Police Scotland constable pay 2026/27
- Tax year: 2026/27. Tax code: S1257L. Income tax nation: Scotland.
- Pension: Police Pension Scheme 2015, 13.7% of pensionable pay, taken before income tax. Student loan: none unless selected in the calculator.
- Full-time basic pay, for a full tax year. Money is rounded to the nearest penny.
A Police Scotland constable earns from £34,001 on joining to £54,597 at the top of the scale in 2026/27. After the police pension, Scottish income tax and National Insurance, that leaves roughly £2,026.27 to £3,020.60 a month.
| Pay point | Salary | Pension contribution | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On commencing service | £34,001 | £4,658.14 | £24,315.28 | £2,026.27 |
| 1 | £36,995 | £5,068.32 | £26,118.90 | £2,176.58 |
| 2 | £39,988 | £5,478.36 | £27,920 | £2,326.67 |
| 3 | £42,377 | £5,805.65 | £29,357.63 | £2,446.47 |
| 4 | £43,683 | £5,984.57 | £30,143.54 | £2,511.96 |
| 5 | £45,064 | £6,173.77 | £30,974.58 | £2,581.22 |
| 6 | £46,321 | £6,345.98 | £31,731.01 | £2,644.25 |
| 7 | £47,440 | £6,499.28 | £32,404.39 | £2,700.37 |
| 8 | £48,940 | £6,704.78 | £33,307.04 | £2,775.59 |
| 9 | £51,842 | £7,102.35 | £34,923.29 | £2,910.27 |
| 10 | £52,873 | £7,243.60 | £35,418.72 | £2,951.56 |
| 11 | £54,597 | £7,479.79 | £36,247.17 | £3,020.60 |
The first year and the move to point 1
The constable scale has 12 points. The first is the rate paid on commencing service. The pay circular adds a note to point 1 saying that all officers move to it after one year of service as a constable, so the first step is automatic and comes at a fixed time.
From point 1 the scale climbs through ten further steps to point 11, which is the most a constable can earn in basic pay.
Where higher rate tax begins
Scotland taxes income in more bands than the rest of the UK. On the lower constable points, every pound of taxable pay falls in the starter, basic or intermediate band. From point 9 upwards a slice of pay reaches the Scottish higher rate, and point 9 is also the first constable salary above the upper earnings limit for National Insurance.
The rise from point 8 to point 9 is one of the largest steps on the constable scale, but a good part of it is taxed at the higher rate. The table on this page shows the effect point by point.
Pension and student loans
A constable in the 2015 scheme pays 13.7% of pensionable pay. On the lower constable points that takes more from pay than income tax does, and near the top of the scale the two are similar. It is taken before tax, so it lowers the tax bill too.
Many new constables have a student loan. Every constable point is above the Plan 2 threshold, so a graduate on that plan repays at each one. The student loan repayment calculator shows the monthly amount for a given salary and plan.
Questions
What does a new Police Scotland constable take home?
On the starting salary a full-time constable keeps about £2,026.27 a month in 2026/27, after the pension, tax and National Insurance, and before any student loan.
How long does it take a constable to reach the top of the scale?
The circular sets the move to point 1 after one year. It does not say how quickly an officer moves through the later points.
Are overtime and allowances included?
No, the table covers basic pay at each point. Overtime and allowances are taxed as pay, so a month that includes them leaves more take-home than shown.