Police Chief Superintendent Salary

£103,797 – £122,373
Effective 1 September 2025 — PRRB pay scale, England & Wales
Calculate Your Take-Home Pay

Chief Superintendent Pay Progression (3 pay points)

Pay PointNationalMet / City (+£6,588 LA)
Pay Point 1£103,797£110,385
Pay Point 2£107,226£113,814
Pay Point 3 (top)£115,785£122,373

The Chief Superintendent is the most senior superintending rank — typically a Basic Command Unit (BCU) commander, head of a major function (CID, Specialist Operations, Public Protection), or a force-level director. The role bridges operational command with strategic force-level leadership.

Promotion to Chief Superintendent is highly competitive, typically requiring completion of the Senior Police National Assessment Centre (Senior PNAC) and the Strategic Command Course (SCC) — the same SCC required for chief officer promotion.

The pay scale has 3 service-based pay points (£103,797 → £115,785). There's no separate London pay scale for superintending ranks, but Met / City Chief Superintendents receive the £6,588 London Allowance on top of national basic, taking top of scale to £122,373.

At this rank, all earnings sit in the top PPS 2015 pension tier (above £60,000) at 13.78% employee contribution. Most are working towards chief officer rank (Assistant Chief Constable) within 3–5 years of appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Chief Superintendent salary in 2025?
National pay scale: £103,797–£115,785 (3 pay points). Met / City of London: £110,385–£122,373 (national basic + £6,588 London Allowance). No separate London pay scale at this rank.
What does a Chief Superintendent do?
Typically commands a Basic Command Unit (BCU), leads a major force function, or sits as a strategic-level director. Bridges operational command with force-wide leadership and policy. Often the immediate stepping stone to chief officer rank.
What's the pension contribution at Chief Superintendent rank?
Under PPS 2015 CARE (the current scheme), all Chief Superintendent earnings are above the £60,000 top tier, so the full salary attracts the 13.78% employee contribution rate.
How long does promotion take to Chief Superintendent?
Total service typically 20–25 years. Promotion from Superintendent is competitive and requires demonstrated leadership at the BCU / functional command level, plus typically the Senior PNAC and Strategic Command Course (SCC).
What's the next step?
Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) / Commander — the entry-level chief officer rank. Promotion is competitive and requires successful completion of the SCC. ACC pay starts at £120,489 nationally and tops out at £135,756 (effective 1 September 2024); chief officer ranks have no separate London variant — Met / City equivalents are paid via the chief officer pay framework directly.

Police pay by rank

Constable Sergeant Inspector Chief Insp Chief Supt Detective

Topics

Met Police PPS Pension Overtime Acting Up 2026/27 Pay Scales Superintendent City of London Chief Officers