Custody Sergeant Salary
The short answer
A custody sergeant outside London takes home £37,788 to £39,608 a year — £3,149.03 to £3,300.69 a month — after income tax, National Insurance and pension contributions.
Custody Sergeant Pay Scale (basic, outside London)
| Pay Point | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Pay Point 2 (entry) | £55,443 | £4,620.25 |
| Pay Point 3 | £56,573 | £4,714.42 |
| Pay Point 4 (top) | £58,175 | £4,847.92 |
Take-Home Pay After Tax, NI and Pension
| Pay Point | Gross | Pension | Tax | NI | Net | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay Point 2 (entry) | £55,443 | £7,452 | £7,084 | £3,119 | £37,788 | £3,149.03 |
| Pay Point 3 | £56,573 | £7,603 | £7,280 | £3,141 | £38,548 | £3,212.35 |
| Pay Point 4 (top) | £58,175 | £7,819 | £7,575 | £3,174 | £39,608 | £3,300.69 |
Custody Sergeant pay is the ordinary sergeant scale — the role does not attract a separate rate. Figures are outside London on the standard tax code, with no overtime and no student loan.
Check your own figure
A custody sergeant is paid on the standard sergeant scale. Custody is an assignment rather than a rank, so it does not change the pay point an officer sits on and carries no separate rate under Police Regulations.
That is a point of long-standing contention, because the role carries significant personal legal responsibility. A custody sergeant makes detention decisions in their own name under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and is accountable for the welfare and rights of everyone held in the suite. The pay structure does not distinguish it from other sergeant roles.
The sergeant scale has three points, starting at pay point 2, and most officers reach the top within two years of promotion. Custody sergeants remain eligible for overtime, which is not pensionable and so does not appear in the pension figures below.