national median · SOC 3312
£46,917
£22.56/hr · 2,080 hrs/yr
#32 · Public service
Police officers (sergeant and below) Salary
ONS ASHE ASHE 2025 (provisional) national median £46,917 (£22.56/hr on 2,080 hours). SOC 3312. Modeled 2026 take-home, training context, and career comparisons below.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
England, Wales & NI take-home
£37,300
20.5% effective
Scotland take-home at median
£36,482
22.2% effective
Key takeaways — Police officers
- Police officers (sergeant and below) ranks #32 of 63 on this hub with a £46,917 ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional) full-time employee median (£22.56/hr).
- Modeled England, Wales & NI take-home at that median: £37,300 (20.5% effective employee levy rate). Scotland: £36,482.
- One rank above: Pharmacists at £47,508 (+£591).
- Bonuses, share schemes, overtime, and self-employment income are outside ASHE full-time employee cash-wage medians.
About Police officers (sergeant and below) wages
The Office for National Statistics ASHE 2025 (provisional) publishes full-time employee annual gross medians by Standard Occupational Classification code. For Police officers (sergeant and below) (SOC 3312), the national median annual pay is £46,917 — meaning half of full-time PAYE employees in this occupation earn more and half earn less across the UK.
We convert that median to an hourly equivalent using 2,080 full-time hours per year, then apply our 2026 UK paycheck model so you see modeled take-home, not just gross. That bridges labour-market statistics with the same tax rules as our UK calculator.
Use the compare tool to pit Police officers against another career, or open the paycheck calculator to model an offer above or below the published median.
Public service · rank context
Police officers sits at rank #32 between Pharmacists (#31, £47,508) and Crane drivers (#33, £46,392).
Training & licensing context
Senior police and similar public-service rows reflect rank structures and national pay scales — overtime and allowances can sit above the published median.
ASHE wage percentiles (ASHE 2025 (provisional))
ASHE percentile wages show how pay spreads inside the Police officers occupation — the median is the midpoint.
| 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| £30,671 | £46,917 | £60,523 |
Take-home at ASHE median by nation
Single taxpayer, personal allowance, income tax + employee National Insurance — gross equals the published ASHE median. Scotland uses Scottish income tax bands.
| Nation | Take-home | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales & NI | £37,300 | 20.5% |
| Scotland | £36,482 | 22.2% |
Myths vs facts
Myth: Every Police officers job pays the ASHE median.
Fact: The median is a national midpoint for full-time employees. Entry roles, part-time schedules, and lower-COL markets sit below; senior specialists in high-demand cities sit above.
Myth: Take-home at median is what you will net.
Fact: Our columns use a single-taxpayer vignette at the ASHE gross median. Tax code, pension, student loan, and Scotland vs England/Wales/NI bands change your actual paycheck.
Salary planning checklist
- Confirm the posting matches SOC 3312 (Police officers (sergeant and below))
- Compare England, Wales & NI vs Scotland take-home if relocation is on the table
- Read ASHE percentile tables when published for this occupation
- Use metro paycheck examples (UK) when the employer names a city
- Model your exact gross in the UK paycheck calculator
Common mistakes
- ✕Treating £46,917 as a universal offer for all experience levels
- ✕Ignoring licensing and training years when comparing to lower-medians with shorter paths
- ✕Skipping Scottish income tax when comparing two offers at similar gross medians
Compare Police officers to other careers
Police officers salary FAQs
ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional) lists a £46,917 full-time employee national median (SOC 3312) — about £22.56/hr on a 2,080-hour year.
Modeled take-home for a single taxpayer at the ASHE median: England, Wales & NI £37,300, Scotland £36,482 (2026 rules).
#32 of 63 occupations on this hub by national median wage.
ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional): low £30,671, median £46,917, high £60,523.
This SOC unit group anchors searches such as police officer salary.
Pharmacists ranks #31 at £47,508 — £591 above Police officers.
Crane drivers ranks #33 at £46,392 — £525 below.
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