How police pay is set in Australia
There's no national police pay rate. Each force has its own pay instrument, and the type matters.
Every Australian force negotiates its own pay. The government (or, for the AFP, the Commissioner) bargains with the police association, and the deal is written into a legal instrument approved by an industrial tribunal. That instrument sets the pay table, the loadings and allowances, overtime and leave. When people say "the EA" or "the award", this is what they mean.
- Type
- State award
- Current instrument
- Crown Employees (Police Officers - 2024) Award
- Approved by
- NSW Industrial Relations Commission
- Type
- Enterprise agreement
- Current instrument
- Victoria Police (Police Officers, Protective Services Officers, Police Reservists and Police Recruits) Enterprise Agreement 2025
- Approved by
- Fair Work Commission
- Type
- Certified agreement
- Current instrument
- Queensland Police Service Certified Agreement 2025 (QIRC CB/2025/116)
- Approved by
- Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
- Type
- Industrial agreement
- Current instrument
- Western Australia Police Force Industrial Agreement 2024
- Approved by
- WA Industrial Relations Commission
- Type
- Enterprise agreement (read with an award)
- Current instrument
- South Australia Police Enterprise Agreement 2021 (read with the Police Officers Award)
- Approved by
- SA Employment Tribunal
- Type
- State award
- Current instrument
- Police Award No. 2 of 2026 (Consolidated)
- Approved by
- Tasmanian Industrial Commission
- Type
- Consent agreement
- Current instrument
- Northern Territory Police Force Consent Agreement 2025
- Approved by
- Police Arbitral Tribunal
- Type
- Enterprise agreement
- Current instrument
- Australian Federal Police Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 (FWC AE526995)
- Approved by
- Fair Work Commission
| Force | Type | Current instrument | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW Police | State award | Crown Employees (Police Officers - 2024) Award | NSW Industrial Relations Commission |
| Victoria Police | Enterprise agreement | Victoria Police (Police Officers, Protective Services Officers, Police Reservists and Police Recruits) Enterprise Agreement 2025 | Fair Work Commission |
| QPS | Certified agreement | Queensland Police Service Certified Agreement 2025 (QIRC CB/2025/116) | Queensland Industrial Relations Commission |
| WA Police | Industrial agreement | Western Australia Police Force Industrial Agreement 2024 | WA Industrial Relations Commission |
| SAPOL | Enterprise agreement (read with an award) | South Australia Police Enterprise Agreement 2021 (read with the Police Officers Award) | SA Employment Tribunal |
| Tasmania Police | State award | Police Award No. 2 of 2026 (Consolidated) | Tasmanian Industrial Commission |
| NT Police | Consent agreement | Northern Territory Police Force Consent Agreement 2025 | Police Arbitral Tribunal |
| AFP | Enterprise agreement | Australian Federal Police Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 (FWC AE526995) | Fair Work Commission |
Awards, enterprise agreements and the rest
An award (NSW, Tasmania) is made by a state industrial commission and sets pay directly, often after a deal is agreed with the association. An enterprise agreement (Victoria, SA and the AFP) is voted on by employees and approved by a tribunal: the Fair Work Commission for Victoria Police and the AFP, and the SA Employment Tribunal for SAPOL, whose agreement is read with an award. Queensland's certified agreement is certified by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, WA's industrial agreement is registered by the WA commission, and the NT's consent agreement is filed with the Police Arbitral Tribunal.
For you, the label matters less than three things inside it: the pay table, the dates of each rise, and the expiry date. After expiry, the old instrument usually keeps operating until a new one replaces it, which is why back pay often follows a late deal. SA's 2021 agreement, for example, still operates after its nominal term ended, with pay set by a 2024 retention deal.
2026 police pay at a glance
Current pay in every force, as at the date you're reading this. The first-year column shows both the base salary and front-line pay, which adds each force's standard roster loading or composite. That's the fairer figure to compare.
- First-year base
- $83,028
- First-year front-line
- $92,576
- Senior constable top
- $125,281
- Sergeant top
- $140,989
- Rates from
- 1 July 2026
- First-year base
- $84,060
- First-year front-line
- $93,212
- Senior constable top
- $118,945
- Sergeant top
- $149,358
- Rates from
- 1 June 2026
- First-year base
- $78,505
- First-year front-line
- $94,991
- Senior constable top
- $118,127
- Sergeant top
- $133,671
- Rates from
- 1 July 2026
- First-year base
- $94,651
- First-year front-line
- $94,651
- Senior constable top
- $124,558
- Sergeant top
- $135,005
- Rates from
- 1 July 2026
- First-year base
- $83,398
- First-year front-line
- $102,580
- Senior constable top
- $117,542
- Sergeant top
- $135,363
- Rates from
- 1 January 2026
- First-year base
- $73,518
- First-year front-line
- $94,103
- Senior constable top
- $107,420
- Sergeant top
- $125,625
- Rates from
- 1 December 2025
- First-year base
- $87,005
- First-year front-line
- $111,366
- Senior constable top
- $120,539 calc
- Sergeant top
- $139,008 calc
- Rates from
- 7 August 2026
- First-year base
- $72,317
- First-year front-line
- $91,727
- Senior constable top
- $111,861 calc
- Sergeant top
- $132,185 calc
- Rates from
- 9 December 2025
| Force | First-year base | First-year front-line | Senior constable top | Sergeant top | Rates from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW Police | $83,028 | $92,576 | $125,281 | $140,989 | 1 July 2026 |
| Victoria Police | $84,060 | $93,212 | $118,945 | $149,358 | 1 June 2026 |
| QPS | $78,505 | $94,991 | $118,127 | $133,671 | 1 July 2026 |
| WA Police | $94,651 | $94,651 | $124,558 | $135,005 | 1 July 2026 |
| SAPOL | $83,398 | $102,580 | $117,542 | $135,363 | 1 January 2026 |
| Tasmania Police | $73,518 | $94,103 | $107,420 | $125,625 | 1 December 2025 |
| NT Police | $87,005 | $111,366 | $120,539 calc | $139,008 calc | 7 August 2026 |
| AFP | $72,317 | $91,727 | $111,861 calc | $132,185 calc | 9 December 2025 |
Base excludes loadings (Victoria's includes its 13% commuted penalty). Front-line adds the roster loading, composite or fixed allowances described on the comparison page. calc = calculated by us; unconfirmed = not yet confirmed in the agreement.
First-year constable pay on a front-line roster
Bright bar = base salary; full bar = with the standard roster loading or composite.
- NT Police $111,366
23% Consolidated Allowance + 5% General Policing Allowance
- SAPOL $102,580
23% Response Allowance (metro response roster only)
- QPS $94,991
21% Operational Shift Allowance (OSA); night allowances on top
- WA Police $94,651
No loading: flat dollar shift allowances per shift on top
- Tasmania Police $94,103
28% shift and penalty allowance (24-hour roster)
- Victoria Police $93,212
13% commuted penalty already inside the salary; hourly shift loadings on top
- NSW Police $92,576
11.5% loading paid as salary; per-shift allowances on top
- AFP $91,727
22% Core Composite + $3,500 Use of Force allowance
WA Police has the highest first-year base salary and NT Police the highest first-year pay once roster allowances are added. The full like-for-like breakdown, including five-year, sergeant, inspector and super figures, is in police salary Australia 2026: every force compared.
What makes up a police officer's pay
Your payslip is built from several parts, and each force mixes them differently. Knowing which parts apply to you is the key to comparing forces or checking your pay.
The parts of police pay
- ✓ Base salary from the pay table, by rank and increment
- ✓ Loading or composite: a percentage for shift and weekend liability (not in WA)
- ✓ Shift allowances per shift or per hour in NSW, Victoria and WA, and night top-ups elsewhere
- ✓ Overtime at 1.5×, 2× or 2.5×, on an hourly base each force defines
- ✓ Allowances for detectives, specialist units, on-call and remote postings
- ✓ Employer super: 12% in most forces, more in Queensland and the AFP
Highest employer super
18%
Queensland Police
Largest roster loading
28%
Tasmania 24-hour roster or NT combined
NSW loading
11.5%
paid as salary to NCOs
Overtime and shift rules vary the most. Our overtime and penalty rates comparison works out a four-hour overtime shift in every force and shows what a night shift adds.
Latest police pay changes
The most recent pay table in each force, newest first.
- 1
NT Police: 2025 Consent Agreement year 2 (+4%), from about Aug 2026 (date inferred).
7 August 2026Northern Territory Police Force Consent Agreement 2025. First-year constable base is now $87,005; the top of the sergeant scale is $139,008 calc. See every NT Police pay point.
- 2
NSW Police: From 1 July 2026 (NCOs 5%, Inspectors 3.5%, Superintendents 3%).
1 July 2026Crown Employees (Police Officers - 2024) Award. First-year constable base is now $83,028; the top of the sergeant scale is $140,989. See every NSW Police pay point.
- 3
QPS: Current rates from 1 Jul 2026 (official QPS CUA schedule)
1 July 2026Queensland Police Service Certified Agreement 2025 (QIRC CB/2025/116). First-year constable base is now $78,505; the top of the sergeant scale is $133,671. See every QPS pay point.
- 4
WA Police: From 1 July 2026 (+3.75%, 2024 Agreement; final scheduled increase)
1 July 2026Western Australia Police Force Industrial Agreement 2024. First-year constable base is now $94,651; the top of the sergeant scale is $135,005. See every WA Police pay point.
- 5
Victoria Police: From 1 June 2026 (3.0%)
1 June 2026Victoria Police (Police Officers, Protective Services Officers, Police Reservists and Police Recruits) Enterprise Agreement 2025. First-year constable base is now $84,060; the top of the sergeant scale is $149,358. See every Victoria Police pay point.
- 6
SAPOL: From the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2026 (SAPOL published range: lowest and highest increment of each rank only)
1 January 2026South Australia Police Enterprise Agreement 2021 (read with the Police Officers Award). First-year constable base is now $83,398; the top of the sergeant scale is $135,363. See every SAPOL pay point.
- 7
AFP: From 9 Dec 2025 (4.0% increase; current)
9 December 2025Australian Federal Police Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 (FWC AE526995). First-year constable base is now $72,317; the top of the sergeant scale is $132,185 calc. See every AFP pay point.
- 8
Tasmania Police: From first full pay period on or after 1 Dec 2025 (+3%)
1 December 2025Police Award No. 2 of 2026 (Consolidated). First-year constable base is now $73,518; the top of the sergeant scale is $125,625. See every Tasmania Police pay point.
These dates come from each force's current pay table in our data. Where a force has scheduled its next table, the comparison pages switch to it automatically on the day it takes effect.
What's coming next for police pay
The next change in each force, in date order. Proposed or inferred changes are marked unconfirmed, because they aren't yet in an approved instrument.
- Date
- 1 December 2026
- What changes
- 3% increase to all award salaries from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026 (already in the award table).
- Date
- 9 December 2026
- What changes
- Final EA increase of 2.7%.
- Date
- 1 January 2027
- What changes
- PROPOSED, not ratified: 4% from the first full pay period on or after 1 Jan 2027 under the new enterprise agreement announced by PASA on 16 Sep 2026. unconfirmed
- Date
- March 2027
- What changes
- March 2027 Brisbane CPI decides CUA period 2: if it exceeds 2.5%, the difference (capped at 1%) is added to the 1 Jul 2026 increase and back-paid.
- Date
- 1 June 2027
- What changes
- Final scheduled increase under the 2025 agreement: Schedule A rates rise 3.0% (e.g. Constable 1 to $86,582, Recruit to $63,023), and allowances step up, including the last phase of the Operational Readiness Allowance (Constable 1 to $3,632) and General Duties Allowance (Constable 1 to $1,816).
- Date
- 30 June 2027
- What changes
- Nominal expiry of the 2024 Agreement.
- Date
- 1 July 2027
- What changes
- A 5% rise from the first full pay period on/after 1 Jul 2027 is inferred, not gazetted. unconfirmed
- Date
- 7 August 2027
- What changes
- Year three of the 2025 Consent Agreement: 3% increase, expected from the first pay period on or after about 7 August 2027 (date inferred from the 7 Aug 2025 start and annual steps). unconfirmed
| Force | Date | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Tasmania Police | 1 December 2026 | 3% increase to all award salaries from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026 (already in the award table). |
| AFP | 9 December 2026 | Final EA increase of 2.7%. |
| SAPOL | 1 January 2027 | PROPOSED, not ratified: 4% from the first full pay period on or after 1 Jan 2027 under the new enterprise agreement announced by PASA on 16 Sep 2026. unconfirmed |
| QPS | March 2027 | March 2027 Brisbane CPI decides CUA period 2: if it exceeds 2.5%, the difference (capped at 1%) is added to the 1 Jul 2026 increase and back-paid. |
| Victoria Police | 1 June 2027 | Final scheduled increase under the 2025 agreement: Schedule A rates rise 3.0% (e.g. Constable 1 to $86,582, Recruit to $63,023), and allowances step up, including the last phase of the Operational Readiness Allowance (Constable 1 to $3,632) and General Duties Allowance (Constable 1 to $1,816). |
| WA Police | 30 June 2027 | Nominal expiry of the 2024 Agreement. |
| NSW Police | 1 July 2027 | A 5% rise from the first full pay period on/after 1 Jul 2027 is inferred, not gazetted. unconfirmed |
| NT Police | 7 August 2027 | Year three of the 2025 Consent Agreement: 3% increase, expected from the first pay period on or after about 7 August 2027 (date inferred from the 7 Aug 2025 start and annual steps). unconfirmed |
Two deals to watch
South Australia's proposed enterprise agreement, announced by the Police Association of SA on 16 September 2026, still needs a member vote and tribunal approval. WA's agreement expires on 30 June 2027 with no rise after 1 July 2026, and the next deal will be bargained under the state's 2026 wages policy. Follow both on the pay deal tracker.
Pay scales for every force
Each force's salary page has its full current pay table, every rank and increment, what the figures include, past rates and the next scheduled rise.
Pay deals and agreements
Where each force's agreement stands: when it was approved, what it gave, when it expires and what's being negotiated now. The tracker shows them all on one page.
Comparisons, overtime and penalty rates
If you're deciding between forces, start with the highest-paid force analysis; if you're already serving, the overtime guide and your force's salary page are the most useful.
Police pay calculators
What will you actually take home?
Pick your force and pay point, add your roster and overtime, and see your fortnightly pay after tax.
How we keep these figures accurate
Every rate on our pay pages is read from the force's award or agreement, or its official recruiting page, and stored with the source and the date we checked it. Figures we calculate ourselves are labelled, and anything we couldn't confirm is left out. When a pay table changes, every page that uses it updates together. Read our editorial policy.
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- ✓Offers, votes and approvals as they happen
- ✓The new rates for your rank on pay day
Frequently asked questions
How is police pay set in Australia?
Each force has its own pay instrument, negotiated between the government or commissioner and the police association, then approved by an industrial tribunal. NSW and Tasmania use awards, Victoria, SA and the AFP enterprise agreements, Queensland a certified agreement, WA an industrial agreement and the NT a consent agreement.
What is the starting salary for police in Australia?
A first-year constable's base salary is between $72,317 and $94,651 in 2026, depending on the force. With the loading or roster allowance most front-line officers receive, first-year pay reaches $111,366 in NT Police. Recruits are paid less while at the academy.
What is a police loading?
A loading is a percentage added to salary to compensate for shift, weekend and public holiday work. NSW pays an 11.5% loading as salary; Queensland a 21% Operational Shift Allowance; Tasmania up to 28%; the NT a 23% Consolidated Allowance; and the AFP a 22% composite. WA pays flat amounts per shift instead.
How often do police get pay rises?
Most agreements give a rise once a year for three or four years. Pay dates differ: July in NSW, Queensland and WA, June in Victoria, December in Tasmania and the AFP, January in SA and around August in the NT. When an agreement expires, a new one is negotiated, sometimes with back pay.
Do police get paid overtime?
Yes, constables and sergeants are paid overtime in every force, usually at time and a half for the first two or three hours and double time after that. Queensland (for operational NCOs), Tasmania and the AFP pay double time from the first hour. Most commissioned officers are paid a salary that covers extra hours instead.
Is police pay taxed differently?
No. Salary, loadings, allowances and overtime are all ordinary taxable income. Most constables and sergeants pay 30% plus the 2% Medicare levy on each extra dollar. Use the take-home pay calculator to see your fortnightly pay after 2026-27 tax.
Evidence
Sources and how we checked them
Every figure on this page comes from the sources below, read on 9 October 2026. Pay rates and rules change when new agreements are made, so check the source for the date you're reading this. Where we couldn't confirm something from an official source, the page says so instead of guessing. Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy.
- Crown Employees (Police Officers - 2024) Award, NSW Industrial Gazette Vol 397, 9 May 2025, pp 1238-1334 — NSW Police pay instrument
- Victoria Police (Police Officers, PSOs, Police Reservists and Police Recruits) Enterprise Agreement 2025, [2025] FWCA 1135, AE528554 — Victoria Police pay instrument
- Queensland Police Service Certified Agreement 2025 (QIRC CB/2025/116) — QPS pay instrument
- Western Australia Police Force Industrial Agreement 2024 (WAIRC, WES338) — WA Police pay instrument
- South Australia Police Enterprise Agreement 2021 (approved, SAET ET-21-00375; scanned PDF read by the scanned copy) — SAPOL pay instrument
- Police Award No. 2 of 2026 (Consolidated), TIC T15311 of 2026 (read via Wayback Machine copy 2026-05-20) — Tasmania Police pay instrument
- Northern Territory Police Force Consent Agreement 2022 (PAT-certified), NTPA copy — NT Police pay instrument
- Australian Federal Police Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 (FWC AE526995, [2024] FWCA 4231) — AFP pay instrument
- PASA via Medianet: PASA secures landmark enterprise agreement for South Australia Police (16 Sep 2026; proposed, not ratified)
- WA Public Sector Wages Policy Statement 2026 (26 May 2026)
Related guides
Pay
More in this series
General information, not advice. This guide explains published rules and rates. It doesn't consider your personal circumstances and isn't financial, legal, tax or credit advice. Confirm anything you rely on with your force, your police association, the ATO or a licensed professional.