Working for the Met as a Police constable is a rewarding career where you are able to see the impact that your hard work has in making London safer for everybody. In addition to the personal satisfaction that you gain, you will receive a competitive salary as well as a number of other benefits. Here are some of the things a career in policing at the Met offers.

Making a difference

As a police officer in the Met, you’ll play an important part in helping to protect over 9 million Londoners. You will get to help people at their lowest ebb, protecting the vulnerable and helping to deliver the justice they deserve. You’ll play a proactive role in helping to prevent crime before it happens and catching criminals before they strike, all the time acting with the integrity that earns people’s trust.

Career opportunities

As the largest police service in the UK we have a huge variety of units and specialisms offering you endless career opportunities. You could work with our dogs and horses, become a cybercrime specialist or keep the Thames safe in our Marine Unit. Maybe you’ll excel at financial investigation or supporting the victims of domestic abuse. Ultimately, it will be up to you to choose your path and the only limit will be your ambition.

Team work

You will join around 30,000 fellow officers, all with one common goal; to make London a safer place. From the moment you start your training, throughout your Met career you will work closely with officers who will have wide variety of skills and experiences.

As part of the Met family you will never feel alone, whether you need advice or a helping hand, you will always have support from your team and colleagues.

Varied and interesting work

Every shift is different as a police officer; your day-to-day role could vary from being out on patrol in the local community, giving evidence in court, investigating burglaries or supporting victims of crime. The size and diversity of London and the Met also means there is huge scope for new experiences, from policing the bustling nightlife of Soho to the leafy parks of Bromley and Richmond, to major public events such as the State Opening of Parliament or sporting events such as Wimbledon or at Wembley. You’ll see a new side to London, learn new skills and discover new strengths within yourself.

Fully funded Degree / Diploma

We are offering two new entry routes into policing – the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) and the Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP). Whichever route you choose, you will be employed as an officer from day one, and spend time training with experienced officers on the frontline whilst also working towards a fully funded degree or graduate diploma.

Pay and other benefits

Your salary will be dependent on the entry route you join us on. Our starting salary packages start from approximately £30,000 to £31,000 (including London allowances) increasing to circa £33,000 to £34,000 on successful completion of your probationary period. Base salary increases annually and typically police constables with seven years’ service can expect to earn circa £48,000, including allowances.

Salaries are made up of a basic salary + London weighting + London allowances. As a new PC, you’ll start receiving your salary after you’ve been attested on the first day of your Met Police training.

As a full-time PC in the Met you'll get 22 days paid annual holiday, rising to 30 days a year depending on your length of service. This is on top of public holidays and an average of two rest days each week.

Part-time officers' paid annual holiday will be based on the pro-rata equivalent of a full-time officer; for example, 13.2 days for a part-time officer working an average of 24 hours per week or 240 hours over a 10-week cycle.

You can also expect other forms of leave, including maternity, paternity and adoption leave, special leave (with or without pay), parental leave and career breaks of up to five years. If you have specific questions regarding leave of this nature, please contact your recruitment team for more information.

Whether you're on or off duty, you'll enjoy free travel on London Underground and buses, seven days a week. Travel passes are issued after completion of initial police learning in week 12. You can also opt in to our rail travel scheme for heavily discounted rail travel up to 70 miles from central London.

We recognise the importance of a work-life balance. We'll always try to take your individual, religious and cultural needs into account so you can fit your work around your personal commitments. As an emergency service with a 24/7 responsibility to the people of London, this may not always be possible.

We do offer a part-time PC career route where new joiners can now train and start their service on a part-time basis. If you are looking for a part time working pattern (0.6 full-time equivalent), you will need to select this option within your PC application process.

In order to meet the needs of the public, there is an expectation that all police officers – those working both full-time and part-time working patterns can be called upon to work weekends, bank holidays and across all shift patterns.

When you start as a new PC, you'll automatically become a member of the New Police Pension Scheme 2015. This is a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) pension scheme which offers a guaranteed pension with an optional lump sum, based on the earnings you receive during your career.

Both you and the Met will contribute and you will receive tax relief on the contributions you make. If you already have a pension, it may be possible to transfer this into the police scheme.

Metfriendly (Metropolitan Police Friendly Society Limited) offers a variety of financial services, including:

  • Savings products
  • Investment products
  • Protection products
  • Discounts & subsidies.

Many major High Street stores, retail outlets and other national organisations offer discounts and special deals to police officers and many of the Met's sites have subsidised staff restaurants.

You can join our contributory private healthcare scheme and will also benefit from free eye tests and glasses if you regularly use a computer.

We are here for you. We pride ourselves on being a caring employer and provide a whole range of support initiatives to help with both you and your family's welfare. These include:

  • Support for employees with caring responsibilities (e.g. flexible working arrangements)
  • Occupational health and welfare (from counselling to financial guidance)
  • Resettlement and outplacement support and services
  • A subsidised convalescence home
  • Holiday play schemes to help with your childcare
  • A network of 'First Contacts' who you can talk to about anything on a one-to-one basis
  • Development and mentoring schemes
  • Membership of the Police Federation

We also have a number of dedicated Staff Support Associations (SSAs) who represent and support the needs and/or beliefs of their members. Should you wish to contact one of the SSAs before joining, to better understand what the association does, you can access a full list via the ‘Apply Now – support’ section.

You, your family and friends will be able to access a huge number of subsidised leisure and sporting activities. There are nearly fifty different sports and social associations that you (and in many cases your family) can benefit from joining. For more information on the scope of sports and social activities that we offer, contact your recruitment team to request the information.

More on becoming a police constable