MoD Police Salary

£29,606 – £47,743
Constable scale, effective 1 September 2025 — MDP framework + Civil Service alpha pension
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Important: MoD Police use the Civil Service alpha pension (4.6%–8.05% member contribution), not the police PPS schemes. In the calculator, set the pension dropdown to "None" for a realistic net figure until alpha is added as a proper scheme option.

MoD Police Constable (PP2 — PP8)

Pay PointAnnual Salary
Pay Point 2 (entry)£29,606
Pay Point 3£30,848
Pay Point 4£32,100
Pay Point 5£33,351
Pay Point 6£35,850
Pay Point 7£40,886
Pay Point 8 (top)£47,743

MoD Police senior ranks (effective 1 September 2025)

RankEntryTop of Band
Sergeant (3 PP)£50,890£53,398
Inspector (4 PP)£60,580£65,533
Chief Inspector (3 PP)£66,827£69,492
Superintendent (4 PP)£79,968£94,064
Chief Superintendent (3 PP)£98,607£109,996
Assistant Chief Constable (3 PP)£114,465£128,968

MoD Police location allowances

South East Allowance — Higher (£3,000/yr): Croughton (Northants), AWE Group (Berks — incl. Special Escort Group & Tactical Firearms Unit), Welford (Berks).

South East Allowance — Lower (£2,000/yr): Oakhanger (Hants), Portsmouth (Hants), Southwick Park (Hants).

MDP London Allowance: £4,338/yr. MDP London Weighting: £3,105/yr. Both for officers stationed at MDP London-area sites.

Priority Posting Allowance: £3,000 at AWE Group and Barrow-in-Furness. £2,000 at Vulcan (Dounreay) and for officers permanently in the Specialist Escort Group.

These are not auto-applied in the calculator — add them via the "Other allowances" field if applicable to your posting.

Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is the civilian police force responsible for armed protection of defence personnel, property and equipment across the UK and overseas MoD interests. With roughly 2,500–3,000 officers, MDP is a specialist firearms-focused force — most officers carry firearms as part of routine duties.

MDP officers are warranted police officers with full constable powers, but pay sits on a separate framework from the territorial Home Office PRRB scale. The MDP Constable scale uses 7 pay points (PP2 through PP8) running from £29,606 to £47,743 — about £2,500 below the E&W Constable top at PP7 (£50,256). The pay gap is partly offset by the more generous lower-cost Civil Service alpha pension.

MDP officers join the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (alpha) rather than the police PPS schemes. Member contributions are tiered 4.6%–8.05% by salary — roughly half the rate of PPS 2015's 12.44%–13.78%. Employer contributes 28.97%. This is the same scheme as most other civil servants.

Location-based allowances are significant for MDP officers — many MDP sites attract £2,000–£3,000/year on top of basic, and London-based officers can add £4,338 London Allowance plus £3,105 London Weighting (effective £7,443/year). Plus the standard unsocial hours allowance (10% of base for 21:00–05:00 working) and overtime structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the MoD Police Constable salary in 2025?
MoD Police Constable basic pay starts at £29,606 (Pay Point 2 — the entry point on the MDP scale) and progresses to £47,743 at top of band (Pay Point 8), effective 1 September 2025. The Constable scale uses 7 pay points (PP2 through PP8). Location allowances may add £2,000–£4,338/year on top of basic for officers stationed at qualifying sites.
What pension scheme do MoD Police officers use?
MoD Police officers join the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (alpha) — NOT the territorial police pension schemes (PPS 1987 / NPPS 2006 / PPS 2015). Member contributions are tiered 4.6%–8.05% by salary, considerably lower than PPS 2015's 12.44%–13.78%. Employer contribution is 28.97%.
What are the MoD Police location allowances?
South East Allowance — Higher (£3,000): Croughton, AWE Group, Welford. South East Allowance — Lower (£2,000): Oakhanger, Portsmouth, Southwick Park. MDP London Allowance £4,338 and MDP London Weighting £3,105 apply to London-based officers. Priority Posting Allowances of £2,000–£3,000 apply at AWE Group, Barrow-in-Furness, Vulcan/Dounreay, and for Specialist Escort Group officers.
Does MoD Police pay match the regular police pay scale?
No — MoD Police use a separate pay scale that sits below the E&W PRRB rate. For example, the MoD Constable top (£47,743) is about £2,500 below the E&W Constable top (£50,256). However, MDP officers benefit from a lower-cost Civil Service alpha pension which can offset much of the basic-pay difference at lower pay points.
What is the unsocial hours allowance for MoD Police?
Officers receive 10% of base hourly rate for hours worked between 21:00 and 05:00. On-call allowance is £35 per 24-hour period. Overtime is paid at time-and-a-third for casual overtime, time-and-a-half for rest-day overtime with less than 15 days' notice (or TOIL).

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