Police Officer Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland, covering 23,000 jobs.
Median salary — Scotland
£51,135
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 5.7% change on the previous year
Mean
£50,005
Jobs measured
23,000
What a typical police officer takes home
On the median of £51,135, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£3,220
Take-home a year
£38,643
Income Tax
£9,459
National Insurance
£3,033
What most police officers actually earn
Half of police officers in Scotland earn between £40,387 and £55,938. Earning above £55,938 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Protective Service Occupations” group in Scotland.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of police officers earn less than this.
How Scotland ranks for police officer pay
1st
of 8 GB regions with a published figure
Scotland pays police officers more than anywhere else ONS measures — £4,595 above Yorkshire and The Humber, the lowest of the 8.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Police officers (sergeant and below)
- SOC 2020 code
- 3312
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
ONS doesn't measure “police officer” as its own category. These figures are for the wider group “Police officers (sergeant and below)”, which includes this role alongside others. ONS withdrew annual pay for this occupation in the 2025 provisional edition, so figures are hourly. The group covers sergeant and below.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Police Officer salary FAQs
What is the average Police Officer salary in Scotland?
The median is £51,135 a year and the mean is £50,005, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a police officer earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £23.18 excluding overtime. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for Scotland.
What is a good Police Officer salary?
Half of police officers earn between £40,387 and £55,938. Anything above £55,938 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a police officer?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of police officers earn under £28,030 and the lowest quarter under £40,387 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Do police officers in Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £51,135 against £23 across the UK, 220,499.7% higher, which places it 1st highest of the 8 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has police officer pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +5.7% for this occupation in Scotland. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many police officers are there in Scotland?
ASHE counts around 23,000 employee jobs in “Police officers (sergeant and below)” (SOC 3312) in Scotland. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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