or Justice Department).
PSNI Insignia: Crossed tipstaves within a laurel wreath.
PSNI salary: £127,488 – £144,138 basic (3-point scale, 2025/26). UK Chief Officer pay scales →
8.
Deputy Chief Constable (DCC)
Second in command of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, overseeing corporate governance, professional standards and strategic delivery.
PSNI Insignia: A Bath star ("pip") above crossed tipstaves within a laurel wreath.
PSNI salary: £191,598 spot salary (2025/26 scale). UK Chief Officer pay scales →
9.
Chief Constable (CC)
Head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, appointed by and accountable to the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB).
PSNI Insignia: The six-pointed PSNI Star above crossed tipstaves within a laurel wreath.
PSNI salary: £233,733 spot salary (2025/26 scale). UK Chief Officer pay scales →
Salary figures above reflect the 2025/26 PSNI pay scales currently in payment (awaiting the 2026/27 Northern Ireland Department of Justice award) plus the £4,283 non-pensionable Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA) for federated and superintending ranks.
Detective ranks in PSNI (Crime Operations Department)
Accredited investigators serving in District CID or the PSNI's central Crime Operations Department — divided into branches C1 (Major Investigation Team & Public Protection), C2 (Serious & Organised Crime), C3 (Intelligence) and C4 (Specialist Operations) — carry the title Detective before their rank:
- Detective Constable (DC): £31,164 – £50,256 basic (£35,447 – £54,539 with NITA)
- Detective Sergeant (DS): £53,568 – £56,208 basic (£57,851 – £60,491 with NITA)
- Detective Inspector (DI): £63,768 – £68,982 basic (£68,051 – £73,265 with NITA)
- Detective Chief Inspector (DCI): £70,344 – £73,149 basic (£74,627 – £77,432 with NITA)
A detective holds the exact same legal powers, rank seniority and pay scale as a uniformed officer of the same rank.
How the PSNI is structured: 11 districts & promotion
Since the 2015 local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland, local policing in the PSNI is divided into 11 Policing Districtsmatching the 11 local council areas (Belfast City, Derry City & Strabane, Armagh City Banbridge & Craigavon, Newry Mourne & Down, Lisburn & Castlereagh, Ards & North Down, Antrim & Newtownabbey, Mid & East Antrim, Causeway Coast & Glens, Mid Ulster, and Fermanagh & Omagh). Each district is commanded by a Superintendent (or Chief Superintendent in Belfast City).
Promotion from Constable to Sergeant and Inspector in Northern Ireland is governed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland Regulations and run internally by the PSNI (comprising an eligibility sift, legal/operational assessment and board interview based on the Policing Performance Framework), separate from the England and Wales NPPF process.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the PSNI ranks in order?
From lowest to highest, the nine ranks in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are: Constable (PC), Sergeant (PS), Inspector (Insp), Chief Inspector (CI), Superintendent (Supt), Chief Superintendent (Ch Supt), Assistant Chief Constable (ACC), Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) and Chief Constable (CC).
How do PSNI rank badges differ from police forces in England, Wales and Scotland?
While the rank titles are identical, PSNI rank insignia have three distinctive differences: (1) instead of St Edward’s Crown or the Crown of Scotland, Superintendents, Chief Superintendents and the Chief Constable wear the six-pointed star from the PSNI crest; (2) PSNI Sergeants wear their three chevrons pointing UP rather than pointing down, preserving a tradition from the Royal Irish Constabulary and Royal Ulster Constabulary; and (3) insignia are worn on bottle-green ("rifle green") epaulettes and uniforms rather than black.
Why do PSNI sergeants wear their stripes upside down (point up)?
PSNI sergeants wear their three chevrons point-up as a historic continuation from the Royal Irish Constabulary (1822–1922) and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (1922–2001), which was modelled on infantry rifle regiments rather than the civilian blue uniforms of London’s Metropolitan Police.
Why does the PSNI use a six-pointed star instead of a crown on rank insignia?
Following the 1999 Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland (the Patten Report) and the formation of the PSNI in November 2001, the service adopted a neutral emblem representing all traditions in Northern Ireland. The six-pointed star (referencing the six counties of Northern Ireland, surrounding the scales of justice, harp, torch, olive branch, shamrock and crown at the centre of the crest) replaced the standalone crown on senior officers’ epaulettes.
Do PSNI detectives get paid more than uniformed officers?
No. A Detective Constable (DC), Detective Sergeant (DS), Detective Inspector (DI) or Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) in PSNI Crime Operations sits on the exact same basic salary scale and receives the same £4,283 Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA) as a uniformed colleague of the same rank.
Sources: Police Service of Northern Ireland (psni.police.uk); Northern Ireland Policing Board; Department of Justice (Northern Ireland) Police Remuneration Review Body reports; Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000.