Police officers in Scotland have finally received news on the long-awaited 2024-25 pay decision. After a negotiation deadlock between the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) and the Police Negotiation Board for Scotland (PNBS) official side, independent arbitrators were called in.
The pay increase was decided as 4.75% applied to all ranks and backdated to April 2024. This will be paid in March 2025 salaries. The amount matches that for police staff and officers elsewhere in the UK. It has been met with a mixed reception by officers (as the 7% last year was), while the SPF have stated their disappointment at the decision.
In this blog I outline what it all means for officers, what the new Police Scotland officer 2024/25 pay scale now looks like, how it compares with elsewhere, and why it took so long to settle. Note, this focuses on basic salary alone, it doesn’t consider additional payments like overtime or other allowances.
Negotiations Reach a Deadlock
The ‘Staff Side’ (representing officers) and ‘Official Side’ (representing Police Scotland) began officer pay negotiations for the 2024/25 salary increase soon after the 2023/24 7% Police Scotland pay award. However this year was exceptional, in that a deadlock was reached with no agreement.
Firstly, the Federation were pushing for a final settlement of 5.5%, after initially pitching for 5.7%. This ‘final offer’ came along with eight other requested pay improvements, including shortening the time it takes to reach top band PC, mileage rates, on-call changes, and requesting public holidays be paid at double time for Inspectors. The final offer from the Official Side came back as 4.75%, leaving an unsettled gap of 0.75%.
An independent ACAS arbitrator assessed the evidence put forward by both sides. Ultimately, last week they decided to go with the 4.75%. This amount matches that awarded to other UK officers last year and more recently accepted by Scotland’s police staff in early January. It is similar to the government’s OBR average earnings growth forecast for 2024/25 of 4.5%. However, it is lower than the pay awards for other government employees in Scotland, as pointed out by the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents.
The pay increase applies to all ranks and will be backdated to April 2024, with the new salary and retrospective lump sum for months missed being paid in the March 2025 payslips.
It is not clear from the official communication whether any of the additional pay requests will be met; it seems not. The SPF accepted the ruling with the following message sent to members:
“We acknowledge the ruling and understand it will bring mixed reactions. Whilst we are deeply disappointed with the outcome, we respect the process and will now focus on our preparation for the upcoming 2025/26 negotiations.” – David Kennedy, SPF General Secretary
Given reduced inflation and growth forecasts for 2025/26, it is likely that those negotiations will begin at around the 3% mark on the Official Side. This seems what forces are budgeting for, and indeed for example the National Crime Agency have budgeted for a 2.9% increase.
The New 2024/25 Police Officer Salary Scale in Scotland
With the 4.75% amendment confirmed, I share above an updated chart comparing the pay bands for officers across the Federated ranks from PC to Chief Inspector.
Here’s last year’s for comparison. You’ll always find all the latest UK officer salaries on my website, covering England and Wales, Scotland and PSNI. Rank Success is the only place that provides this such comprehensive UK picture.
A new Constable will now start on £31.5k and increase to a basic rate of £50.5k within 11 years (that’s if they haven’t instead opted to achieve promotion!). For context and wider comparison, I’ve overlaid the latest average UK salary figures and where the Scottish Higher Rate tax band begins. It means that Police Scotland Constables longer in service may find themselves paying 42% tax on some of their earnings and for any overtime earned.
The salary for Sergeants now begins at £52.2k, rising to 56.5k in 3 years. Inspectors take a more of a jump up, starting on £62.5k then up to £69.3k within 4 years. For Chief Inspectors, its £70.4k to £75.0k in 3 years.
Here’s what the top rate salary for each rank now looks like for 2024/25 in Scotland (note the ACC, DCC and CC ranks are fixed as per Police Scotland’s pay structure). Overlaid are the Higher, Advanced, and Top tax rates to give additional perspective.
This 4.75% increase means an additional £2,291 per year salary for those at the top of their Constable pay scale (for those not yet at the top, this is one of the two salary increments received in a year). That’s £191 per month gross, though with pension and tax, officers are likely to only receive around £100 of that.
The annual £ value of 4.75% clearly increases the further up the ranks you go. For example, for Chief Inspectors this equates to an increase of £3,399 (£283 / month), for Chief Superintendents it’s £4,903 (£409 / month), and for the Chief Constable it’s a pre-tax salary bump of £11,814 (£985 / month).
Continuing the tracking scenario I published last year, of a new officer joining in 2019/20, here’s how that officer is progressing through the PC pay band:
Having received the annual increases to the pay band itself (e.g. 7% last year and averaging 4% since 2020), and also moved up the annual rungs of the ladder with their continued service, that officer has progressed from £26.0k to £40.4k. That’s an increase of 55% since joining, thanks to the two pay increases received each year.
While most people clearly don’t get into policing for the money, this shows why a career in policing thankfully remains a financially appealing enough prospect, attracting those with a longer-term perspective. Especially for those officers seeking to develop their leadership CPD and get promoted to the next rank.
How to Increase YOUR Salary…
Of course, police officer salaries are a contentious subject. What are your views on this determination for Police Scotland? Either way, I hope you found this in-depth analysis of the figures insightful. You can see all the latest UK officer salary information collated for comparison on my Rank Success salary page.
If you do wish to progress your career and prepare for police promotion in the shortest possible time, take a look at my detailed and structured promotion toolkits. You’ll even find them helpful ongoing leadership CPD (along with my podcasts) when you are successful and in post. That’s because these materials aren’t a ‘train to pass’ flash in the pan; they support, challenge and respectfully provoke your thinking to help you truly become a better, more rounded police leader for the future. Smashing your promotion opportunity is just a short term side effect, one many of my clients experience.
Wherever you are on your promotion and career journey, I wish you every success for the future. For the best FREE support going, watch this space, listen to my free podcast, and see my free YouTube channel for more on leadership, promotion and career progression. All this support is of course relevant to Police Scotland, along with all other UK forces.
Kind Regards, Steve
Seeking police promotion? Want a MASSIVE head start right now? Hit the ground running with your personal digital promotion toolkit, and/or my market-leading Police Promotion Masterclass. There’s nothing else like it to effectively prepare you for success in your leadership aspirations. You can also contact me to arrange more personal coaching support. Or try my podcast for your ongoing police leadership CPD covering a range of fascinating subjects.
