Police Scotland Pay Scales 2026/27
The short answer
A Police Scotland officer takes home £24,385 to £66,640 a year — £2,032.06 to £5,553.36 a month — after income tax, National Insurance and pension contributions.
Police Scotland Pay Scales (basic, effective 1 April 2026)
| Pay Point | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Constable (entry) | £34,001 | £2,833.42 |
| Constable (top) | £54,597 | £4,549.75 |
| Sergeant (entry) | £56,455 | £4,704.58 |
| Sergeant (top) | £61,036 | £5,086.33 |
| Inspector (entry) | £67,491 | £5,624.25 |
| Inspector (top) | £74,853 | £6,237.75 |
| Chief Inspector (entry) | £76,087 | £6,340.58 |
| Chief Inspector (top) | £80,989 | £6,749.08 |
| Superintendent (entry) | £89,569 | £7,464.08 |
| Superintendent (top) | £105,632 | £8,802.67 |
| Chief Superintendent (entry) | £110,803 | £9,233.58 |
| Chief Superintendent (top) | £120,554 | £10,046.17 |
Take-Home Pay After Tax, NI and Pension
| Pay Point | Gross | Pension | Tax | NI | Net | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constable (entry) | £34,001 | £4,570 | £3,333 | £1,714 | £24,385 | £2,032.06 |
| Constable (top) | £54,597 | £7,338 | £7,831 | £3,102 | £36,326 | £3,027.19 |
| Sergeant (entry) | £56,455 | £7,588 | £8,506 | £3,139 | £37,222 | £3,101.83 |
| Sergeant (top) | £61,036 | £8,411 | £10,085 | £3,231 | £39,310 | £3,275.82 |
| Inspector (entry) | £67,491 | £9,300 | £12,422 | £3,360 | £42,409 | £3,534.06 |
| Inspector (top) | £74,853 | £10,315 | £15,088 | £3,507 | £45,943 | £3,828.58 |
| Chief Inspector (entry) | £76,087 | £10,485 | £15,535 | £3,532 | £46,536 | £3,877.96 |
| Chief Inspector (top) | £80,989 | £11,160 | £17,310 | £3,630 | £48,889 | £4,074.07 |
| Superintendent (entry) | £89,569 | £12,343 | £20,484 | £3,801 | £52,941 | £4,411.76 |
| Superintendent (top) | £105,632 | £14,556 | £26,716 | £4,123 | £60,237 | £5,019.76 |
| Chief Superintendent (entry) | £110,803 | £15,269 | £28,723 | £4,226 | £62,586 | £5,215.48 |
| Chief Superintendent (top) | £120,554 | £16,612 | £32,880 | £4,421 | £66,640 | £5,553.36 |
Police Scotland pay is set separately from England and Wales and took effect on 1 April 2026. Take-home is calculated on Scottish income tax rates, which differ from the rest of the UK. National Insurance is UK-wide and unchanged.
Check your own figure
Police Scotland pay is negotiated separately from England and Wales, through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland rather than the PRRB, and takes effect on 1 April rather than 1 September. The two systems have drifted apart: a Scottish constable starts at £34,001 against £32,255 south of the border.
The constable scale is also longer — eleven numbered pay points plus a "1(a)" sub-step at one year of service, against seven in England and Wales — so progression to the top takes considerably longer even though the top of the scale is higher at £54,597.
The bigger difference for take-home is tax. Scottish taxpayers pay Scottish income tax rates, which have more bands and different thresholds from the rest of the UK: a starter rate below the basic rate, an intermediate rate above it, and higher, advanced and top rates that begin earlier and rise further. The figures below are calculated on Scottish rates throughout.
National Insurance is reserved and identical across the UK, as are the student loan thresholds, so those parts of the deduction are the same wherever you serve.