Police officers (sergeant and below) salary in Scotland
Full-time average annual pay in Scotland
£51,135
Based on ~23,000 employees · 2025 · moderate suppression
Median
£51,135
Mean
£50,005
| Statistic | Annual pay (gross) |
|---|---|
| Median | £51,135 |
| Mean | £50,005 |
The pay range is withheld at region level for this role. See full methodology →
Skilled Worker visa minimum
£46,900
Understanding Police officers (sergeant and below) pay in Scotland
The typical police officers (sergeant and below) in Scotland earns a median salary of £51,135 in 2025/26, based on around 23,000 employees. These figures come from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), so they reflect actual reported pay rather than self-reported estimates or job-advert ranges.
Across the UK, Scotland ranks 1st of 11 regions for police officers (sergeant and below) pay. Regional medians run from £46,197 in East of England up to £51,135 in Scotland, a spread of £4,938 (11%).
The mean (average) salary is £50,005, close to the median — the two measures broadly agree for police officers (sergeant and below) in Scotland, and the median remains the clearest guide to typical pay.
To see what £51,135 means after income tax and National Insurance, use the take-home pay calculator below — it also factors in student loan repayments and Scottish Income Tax rates.
Take-home pay estimate
Tax year 2025/26| Monthly | Annual | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £4,261 | £51,135 |
| Income tax | £791 | £9,491 |
| National Insurance | £253 | £3,033 |
| Student loan (Plan 4 (Scotland)) | £138 | £1,655 |
| Total deductions | £1,182 | £14,179 |
| Take-home pay | £3,080 | £36,956 |
Estimate only · 2025/26 HMRC rates · Standard tax code · No pension contribution · Not financial or tax advice
How Police officers (sergeant and below) pay varies by region
Scotland is the highest-paying region for police officers (sergeant and below) at £51,135. East of England is lowest at £46,197.
National median is not available for this role — regional figures are shown without comparison.
| Region | Median pay | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland (current region) | £51,135 | £51,135 | £50,005 |
| London | £50,067 | £50,067 | £48,111 |
| South East | £49,315 | £49,315 | £47,742 |
| North West | £48,282 | £48,282 | £46,967 |
| North East | £48,045 | £48,045 | £45,364 |
| South West | £47,712 | £47,712 | £45,416 |
| West Midlands | £47,320 | £47,320 | £45,496 |
| East Midlands | £47,228 | £47,228 | £45,228 |
| Wales | £46,768 | £46,768 | £44,901 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £46,540 | £46,540 | £44,323 |
| East of England | £46,197 | £46,197 | £44,981 |
| Region | Median |
|---|---|
| Scotland (current region) £51,135 | £51,135Mean £50,005 |
| London £50,067 | £50,067Mean £48,111 |
| South East £49,315 | £49,315Mean £47,742 |
| North West £48,282 | £48,282Mean £46,967 |
| North East £48,045 | £48,045Mean £45,364 |
| South West £47,712 | £47,712Mean £45,416 |
| West Midlands £47,320 | £47,320Mean £45,496 |
| East Midlands £47,228 | £47,228Mean £45,228 |
| Wales £46,768 | £46,768Mean £44,901 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber £46,540 | £46,540Mean £44,323 |
| East of England £46,197 | £46,197Mean £44,981 |
Sorted highest median to lowest. Suppressed values mean ONS withheld this figure because the sample was too small to publish.
How police officers (sergeant and below) pay in Scotland has changed over time
Median annual pay for police officers (sergeant and below) in Scotland by year, shown against the UK-wide median (Source: ONS ASHE). The shaded band is the UK-wide 25th–75th percentile range — ONS does not publish percentile ranges at region level.
Scotland median
UK median
▪ UK-wide 25th–75th percentile range
Pre-2021 figures mapped from SOC 2010 via ONS concordance table
Compare with…
How the figures are sourced
Data sources: Official UK earnings data (2025 provisional)(opens in new tab)
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