2025/26 Police Pay Scales (England & Wales)
The 2025/26 police pay scales are confirmed. For every officer in England and Wales, these figures set the baseline for Federation overtime, rest day rates, and bank holiday pay. Here’s the full picture — and what the numbers mean for your take-home.
- Police Constable starting pay (pay point 0) is £24,780 in 2025/26; top-of-scale Constables (pay point 6) earn £43,965
- The standard Federation overtime rate is time-and-a-third (1.33x), based on annual pay ÷ 365 to derive an hourly rate
- Rest day working called out with fewer than 15 hours’ notice is compensated at double time for the first 4 hours
- London weighting supplements range from approximately £2,841 (outer forces) to £7,239 (Metropolitan Police Service)
- Public holiday working is paid at double time plus a day-in-lieu, making bank holiday overtime significantly more valuable
- Sergeant pay points (2025/26) run from £46,277 to £48,129, with overtime calculated on the same daily-rate formula
The 2025/26 pay award for police officers in England and Wales was confirmed by the Home Office following the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) recommendation. The uplift was applied to all pay points, with the increase designed to partially address the real-terms pay decline officers have experienced since 2010.
For the purposes of overtime calculation, your base hourly rate is derived by dividing your annual salary by 52.14 (weeks per year) and then by your contracted weekly hours — typically 40 hours for officers (not 37.5 as in many civilian roles). This hourly rate is then multiplied by the applicable overtime factor.
Officers in the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police receive an additional Metropolitan Police London Allowance. Inner London officers receive approximately £3,774/year on top of the national pay point rates shown below. This allowance affects your baseline for overtime calculations — confirm your exact figure with your force’s HR department.
Constable Pay Points 25/26
| Pay Point | Annual Salary | Hourly (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| PP1 (Entry) | £31,164 | £14.98 |
| PP2 | £32,472 | £15.61 |
| PP3 | £33,789 | £16.24 |
| PP4 | £35,106 | £16.88 |
| PP5 | £37,737 | £18.14 |
| PP6 | £43,038 | £20.69 |
| PP7 (Top) | £50,256 | £24.16 |
Sergeant Pay Points 25/26
| Pay Point | Annual Salary | Hourly (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| PP2 | £53,568 | £25.75 |
| PP3 | £54,660 | £26.28 |
| PP4 (Top) | £56,208 | £27.02 |
* Rates exclude London Weighting and regional allowances.
25/26 vs 24/25: What’s Changed?
The 2025/26 update brought a 4.2% increase across all pay points. A Sergeant at the top of the scale (PP4) now earns approximately £40.53 per hour on a time-and-a-half shift.
How Police Overtime Is Calculated
Police overtime in England and Wales is governed by the Police Regulations 2003 and subsequent amendments. Unlike NHS overtime which uses a simple hourly multiplier, police overtime rates depend on the notice given and the type of duty:
- Overtime on a scheduled rest day (8+ hours notice): Time-and-a-third (1.33x), or a day off in lieu if you choose
- Overtime on a rest day (less than 8 hours notice): Time-and-a-half (1.5x) — the higher rate reflects the disruption of short-notice recall
- Public holidays: Double time (2x) or a day off in lieu, depending on whether the day is a rostered duty or rest day
- Overtime on a rostered duty day: Typically paid at plain time for the first 30 minutes (rounding), then time-and-a-half beyond that
If you’re recalled from a rest day with less than 8 hours’ notice, you’re entitled to the enhanced 1.5x rate — not 1.33x. This distinction is frequently applied incorrectly in payroll. Keep a note of the time you received the recall notice, as this is the key evidence if you need to query your pay.
Constable Overtime Earnings Comparison
The table below shows how overtime multipliers affect each Constable pay point, based on 2025/26 rates.
| Pay Point | Annual Salary | Hourly Rate | Time-and-a-Half (1.5x) | Double Time (2x) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PP1 | £28,551 | £13.73 | £20.60 | £27.46 |
| PP2 | £30,243 | £14.54 | £21.81 | £29.08 |
| PP3 | £33,789 | £16.24 | £24.36 | £32.48 |
| PP4 | £36,891 | £17.74 | £26.61 | £35.48 |
| PP5 | £39,672 | £19.07 | £28.61 | £38.14 |
| PP6 | £42,576 | £20.47 | £30.71 | £40.94 |
| PP7 | £46,227 | £22.22 | £33.33 | £44.44 |
Overtime Live lets you set your pay point and shift pattern so you can track your earnings in real time. No spreadsheets, no waiting for the payslip to know what you’ve earned.
Track your 2025/26 Pay with Overtime Live →
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a police Constable earn on time-and-a-half overtime?
How much did police pay increase in 2025/26?
Are police overtime rates the same as NHS overtime rates?
How is police hourly rate calculated from annual salary?
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