Police Scotland Pay Scales 2026
Constable — Police Scotland (11 pay points + 1(a) sub-step)
| Pay Point | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| On commencing service | £34,001 |
| Pay Point 1 (after 1 year) | £36,995 |
| Pay Point 2 | £39,988 |
| Pay Point 3 | £42,377 |
| Pay Point 4 | £43,683 |
| Pay Point 5 | £45,064 |
| Pay Point 6 | £46,321 |
| Pay Point 7 | £47,440 |
| Pay Point 8 | £48,940 |
| Pay Point 9 | £51,842 |
| Pay Point 10 | £52,873 |
| Pay Point 11 (top) | £54,597 |
Other Police Scotland ranks (effective 1 April 2026)
| Rank | Entry | Top of Band |
|---|---|---|
| Sergeant (4 PP) | £56,455 | £61,036 |
| Inspector (5 PP) | £67,491 | £74,853 |
| Chief Inspector (4 PP) | £76,087 | £80,989 |
| Superintendent (4 PP) | £89,569 | £105,632 |
| Chief Superintendent (4 PP) | £110,803 | £120,554 |
| Assistant Chief Constable (3 PP) | £164,043 | £174,216 |
| Deputy Chief Constable | £230,580 (single rate) | |
| Chief Constable | £281,522 (single rate) | |
Police Scotland is the single national police service of Scotland, formed on 1 April 2013 by merging eight regional forces and the Scottish Police Services Authority. It's the second-largest UK police force by officer numbers (~16,500 officers), after the Metropolitan Police.
Pay is set by the Scottish Police Negotiating Board (SPNB) — a separate framework from the England & Wales PRRB process. The current scales took effect on 1 April 2026. The Constable scale runs to 11 pay points rather than the 7 used in E&W, plus a sub-step "1(a)" that officers move to automatically after one year's competent service.
Constables start at £34,001 on commencing service — meaningfully higher than the £31,164 E&W equivalent — and progress to £54,597 at the top of band. The longer scale means progression takes longer, but the eventual top-of-band is also higher.
Income tax is paid at Scottish income tax bands (19% Starter, 20% Basic, 21% Intermediate, 42% Higher, 45% Advanced, 48% Top) — different from England & Wales. Most Constables fall into the Intermediate or Higher band as they progress, producing slightly different take-home figures from comparable E&W officers.
All active officers accrue pension in PPS 2015 CARE from 1 April 2022 (post-McCloud remedy) — the same scheme as E&W. Member contributions are tiered: 12.44% / 13.44% / 13.78% by pay band.