Major pay boost for cops in NSW under historic deal

NSW Police will receive drastically increased pay in a new deal struck to address crucial staff shortages. Over four years, non-commissioned officers will receive a base pay increase of 19 per cent, plus increases to their allowances. The salary of a probationary constable will rise from $81,517 to $84,777 before increasing to $97,206 by 2027. The salary of a senior constable will jump from $101,516 to $105,577 and then balloon further to $121,054 in 2027 – a 13.5 per cent pay rise over four years. Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley announced the pay rise on Tuesday morning alongside NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb and Police Association NSW (PANSW) President Kevin Morton. “With recruitment on the rise, we hope this offer will attract our future police officers to this unique profession,” Mr Morton said. “Despite the challenges faced with staffing shortages, the professionalism of our police officers has been recognized with a once-in-a-generation pay rise.” “This is generational change that will pay police properly for the first time in more than a decade,”Minister Catley said. “It will attract a lot of recruits and, crucially, encourage a lot of experienced officers to stay on in a police force that values them, their service and their unique knowledge.” First year NSW Police officers have the rank of Probationary Constable, and are partnered with a training officer for their first months on the job. While in this role, they will now be paid a starting salary of $84,777, set to increase to $97,206 by 2027 The consolidation of incremental pay scales means that officers will also reach higher pay grades more quickly. These reforms will see officers ranked between Probationary Constable and Senior Sergeant receive a pay increase between 22.3 per cent and 39.4 per cent. “From leaving the academy it used to take up to 16 years to become a senior constable,” said Commissioner Webb. “Now it’s ten.” Under the new accelerated pay scales, the highest ranking Senior Constables will now receive $146,673 in salary. The reforms were also focused on retention of senior officers, including a $5400 one-off leadership retention payment for higher ranked officers. Senior leaders between the ranks of Inspector and Superintendent will also see a salary increase between 20.5 per cent and 27.1 per cent. Commissioner Webb spoke regarding retention payments and the expansion of flexible work arrangements. “We cannot afford to lose the critical level of experience across this organisation,” she said. “This is about supporting the thousands of officers who cannot work full-time and ensuring they have enough flexibility to stay in the job. We cannot underestimate the importance of that experience to the community of NSW.” Commissioner Webb noted that the extra pay would be in officers’ bank accounts just after Christmas, with the pay rise backdated to July. The government estimates that NSW Police will see more than 1,000 recruits in 2025 as a result of the pay rise and recent recruitment efforts.