Police Detective Salary
The short answer
A detective outside London takes home £23,276 to £69,491 a year — £1,939.64 to £5,790.89 a month — after income tax, National Insurance and pension contributions.
Detective Pay by Rank (same as uniform equivalents)
| Rank | National basic range | Met / City range |
|---|---|---|
| Detective Constable (DC) | £32,255 – £52,015 | £42,334 – £62,094 |
| Detective Sergeant (DS) | £55,443 – £58,175 | £65,522 – £68,254 |
| Detective Inspector (DI) | £66,000 – £71,396 | £75,607 – £81,025 |
| Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) | £72,806 – £76,911 | £82,438 – £86,518 |
| Detective Superintendent (DSupt) | £87,123 – £102,481 | £93,942 – £109,299 |
| Detective Chief Superintendent (DCS) | £107,430 – £119,837 | £114,248 – £126,656 |
Take-Home Pay After Tax, NI and Pension
| Pay Point | Gross | Pension | Tax | NI | Net | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detective Constable (entry) | £32,255 | £4,335 | £3,070 | £1,574 | £23,276 | £1,939.64 |
| Detective Constable (top) | £52,015 | £6,991 | £6,491 | £3,050 | £35,483 | £2,956.92 |
| Detective Sergeant (entry) | £55,443 | £7,452 | £7,084 | £3,119 | £37,788 | £3,149.03 |
| Detective Sergeant (top) | £58,175 | £7,819 | £7,575 | £3,174 | £39,608 | £3,300.69 |
| Detective Inspector (entry) | £66,000 | £9,095 | £10,194 | £3,330 | £43,381 | £3,615.09 |
| Detective Inspector (top) | £71,396 | £9,838 | £12,055 | £3,438 | £46,065 | £3,838.72 |
| Detective Chief Inspector (entry) | £72,806 | £10,033 | £12,541 | £3,466 | £46,766 | £3,897.16 |
| Detective Chief Inspector (top) | £76,911 | £10,598 | £13,957 | £3,548 | £48,807 | £4,067.28 |
| Detective Superintendent (entry) | £87,123 | £12,006 | £17,479 | £3,753 | £53,886 | £4,490.50 |
| Detective Superintendent (top) | £102,481 | £14,122 | £22,776 | £4,060 | £61,524 | £5,126.99 |
| Detective Chief Superintendent (entry) | £107,430 | £14,804 | £24,482 | £4,159 | £63,985 | £5,332.09 |
| Detective Chief Superintendent (top) | £119,837 | £16,514 | £29,426 | £4,407 | £69,491 | £5,790.89 |
Detectives are paid on exactly the same scales as their uniformed equivalents — the rank is the same, the role is different. Figures show the entry and top of each scale outside London, on the standard tax code with no student loan.
Check your own figure
UK Detective Constables (DCs) and other detective ranks are paid on the same pay scale as their uniform equivalents. A Detective Constable on Pay Point 1 earns the same £32,255 (outside London) as a uniform Constable on Pay Point 1.
Detective career progression mirrors uniform: DC → DS → DI → DCI. To become a detective, officers complete the National Investigators' Examination (NIE) and the Initial Crime Investigators' Development Programme (ICIDP). Some forces offer direct-entry detective schemes that bypass uniform service.
Detective roles often attract specialist post allowances (typically £1,000–£5,000/year depending on the role and force) — for example serious-crime specialists, public protection, cyber-crime, counter-terrorism roles. These are pensionable. Enter the annual amount in the "Other allowances" input on the calculator.
Detectives typically work significant overtime on major investigations — pay applies at the same Regulation 26 rates as uniform officers (time-and-a-third for standard overtime, time-and-a-half on rest days, double time on public holidays).