Detective constable salary
A detective constable is paid on the constable scale. There is no separate detective pay scale, so what you earn depends on your pay point, your force and how much extra you work.
The short answer
Rank is what sets police pay in England and Wales, and a detective constable holds the rank of constable. So a DC earns the same basic pay as a uniformed constable on the same pay point: between £32,255 and £52,015 a year from 1 September 2026, outside London.
Moving from uniform to the investigation side is a change of role, not a promotion, and it does not move you up the scale.
What a DC takes home
At the top of the scale, a DC outside London takes home about £2,942 a month after tax, National Insurance and the police pension. At the start it is about £1,952 a month. Those assume tax code 1257L and no student loan.
Where a DC can earn more
- Overtime. Investigations run over, and constables are paid for extra hours at time and a third. Eight extra hours a month at the top point adds about £3,192 a year before tax. Rest day working pays more, at time and a half.
- On-call. Many CID teams run an on-call rota. The national on-call allowance is £35 a day.
- London and the South East. A DC in the Met also gets London Weighting and London Allowance. Forces around London pay a South East Allowance. See Met Police salary.
- Local retention payments. Some forces have offered extra payments to keep detectives, because investigator roles are hard to fill. These are set locally and change, so check with your own force.
- Promotion. A detective sergeant is paid on the sergeant scale, which starts at £55,443. See the sergeant salary page.
Is a detective allowance coming?
The Police Federation asked the pay review body for a national detective allowance to help recruitment and retention in investigative roles. The July 2026 announcement confirmed the 3.5% award and changes to London, South East, protection and acting up allowances. We have not seen a national detective allowance confirmed, so this page does not include one. If one is introduced we will add it here.
Joining as a detective
Several forces run direct routes into detective work for people who want to start in investigation. The pay during those programmes is the constable pay scale for your force, so the table above still applies. Ask the force you are applying to which route and which pay point it offers.
Common questions
Do detective constables get paid more than constables?
Not on basic pay. Both are constables on the same national scale. A DC may earn more through overtime, on-call and any local payment their force offers.
What is the starting salary for a trainee detective constable?
It is the constable starting point for the force, which is about £32,255 outside London from 1 September 2026. Some routes start on a different point, so check the vacancy.
Is there a national detective allowance?
Not in the announcements we have seen. The Police Federation has asked for one.
How much does a detective sergeant earn?
A detective sergeant is paid on the sergeant scale, up to about £58,175 outside London from 1 September 2026.
Do DCs get paid overtime?
Yes. Constables and sergeants are paid overtime, at time and a third, or time and a half on a rest day.