Answers · UK 2025/26
What is the take-home pay for a police sergeant in the UK?
A police sergeant in England and Wales is paid on a national scale worth roughly £48,000 a year at a representative mid-point. For 2026/27, that gives take-home pay of £38,079.60 after £7,086 Income Tax and £2,834.40 National Insurance -- about £3,173.30 a month -- before Police Pension Scheme contributions.
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Police sergeants sit above constables on the national police pay scale, with pay points spanning roughly from the mid-£40,000s to the high-£40,000s depending on length of service -- exact figures vary by pay award year and any London weighting. Taking a representative salary of £48,000 for 2026/27: taxable income after the £12,570 Personal Allowance is £35,430, all within the 20% basic rate band, giving £7,086 Income Tax. National Insurance is 8% of £35,430 = £2,834.40. Combined deductions of £9,920.40 leave £38,079.60 take-home pay a year, around £3,173.30 a month. Sergeants remain in the Police Pension Scheme 2015, with employee contributions typically around 13.5% of pensionable pay at this salary tier, deducted before tax and attracting tax relief at the individual's marginal rate. Sergeants promoted from constable rank often also see a step change in overtime and unsocial hours payments, which are taxed as normal earnings on top of the base salary shown here.
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This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.