Police Scotland pay scales 2026/27
From 1 April 2026, a new Police Scotland constable earns £34,001. Constable pay rises to £54,597 at point 11, and a sergeant earns £56,455 to £61,036.
- On starting service, rising to £54,597
- Sergeant: £56,455 to £61,036
- Inspector: £67,491 to £74,853
- Chief inspector: £76,087 to £80,989
Take-home pay
From a salary of £34,001 a year
Estimate with tax code 1257L, Scottish income tax and National Insurance worked out on an annual basis, before pension contributions. Your payslip will differ once your pension and any allowances are taken off.
Police Scotland pay scales 2026/27
Annual basic salary by rank and pay point.
| Rank | Point | From 1 April 2026 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constable | On commencing service | £34,001 | £32,851 |
| Point 1 | £36,995 | £35,744 | |
| Point 2 | £39,988 | £38,636 | |
| Point 3 | £42,377 | £40,944 | |
| Point 4 | £43,683 | £42,206 | |
| Point 5 | £45,064 | £43,540 | |
| Point 6 | £46,321 | £44,755 | |
| Point 7 | £47,440 | £45,836 | |
| Point 8 | £48,940 | £47,285 | |
| Point 9 | £51,842 | £50,089 | |
| Point 10 | £52,873 | £51,085 | |
| Point 11 | £54,597 | £52,751 | |
| Sergeant | Point 1 | £56,455 | £54,546 |
| Point 2 | £57,637 | £55,688 | |
| Point 3 | £59,312 | £57,306 | |
| Point 4 | £61,036 | £58,972 | |
| Inspector | Point 1 | £67,491 | £65,209 |
| Point 2 | £69,369 | £67,023 | |
| Point 3 | £71,248 | £68,839 | |
| Point 4 | £73,130 | £70,657 | |
| Point 5 | £74,853 | £72,322 | |
| Chief inspector | Point 1 | £76,087 | £73,514 |
| Point 2 | £77,638 | £75,013 | |
| Point 3 | £79,734 | £77,038 | |
| Point 4 | £80,989 | £78,250 | |
| Superintendent | Point 1 | £89,569 | £86,540 |
| Point 2 | £94,204 | £91,018 | |
| Point 3 | £99,075 | £95,725 | |
| Point 4 | £105,632 | £102,060 | |
| Chief superintendent | Point 1 | £110,803 | £107,056 |
| Point 2 | £114,519 | £110,646 | |
| Point 3 | £116,838 | £112,887 | |
| Point 4 | £120,554 | £116,477 |
Police Scotland pay scales 2026/27 by rank
| Rank | Pay points | Salary from 1 April 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Constable | Start, then points 1 to 11 | £34,001 to £54,597 |
| Sergeant | 1 to 4 | £56,455 to £61,036 |
| Inspector | 1 to 5 | £67,491 to £74,853 |
| Chief inspector | 1 to 4 | £76,087 to £80,989 |
| Superintendent | 1 to 4 | £89,569 to £105,632 |
| Chief superintendent | 1 to 4 | £110,803 to £120,554 |
The Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS) agrees these rates. Federated ranks are set in PNBS circular 2026-01. Superintending ranks are set in circular 2026-02.
Police constable salary Scotland
A constable earns £34,001 on commencing service. All officers move to point 1 when they complete one year's service as a constable. In 2025/26 the same scale ran from £32,851 to £52,751.
| Constable point | Salary from 1 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| On commencing service | £34,001 |
| Point 1 | £36,995 |
| Point 2 | £39,988 |
| Point 3 | £42,377 |
| Point 4 | £43,683 |
| Point 5 | £45,064 |
| Point 6 | £46,321 |
| Point 7 | £47,440 |
| Point 8 | £48,940 |
| Point 9 | £51,842 |
| Point 10 | £52,873 |
| Point 11 | £54,597 |
The biggest rises come in the first two years and at point 9. Reaching point 1 adds £2,994, and point 9 adds £2,902.
The full pay table shows the 2025/26 rate for every point beside the new one.
The 2025 to 2027 police pay deal
The PNBS agreed a two-year deal for federated ranks.
- 2025/26: 4% from 1 April 2025.
- Inflation guarantee: a further 0.4% for 2025/26, making 4.4% in total.
- 2026/27: 3.5% from 1 April 2026, on the adjusted 2025/26 rates.
The circular is dated 30 January 2026 and was published on 18 February 2026. Scottish Ministers have approved it. Formal regulations and determinations are still to follow.
Police Scotland pay 2025/26 vs 2026/27
| Point | 2025/26 | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| New constable | £32,851 | £34,001 |
| Constable point 11 | £52,751 | £54,597 |
| Sergeant point 1 | £54,546 | £56,455 |
| Sergeant point 4 | £58,972 | £61,036 |
| Inspector point 5 | £72,322 | £74,853 |
| Chief inspector point 4 | £78,250 | £80,989 |
The 2025/26 figures above include the 0.4% guarantee. Before it, a new constable's 2025/26 salary was £32,725.
Police Scotland pay rise 2026: how 3.5% works
The 3.5% is applied to each 2025/26 point, including the guarantee. A new constable's £32,851 plus 3.5% gives £34,001.
The same rule applies to every rank. A sergeant at point 1 went from £54,546 to £56,455. An inspector at point 5 went from £72,322 to £74,853.
The guarantee also changed the base for 2026/27. Without it, each 2026/27 figure would have been slightly lower. At constable point 11, the pre-guarantee 2025/26 rate was £52,549, against £52,751 after it.
Sergeant, inspector and chief inspector pay
Promotion moves you onto a new scale. The bottom of each scale sits above the top of the one below.
- Sergeant: £56,455, £57,637, £59,312 and £61,036.
- Inspector: £67,491, £69,369, £71,248, £73,130 and £74,853.
- Chief inspector: £76,087, £77,638, £79,734 and £80,989.
What promotion adds
- Constable point 11 to sergeant point 1 adds £1,858.
- Sergeant point 4 to inspector point 1 adds £6,455.
- Inspector point 5 to chief inspector point 1 adds £1,234.
The largest single jump is from sergeant to inspector. Inspector also has five points, one more than sergeant or chief inspector.
Superintendent and chief superintendent pay
Superintendents earn £89,569, £94,204, £99,075 and £105,632 from 1 April 2026. Chief superintendents earn £110,803, £114,519, £116,838 and £120,554.
These rates come from PNBS circular 2026-02. They follow the same 3.5% rise from 1 April 2026.
Police officer salary Scotland: take-home pay
These examples use 2026/27 Scottish income tax and National Insurance with a standard tax code. They are before pension contributions, which will lower them.
| New constable | Constable point 11 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £34,001 | £54,597 |
| Scottish income tax | £4,291 | £10,913 |
| National Insurance | £1,714 | £3,103 |
| Take-home per month | £2,333 | £3,382 |
How the new constable figures are worked out
- Taxable pay is £34,001 minus the £12,570 personal allowance, which is £21,431.
- Starter and basic rates take £753.73 and £2,597.80.
- Intermediate rate: 21% on £4,475 is £939.75.
- Income tax totals £4,291.28.
- National Insurance is 8% on £21,431, which is £1,714.48.
A Plan 4 student loan takes about £19 a year from a new constable. At point 11 it takes about £1,872 a year.
Still to come
The 2026/27 rates are agreed and approved by Scottish Ministers. The circular says formal regulations and determinations will follow.
Quick answers
- What is the starting salary for a police constable in Scotland?
A new constable earns £34,001 from 1 April 2026. After one year's service as a constable, pay moves to point 1 at £36,995.
- How much does a police officer earn in Scotland?
Constables earn £34,001 to £54,597 in 2026/27. Sergeants earn £56,455 to £61,036 and inspectors £67,491 to £74,853.
- What is the top of the constable pay scale in Scotland?
Point 11 pays £54,597 from 1 April 2026. In 2025/26 it was £52,751.
- What pay rise did Police Scotland officers get in 2026?
Officers got 3.5% from 1 April 2026. It was added to 2025/26 rates that already included 4% plus a 0.4% inflation guarantee.
- How much does a sergeant earn in Police Scotland?
A sergeant earns £56,455 at point 1 and £61,036 at point 4 from 1 April 2026.
- How much does a chief inspector earn in Scotland?
A chief inspector earns £76,087 to £80,989 from 1 April 2026, over four points.
- What is a new constable's take-home pay in Scotland?
On £34,001, take-home is about £2,333 a month before pension, with a standard tax code and no student loan.