ARV · CTSFO · Dog Handler · Mounted · Protection · Roads Policing
Specialist police salary UK (2026/27): Armed Police, Dog Handler, CTSFO & allowances
In UK policing, your basic salary is determined by your rank and pay point, not your unit. Whether you are a response officer, an Armed Response Vehicle (ARV) officer, a dog handler or a traffic officer, you sit on the same national Constable or Sergeant pay scale. Where specialist roles earn more is through seniority (most specialists are already at top pay point 7, £52,014), statutory Annex U allowances, 10% night-shift unsocial hours, and overtime.
Salary & allowances by specialist police role (2026/27)
Armed Police Officer (AFO / ARV)
Constable (PC) & Sergeant (PS)Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) and Armed Response Vehicle (ARV) crews are paid on the standard Constable or Sergeant pay scale. There is no automatic national "firearms allowance", though many forces use Targeted Variable Pay (TVP) up to £4,000–£5,000/year to recruit and retain ARV officers, alongside high levels of night-shift Unsocial Hours Allowance (10%) and overtime.
E&W basic pay (2026/27)
£32,256 – £52,014 (PC) · up to £58,176 (PS)
Met Police (incl. London pay)
Up to £62,093 (Met PC) · £68,255 (Met PS)
Extra allowances
10% Unsocial Hours (8pm–6am), £35 On-Call, Overtime, and Targeted Variable Pay (TVP) in qualifying forces
Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officer (CTSFO)
Experienced Constable (PP7) & SergeantCTSFOs represent the highest tier of UK armed policing (operating within the Met’s Specialist Firearms Command MO19 and regional CTSFO hubs). Because CTSFO selection requires seasoned ARV experience, nearly all CTSFOs sit at the top of the Constable or Sergeant scale. Total gross earnings for a Met CTSFO regularly reach £70,000–£85,000+ once London allowances, on-call and mutual-aid/operational overtime are included.
E&W basic pay (2026/27)
£52,014 (PC PP7) – £58,176 (PS PP4)
Met Police (incl. London pay)
£62,093 (Met MO19 PC) – £68,255 (Met MO19 PS)
Extra allowances
London Weighting & Allowance (£10,079 in Met MO19), On-Call (£35), Away from Home Overnight (£60/night), and extensive operational overtime
Police Dog Handler
Constable (PC) & Sergeant (PS)Police dog handlers are the only operational specialism with a dedicated statutory allowance in Police Regulations 2003 (Annex U). Because the dog lives at the officer’s home and requires daily care, grooming and kennelling off duty, handlers receive the annual Dog Handlers’ Allowance (uprated annually with the police pay award to ~£3,049–£3,060 in 2026/27, plus 25% if kennelling a second dual-purpose/explosive/drugs dog), plus approximately 1 hour per day / rest-day remuneration for feeding, exercising and cleaning.
E&W basic pay (2026/27)
£32,256 – £52,014
Met Police (incl. London pay)
Up to £62,093 + Dog Handlers' Allowance
Extra allowances
Statutory Dog Handlers’ Allowance (£3,049–£3,060/year for 1 dog, +25% per additional dog) + rest-day care & travel expenses
Royalty, Parliamentary & Specialist Protection Officer (RaSP / PaDP)
Constable, Sergeant & InspectorClose protection and diplomatic protection officers (largely serving within the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection and Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection commands) receive the statutory Protection Allowance introduced in the NPCC allowance reforms and increased by £8 per rate from 1 September 2026.
E&W basic pay (2026/27)
£52,014 – £58,176
Met Police (incl. London pay)
£62,093 – £68,255 + Protection Allowance
Extra allowances
Statutory Protection Allowance: £48/shift (Rate 1), £98/shift (Rate 2 PC/PS), £133/day (Rate 3 high-risk overseas deployment) + £60/night Away from Home Overnight
Mounted Police Officer
Constable (PC) & Sergeant (PS)Mounted branch officers sit on the standard Constable or Sergeant pay scale. Unlike dog handlers, police horses are stabled at force equestrian centres and cared for by police staff grooms, so mounted officers do not receive a home-care allowance — their additional earnings come from weekend ceremonial, football and public order deployments.
E&W basic pay (2026/27)
£32,256 – £52,014
Met Police (incl. London pay)
Up to £62,093
Extra allowances
Public order overtime, rest-day working (football/ceremonial deployments), £60/night mutual aid overnight allowance
Roads Policing (Traffic) & Tactical Pursuit (TPAC) Officer
Constable (PC) & Sergeant (PS)Roads Policing Unit (RPU) officers earn standard rank pay, supplemented by 24/7 shift pattern Unsocial Hours Allowance (10% of basic hourly pay for every hour worked between 8pm and 6am) and On-Call Allowance (£35 per period) for Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) call-outs.
E&W basic pay (2026/27)
£32,256 – £52,014
Met Police (incl. London pay)
Up to £62,093
Extra allowances
10% Unsocial Hours Allowance (+£2.50/hr between 8pm and 6am at PC PP7), £35 On-Call (Collision Investigation), Court overtime
National police operational allowances (2026/27 rates)
Set under Police Regulations 2003 (Annex U) and updated following the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) 2026 report:
| Allowance | 2026/27 Rate | Tax & Pension Status | Who receives it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dog Handlers' Allowance (1 dog) | £3,049 – £3,060 / year | Taxable & NI-able (non-pensionable) | Annex U, Police Regulations 2003 — uprated annually in line with the September pay award (+25% for each additional police dog kept at home). |
| Unsocial Hours Allowance (UHA) | 10% of hourly basic pay (up to +£2.50/hr for PC PP7) | Taxable & NI-able (non-pensionable) | Paid to Constables and Sergeants for every contracted hour worked between 8:00pm and 6:00am (England & Wales). |
| On-Call Allowance | £35 per on-call period | Taxable & NI-able (non-pensionable) | Paid for each rostered period of on-call duty outside normal hours (increased from £25 to £35 following PRRB recommendations). |
| Away from Home Overnight Allowance | £60 per night (+£40 Hardship if proper accommodation not provided) | Taxable & NI-able (non-pensionable) | Paid when held in reserve or deployed on mutual aid away from your normal place of duty overnight. |
| Protection Allowance (Rates 1, 2 & 3) | £48 / £98 / £133 per shift (PC/Sgt) · £133 / £168 (Insp+) | Taxable & NI-able (non-pensionable) | Paid per qualifying residential/rostered protection shift or high-risk overseas deployment (increased by £8 per rate from 1 September 2026). |
| Targeted Variable Pay (TVP) | Up to £4,000 – £5,000 / year (force discretion) | Taxable & NI-able (non-pensionable) | Discretionary payment used by individual Chief Constables to recruit and retain hard-to-fill specialist roles (most commonly PIP2 detectives and ARV firearms officers). |
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Frequently asked questions
Do armed police officers (AFOs and ARVs) get paid more in the UK?
Basic salary for an Authorised Firearms Officer (AFO) or Armed Response Vehicle (ARV) officer is the same as any other officer of the same rank (£32,256 to £52,014 for a Constable in England & Wales, or up to £62,093 in the Metropolitan Police). However, because ARV officers are usually experienced Constables at the top of the pay scale working 24/7 shifts, their actual take-home pay is boosted by the 10% Unsocial Hours Allowance (between 8pm and 6am), operational overtime, and — in forces experiencing firearms shortages — discretionary Targeted Variable Pay (TVP) payments.
How much does a Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officer (CTSFO) earn?
A CTSFO holds the rank of Constable or Sergeant and is almost always at the top pay point (£52,014 for a PC or £58,176 for a Sergeant outside London; £62,093 to £68,255 in the Met’s Specialist Firearms Command MO19 including London Weighting and Allowance). Once 24/7 unsocial hours, £35 on-call allowances, £60/night mutual-aid deployments and overtime are included, total gross earnings for a Met CTSFO typically sit between £70,000 and £85,000+ a year.
How much is the Police Dog Handlers’ Allowance in 2026/27?
Under Annex U of the Police Regulations 2003, the Dog Handlers’ Allowance is uprated each September in line with the annual police pay award. For 2026/27 (from 1 September 2026), it is £3,049–£3,060 a year for an officer caring for one police dog at home, plus an extra 25% (~£762/year) if the officer houses and cares for a second police dog (for example, a general-purpose German Shepherd plus a specialist drugs, cash or explosives search dog).
Are specialist police allowances pensionable?
No. Under the Police Pension Scheme 2015 (CARE), only basic pay and London Weighting are pensionable. Operational allowances — including the Dog Handlers’ Allowance, Unsocial Hours Allowance, On-Call Allowance, Protection Allowance, Overnight Allowance and Targeted Variable Pay — are subject to PAYE income tax and National Insurance, but do not have pension contributions deducted and do not build extra pension.
Sources: Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) Twelfth Report (England and Wales) 2026, Chapter 4 & Appendix F; Police Regulations 2003 Annex F & Annex U.