Senior police officers roles in the UK earn a median of £66,000 per year, equivalent to £33.21 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 5.5% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £62,500 in Yorkshire and The Humber to £78,000 in London. Pay has risen over the past 5 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £66,690/yr (1% below our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£66,000
as of 2025
High confidenceMedian Hourly Pay
£33.21
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+5.5%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£63,500 – £
25th – 75th percentile
There is currently not sufficient data available for this occupation to say anything about the labour market.
Median annual pay for Senior police officers across UK regions.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
| Region | Median Pay |
|---|---|
| London | £78,000 |
| Scotland | £65,500 |
| East | £65,500 |
| South West | £65,000 |
| South East | £65,000 |
| East Midlands | £63,500 |
| North West | £63,500 |
| West Midlands | £63,500 |
| Wales | £63,000 |
| North East | £63,000 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £62,500 |
| UK | £66,000 |
Annual pay grew by +5.5% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Senior police officers.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
The median salary for a Senior police officers in the UK is £66,000 per year (about £33.21 per hour), based on official ONS data for 2025.
Most Senior police officers earn between £63,500 and £ a year (the 25th to 75th percentile of UK pay).
Senior police officers pay rose by 5.5% from 2024 to 2025.
The highest median pay for Senior police officers is in London, at £78,000 per year.
For job seekers
Check your salary against official UK data for Senior police officers roles — broken down by region and seniority level. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
For employers & recruiters
Senior police officers plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the resources and activities of a specific geographical or functional area of generalised or specialised police work. Senior officers of the British Transport Police direct the specialised police service for the railway network across Britain.
Promotion to the rank of inspector can be by qualifying examination and practical assessment. There are no qualifying examinations to ranks above inspector; promotion is by selection only. There are accelerated promotion schemes available as well as the Direct Entry scheme which recruits external entrants with relevant skills directly to senior positions in the police force. All police forces have age restrictions and medical requirements.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.