Police Pay Scales by Force 2026
Searching for your own force’s pay scales? Here is the short answer: every police force in England and Wales pays the same national scale, set by the Police Remuneration Review Body. Hampshire, Thames Valley, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and the rest all use identical basic pay for each rank and pay point.
What actually differs between forces is the regional allowance paid on top. Eight Home Counties forces pay a South East Allowance; the Metropolitan and City of London forces pay London Weighting and London Allowance. Scotland, Northern Ireland, the MoD Police and British Transport Police sit outside the England & Wales scale entirely.
Use the calculator and pick your force — the correct allowance is applied automatically.
England & Wales forces
| Force | On top of the national scale |
|---|---|
| City of London Police | London Weighting + London Allowance |
| Metropolitan Police | London Weighting + London Allowance (£9,738 combined) |
| Bedfordshire Police | South East Allowance £2,000/yr |
| Essex Police | South East Allowance £3,000/yr |
| Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary | South East Allowance £2,000/yr |
| Hertfordshire Constabulary | South East Allowance £3,000/yr |
| Kent Police | South East Allowance £3,000/yr |
| Surrey Police | South East Allowance £3,000/yr |
| Sussex Police | South East Allowance £2,000/yr |
| Thames Valley Police | South East Allowance £3,000/yr |
| Avon and Somerset Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Cambridgeshire Constabulary | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Cheshire Constabulary | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Cleveland Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Cumbria Constabulary | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Derbyshire Constabulary | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Devon and Cornwall Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Dorset Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Durham Constabulary | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Dyfed-Powys Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Gloucestershire Constabulary | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Greater Manchester Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Gwent Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Humberside Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Lancashire Constabulary | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Leicestershire Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Lincolnshire Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Merseyside Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Norfolk Constabulary | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| North Wales Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| North Yorkshire Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Northamptonshire Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Northumbria Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Nottinghamshire Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| South Wales Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| South Yorkshire Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Staffordshire Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Suffolk Constabulary | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Warwickshire Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| West Mercia Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| West Midlands Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| West Yorkshire Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
| Wiltshire Police | National PRRB scale — no regional uplift |
Basic pay is identical across all of these forces. Only the right-hand column varies.
Forces on separate pay scales
| Force | Pay arrangement |
|---|---|
| Police Scotland | Separate Scottish pay scale |
| Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) | PSNI scale + NI Transitional Allowance |
| British Transport Police (London divisions) | South East Allowance £3,150/yr |
| British Transport Police (other regions) | BTP scale; London divisions receive an uplift |
| Civil Nuclear Constabulary | CNC scale |
| Ministry of Defence Police | MDP scale, Alpha pension |
Why forces don’t set their own pay
Police pay in England and Wales is determined nationally under the Police Regulations 2003, following the annual recommendations of the Police Remuneration Review Body. Individual chief constables cannot set basic salaries — they can only apply the allowances the regulations permit, such as the South East Allowance, within the published maximum.
This is why “Hampshire police pay scales” and “West Yorkshire police pay scales” return the same basic figures: they are the same figures. The practical differences between forces are the regional allowance, London weighting where it applies, and force-specific arrangements for overtime, on-call and specialist duties.
The 2026 award was confirmed at 3.5% from 1 September 2026. Full pay points follow once the Home Office circular is published — see the full pay scales page.