UK Police & NHS Pay Scales

Time and a third (×1.33) is the standard overtime rate paid to police officers in England and Wales when they work on their rest days. It means you earn your base hourly rate plus one third on top. For example, a Constable at PP7 earning £24.15/hr would receive £32.12/hr at time and a third. For bank holiday and certain other working, the rate may rise to double time (×2).

Police pay scales for 2025/26 (effective 1 September 2025) were set following the Police Remuneration Review Body recommendation. Constables start at £31,164 (post-2013 PP1) rising to £50,256 at PP7. Sergeants range from £53,568 to £56,208. Inspectors range from £63,768 to £68,982. Full rates for all ranks are shown in the table above.

NHS Agenda for Change pay bands for 2026/27 (effective 1 April 2026) range from £25,272 for Bands 1 and 2 up to £129,783 for Band 9 at the top step. Qualified nurses typically start at Band 5 (£32,073 entry, rising to £39,043 at the top step). Each band has three pay points: entry, mid, and top, based on years spent in that specific band rather than total career length.

For police (40 hours/week): divide by 2,085.6
For NHS (37.5 hours/week): divide by 1,955.25

Example: NHS Band 5 entry £32,073 ÷ 1,955.25 = £16.40/hr
Example: Police Constable PP7 £50,256 ÷ 2,085.6 = £24.11/hr

Use the interactive tool above to find your rate instantly, then enter it into the Overtime Calculator.

Under NHS Agenda for Change, unsocial hours enhancements apply within your standard 37.5-hr week: Saturday and weekday nights attract +30% for bands 4–9 (higher for lower bands); Sundays and bank holidays attract +60% for bands 4–9 (up to +94% for band 1). Overtime beyond 37.5 hours per week is paid at time and a half (×1.5) for bands 1–7. These two systems do not combine — you receive whichever applies to those hours. Always verify with your payroll team.

Police officers are entitled to a 10% unsocial hours allowance for each full hour worked between 8pm and 6am. An on-call allowance of £35 per day is also payable. Away from home overnight attracts £60 per night, and there is a hardship allowance of £40 per night where proper accommodation is not provided. Dog handlers receive £2,946 per year for the first dog.

Yes. Officers appointed before 1 April 2013 remain on Legacy Pay Points (PP0 to PP7). The legacy structure starts at £32,820 (PP0) compared to £31,164 (PP1) on the post-2013 structure. Both structures converge at PP7 (£50,256). If you joined before 2013 and are still on legacy pay, the interactive tool above shows your correct rates.

The rates shown on this page reflect the 2026/27 NHS Agenda for Change pay scales confirmed for England. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland negotiate separately and may have different applicable rates. For devolved nation rates, check NHS Employers or your relevant Health Board directly.

Once you have found your hourly rate from the tool above, open Overtime Live and enter it in Settings. The app will then automatically calculate your time and a third, time and a half, or double time earnings as you work — including a live earnings counter you can see at a glance. You can also set different rates for different shift segments (split shifts) to handle rate changes mid-shift.