Police Officer Salary in South West
Official ONS earnings for South West, covering 16,000 jobs.
Median salary — South West
£47,712
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 30.8% change on the previous year
Mean
£45,416
Jobs measured
16,000
What a typical police officer takes home
On the median of £47,712, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£3,156
Take-home a year
£37,872
Income Tax
£7,028
National Insurance
£2,811
What most police officers actually earn
Half of police officers in South West earn between £30,703 and £50,707. Earning above £50,707 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 South West.
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 South West ranks for police officer pay
4th
of 8 GB regions with a published figure
Scotland tops the table on £51,135 and Yorkshire and The Humber sits at the bottom on £46,540. South West is £3,423 short of the top.
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 South West?
The median is £47,712 a year and the mean is £45,416, 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 South West.
What is a good Police Officer salary?
Half of police officers earn between £30,703 and £50,707. Anything above £50,707 is in the top quarter for the role.
Do police officers in South West earn more than the UK average?
The median in South West is £47,712 against £23 across the UK, 205,732.6% higher, which places it 4th 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 +30.8% for this occupation in South West. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many police officers are there in South West?
ASHE counts around 16,000 employee jobs in “Police officers (sergeant and below)” (SOC 3312) in South West. 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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