England and Wales · 2026/27 tax year
Police sergeant pay scale 2026/27: England and Wales
Full-time sergeants in England and Wales are paid from £55,443 to £58,176 a year, on the scales in force from 1 September 2026. After tax, National Insurance and pension, that's £3,132.71 to £3,285.07 a month.
Sergeant pay points
| Pay point | Salary | Take-home a month | Basic hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay point 2 | £55,443 | £3,132.71 | £26.57 |
| Pay point 3 | £56,574 | £3,195.76 | £27.11 |
| Pay point 4 | £58,176 | £3,285.07 | £27.88 |
Moving up the scale
Officers usually move up one pay point a year, subject to satisfactory performance, until they reach the top of the scale. From the first point to the top is £2,733 a year before deductions, or £152.36 a month after them.
Promotion to inspector starts at £66,000 a year. From the top of the sergeant scale, that's about £326.67 a month more after deductions. Inspector pay scale
Overtime
Sergeants are paid overtime at time and a third, with time and a half for a rest day worked at less than 15 days' notice and double time for public holidays. Overtime rates for every pay point
How these figures are worked out
- Take-home assumes full-time hours, tax code 1257L and the 2015 police pension scheme, with no allowances, student loan or other deductions.
- The basic hourly rate is the salary × 6/12520, the formula in Police Regulations Annex F.
- England & Wales pay scales from 1 September 2026: the 3.5% award applied to the 2025 scales. The official tables have not been published yet.
- Tax, National Insurance and pay rules last checked 27 October 2026.