Senior police officers salary in the UK
The median full-time salary for senior police officers in the UK is £66,690 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £4,103 a month.
Pay range for senior police officers
This is the ONS occupation group "Senior police officers" (SOC 2020 code 1162). ONS figures for 2025 show that a quarter earn less than £64,166 and half earn less than £66,690.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | £64,166 | £5,347 | £47,774 | £3,981 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £66,690 | £5,558 | £49,238 | £4,103 |
| 75th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for senior police officers as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 1.9%. ONS estimates about 13,000 full-time employee jobs in this occupation. ONS says job counts like this are indicative only.
Where senior police officers rank
The median for senior police officers ranks 11th of 362 occupations on this site, in the top quarter, and 7th of 31 in managers, directors and senior officials. It is £27,651 (70.8%) higher than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs. ONS change on the previous year: the median for senior police officers rose 4.2%, less than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs.
Jobs with the nearest medians: Train and tram drivers (£76,327), Functional managers and directors n.e.c. (£75,711), Head teachers and principals (£72,192), Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers (£64,322), Production managers and directors in mining and energy (£63,241) and Health services and public health managers and directors (£61,573).
How spread out pay is
ONS published the 25th percentile (£64,166) but not the 75th, so we cannot show the middle half of the range for senior police officers.
The mean for senior police officers (total pay divided by the number of employees) is £74,687, which is £7,997 (12.0%) higher than the median. When the mean is above the median, a smaller number of higher salaries are pulling the average up. For all UK full-time jobs the mean is 24.3% above the median, so the gap for senior police officers is smaller.
Senior police officers and related jobs
Among these 4 jobs in the same or nearby ONS occupation groups, this one has the highest median. The highest median among them is £66,690 (senior police officers) and the lowest £38,447 (managers and directors in retail and wholesale).
| Job | SOC code | Median salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior police officers | 1162 | £66,690 | £4,103 |
| Health services and public health managers and directors | 1171 | £61,573 | £3,856 |
| Social services managers and directors | 1172 | £48,549 | £3,206 |
| Managers and directors in retail and wholesale | 1150 | £38,447 | £2,600 |
Take-home pay against all jobs
At the median, senior police officers take home about £4,103 a month, against £2,636 on the UK median for all jobs. Scotland has its own income tax bands, so take-home pay on the same salary is different there.
| Group | Median a year | Take-home a month | Take-home a month in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior police officers | £66,690 | £4,103 | £3,946 |
| All full-time employee jobs, UK | £39,039 | £2,636 | £2,631 |
Related pages
All jobs in the Managers, directors and senior officials table, average salary by area, the take home pay calculator, salary to hourly calculator and pay rise calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional, SOC 2020 unit group 1162. Take-home: 2026/27 rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 14: earnings by occupation (4-digit SOC), 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups (ONS)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- Scottish Income Tax (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
On the median full-time salary of £66,690, take-home pay is about £4,103 a month (£49,238 a year) after 2026/27 income tax and National Insurance, with tax code 1257L and no pension or student loan. In Scotland, where income tax is different, it is about £3,946 a month.
ONS figures for full-time jobs (2025) show that a quarter earn less than £64,166 and half earn less than £66,690. ONS did not publish every point in the range because some estimates are not reliable enough.
Yes. The median for senior police officers is £66,690, which is £27,651 (70.8%) higher than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs (ONS, 2025). It ranks 11th of 362 occupations on this site.