Detective Constable Salary
The short answer
A detective constable outside London takes home £23,276 to £35,483 a year — £1,939.64 to £2,956.92 a month — after income tax, National Insurance and pension contributions.
Detective Constable Pay Scale (basic, outside London)
| Pay Point | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Pay Point 1 (entry) | £32,255 | £2,687.92 |
| Pay Point 2 | £33,609 | £2,800.75 |
| Pay Point 3 | £34,972 | £2,914.33 |
| Pay Point 4 | £36,335 | £3,027.92 |
| Pay Point 5 | £39,058 | £3,254.83 |
| Pay Point 6 | £44,544 | £3,712.00 |
| Pay Point 7 (top) | £52,015 | £4,334.58 |
Take-Home Pay After Tax, NI and Pension
| Pay Point | Gross | Pension | Tax | NI | Net | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay Point 1 (entry) | £32,255 | £4,335 | £3,070 | £1,574 | £23,276 | £1,939.64 |
| Pay Point 2 | £33,609 | £4,517 | £3,304 | £1,683 | £24,105 | £2,008.74 |
| Pay Point 3 | £34,972 | £4,700 | £3,540 | £1,792 | £24,940 | £2,078.31 |
| Pay Point 4 | £36,335 | £4,883 | £3,776 | £1,901 | £25,775 | £2,147.88 |
| Pay Point 5 | £39,058 | £5,249 | £4,248 | £2,119 | £27,442 | £2,286.86 |
| Pay Point 6 | £44,544 | £5,987 | £5,197 | £2,557 | £30,802 | £2,566.87 |
| Pay Point 7 (top) | £52,015 | £6,991 | £6,491 | £3,050 | £35,483 | £2,956.92 |
Detective Constable pay is the ordinary constable 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 detective constable is paid on the ordinary constable scale. Becoming a detective does not reset an officer's position on that scale, accelerate progression through it, or attract a separate rate.
Officers usually move into the DC role after their probationary period, taking their existing pay point with them. The constable scale has seven points and progression is annual, so a DC who joined on pay point 1 continues upward at the same pace as uniformed colleagues of the same service length.
The constable scale is the widest of the federated ranks in percentage terms, rising from £32,255 to £52,015 — over 60% across a career. That makes the take-home figures below vary considerably depending on where an officer sits, which is why the table lists every pay point rather than a range.