Ever wondered how much a police firearms officer makes? Whether you’re just curious or are considering a career as an armed officer, this article will take you through everything you need to know, including what they earn, as well as what subscriptions they need to pay for.
Firearms Police Salary: Starting Wage
As we have discussed in our article on police officers’ salaries, being a police officer is not going to make you a millionaire on its own. The role is a vocation and is not designed for those that are seeking a fast track to wealth.
The starting wage for a brand new police officer is just over £18,000 per year if you are starting on the PCDA route (earning a degree in policing as you train).
London is an expensive city to live in, so officers wanting to work there, will get a slightly higher salary, known as ‘London Weighting’.
London Weighting for Firearms Police Officers
Officers working in London (the Metropolitan Police or City of London Police) get additional pay, known as ‘London Weighting’.
Due to the cost of living in London, officers here are paid slightly higher than in the rest of the country.
London allowances are; £2,373 per annum pensionable London weighting, and £1,011 per annum non-pensionable London allowance.
There is the potential that as an officer living and working in London that you may qualify for rent or housing allowance.
If you are not entitled to rent or housing allowance, you will receive an additional amount of £3,327, which is to compensate for the increased cost of living. This is the same for all police officers, including firearms officers.
Firearms Police Officer Yearly Salary [By Rank]
The table below shows the starting wage for police officers and then the hourly rate that police officer gets paid. A full-time police officer works 40 hours per week.
All of the police officers’ monthly and hourly pay calculations have been worked out using a 40-hour workweek and are calculated in GBP.
These salaries are the same for firearms trained officers and non firearms trained officers too.
For a quick summary of police officer starting salaries for each police officer rank as of September 2020 check out the below;
➡️ Constable Starting Wage: £18,912
➡️ Sergeant Starting Wage: £43,965
➡️ Inspector Starting Wage: £52,698
*taken from the Police Federations website
Most police forces do not have Inspectors as firearms officers (i.e that actually carry a firearm), however, they are still an active part of the command structure so have been included here.
Firearms Police Salary by Rank
Firearms Police Constable Salary
| Scale | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 25,902 | 2,159 | 13 |
| 3 | 27,030 | 2,253 | 14 |
| 4 | 28,158 | 2,347 | 15 |
| 5 | 30,411 | 2,534 | 16 |
| 6 | 34,950 | 2,913 | 18 |
| 7 | 41,130 | 3,428 | 21 |
The first three years for PCDA and the first two years of other entry routes have been struck through. This is because officers in their probation cannot become firearms police officers.
In order to apply to be an armed police officer, you need to be confirmed in post. This means that you need to be signed out of your probation.
Firearms Police Sergeant Salary
| Scale | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Removed | ||
| 2 | 43,965 | 3,664 | 23 |
| 3 | 44,901 | 3,742 | 23 |
| 4 | 46,227 | 3,852 | 24 |
Firearms Police Inspectors’ Salary
| Scale | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 52,698 | 4,392 | 27 |
| 1 | 54,186 | 4,516 | 28 |
| 2 | 55,671 | 4,639 | 29 |
| 3 | 57,162 | 4,764 | 30 |
Firearms Police Salary vs Take Home Pay
Pensions
From your salary, your pension contributions will automatically be deducted. If you stay with the police pension, 14% will be deducted from your wages and automatically and automatically paid into your pension for you.
For more information on police pensions for officers joining check out this article.
This is no different for firearms officers.
Unsociable Hours
Officers that are undertaking a role that needs them to work night shifts will get additional pay for these hours.
As all forces will have a 24/7 firearms capability, as an armed officer, you will work unsociable hours
On Call
Some specialist roles within policing will require officers to be ‘on call’.
This means that the officer can be called out from their home address in order to perform specialist duties at short notice.
Some firearms roles may require an officer to be on call.
Officers will get paid an additional wage for this.
Overtime
With budget constraints, overtime is not as available as it used to be, however, if police officers perform additional duties, they may be eligible to claim overtime for these.
Firearms is a role that is essential for the protection of all, as such, it is an area that over time is more readily available.
Other Subscriptions
Police Federation
Most police officers will be paid members of the Police Federation.
The Police Federation is a staff association that offers support to officers in their work and home life. Membership is less than £25 per month.
PFOA (Police Firearms Officers Association)
Most firearms officers will also subscribe to the PFOA. It is an association that supports those who carry a taser, firearm, or are part of the command structure around the deployment of the same.
At the time of writing. this costs less than £5 per month.
Summary: Firearms Police Salary UK
In short, the firearms police salary is the same as that of a non-firearms trained officer. Despite the additional training required in order to undertake the role.
