Police Salary in the Philippines: PNP Pay by Rank, Allowances, and How to Join

TL;DR: A PNP Patrolman or Patrolwoman earns a monthly base pay of ₱31,151 as of January 1, 2026, and a Police General earns ₱157,274, under the first tranche of Executive Order No. 107, s. 2025 (DBM National Budget Circular No. 600). On top of base pay come a ₱350-a-day subsistence allowance (about ₱10,500 a month), ₱2,000 PERA, and ₱540 monthly hazard pay, which puts an entry-level officer at roughly ₱44,000 a month before deductions and before quarters, clothing, and longevity pay. Police are not on the civilian Salary Grade table. Two more pay tranches follow on January 1, 2027 and January 1, 2028.

"How much is a police salary" is usually the first question a criminology student, a fresh graduate eyeing the NAPOLCOM exam, or a parent weighing PNPA asks. The answer changed this year: a new base pay schedule for military and uniformed personnel (MUP) took effect on January 1, 2026. This guide lays out the full 2026 PNP rank table straight from the DBM circular, the allowances paid on top, what changes in 2027 and 2028, and what it actually takes to get in. Government figures come from DBM issuances and the laws behind them. Private security figures come from job-ad data and are labelled as estimates.

How Much Does a Police Officer Earn in the Philippines?

An entry-level PNP Patrolman or Patrolwoman earns a monthly base pay of ₱31,151 as of January 1, 2026. That is up from ₱29,668, the Patrolman (then PO1) rate since Congress Joint Resolution No. 1, s. 2018 doubled entry police pay from ₱14,834. The new rate comes from Annex A of DBM National Budget Circular No. 600 (January 13, 2026), which implements the first of three tranches under Executive Order No. 107, s. 2025, signed December 3, 2025.

The same circular covers the AFP, BFP, BJMP, BuCor, the Philippine Coast Guard, NAMRIA, and the Philippine Public Safety College, and it pays equivalent ranks the same base pay. A Patrolman, a Fire Officer I, a Jail Officer I, and an Army Private all start at ₱31,151.

Police pay sits outside the civilian Salary Grade system. DBM's civilian schedule, NBC No. 601, explicitly excludes military and uniformed personnel, so a PNP rank does not map to an SG number. See our government salary grade table for how the civilian side works.

Disclaimer: base pay rates change with each EO 107 tranche and can be revised by later DBM issuances. Confirm current rates with the PNP Finance Service or the latest DBM circular before budgeting around a specific figure.

PNP Salary by Rank (2026 Base Pay)

Source: DBM National Budget Circular No. 600, Annex A. Rank titles follow RA 11200 (approved February 8, 2019), which replaced the old PO1-to-Director General titles with the current Patrolman-to-General ladder.

The biggest single jump is between the top non-commissioned rank and the first commissioned rank: a Police Executive Master Sergeant earns ₱40,284, while a Police Lieutenant starts at ₱52,004. That ₱11,720 gap is why the officer track, whether through PNPA or lateral entry, matters so much over a career.

What Allowances Do Police Officers Get on Top of Base Pay?

Base pay is only part of a police officer's monthly compensation. The main recurring add-ons are:

Adding the first three to a Patrolman's base pay gives roughly ₱44,191 a month (₱31,151 + ₱10,500 + ₱2,000 + ₱540) before quarters, clothing, and longevity pay, and before GSIS-equivalent, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and tax deductions. That is our own arithmetic from the official rates, not a published PNP figure.

The subsistence increase is the largest change for rank-and-file officers this year. "The increase in the subsistence allowance is not a luxury and not a favor," DBM Secretary Rolando Toledo said in a January 14, 2026 statement.

NAPOLCOM also approved Memorandum Circular No. 2025-004 on August 18, 2025, setting collateral pays for specific assignments: ₱3,000 a month special combat duty pay for officers in actual police operations, ₱300 a day combat incentive pay, hazardous duty pay of 50% of base pay for high-risk tasks, and hardship allowance of 10% to 25% of base pay for isolated areas. These apply only to qualifying assignments and are subject to funds certified by DBM, so do not count them as standard pay.

Will Police Pay Go Up in 2027 and 2028?

Yes. EO 107, s. 2025 sets the updated base pay schedule in three tranches: January 1, 2026 (the rates above), January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2028. The order provides that funding for the 2027 and 2028 adjustments be included in each year's National Expenditure Program submitted to Congress, so the exact per-rank amounts are confirmed when DBM issues the circular for each tranche. Treat any 2027 or 2028 peso figure you see before that circular as a projection.

The 2026 national budget also funds growth in the force: DBM allotted ₱4.06 billion for 10,077 new MUP positions in 2026, including 2,000 for the PNP.

How Do You Become a Police Officer in the Philippines?

There are two main entry routes, and they lead to very different starting pay.

Route 1: Patrolman/Patrolwoman (₱31,151 base). You need:

• A bachelor's degree in any course.
• An appropriate eligibility. Most applicants get it by passing the NAPOLCOM PNP Entrance Examination (PNPE), open to degree holders aged 21 to 30 on exam day. A Registered Criminologist does not need it: Section 35 of RA 11131 exempts licensed criminologists from PNP entrance and qualifying exams.
• Minimum height of 1.57 m for men and 1.52 m for women under RA 11549, with an automatic height waiver for applicants from indigenous cultural communities.
• Passing the PNP's own physical, medical, neuro-psychiatric, and background screening.

Competition is real. In the April 19, 2026 NAPOLCOM exams, 9,224 examinees passed the PNP Entrance Exam. NAPOLCOM Commissioner Rafael Vicente Calinisan called the exams "a vital mechanism for ensuring that recruitment and promotion within the police service remain fair."

Route 2: PNPA cadet to Police Lieutenant (₱52,004 base). The Philippine National Police Academy takes Senior High School graduates aged 18 to 22 with at least an 85% GWA, trains them for four years tuition-free (cadets are listed at ₱40,284 in the DBM schedule), and commissions graduates as Police Lieutenants. If you are also considering a military commission, compare it with the Philippine Military Academy.

There is also a lateral-entry path: Section 36 of RA 11131 gives Registered Criminologists preference for lateral entry as Police, Fire, and Jail Inspectors, the first commissioned level (DBM's schedule pays it the same as Police Lieutenant), subject to the general appointment qualifications.

Disclaimer: age limits, height rules, exam dates, and screening steps are set by NAPOLCOM and the PNP and can change between recruitment cycles. Confirm with your NAPOLCOM regional office and the PNP recruitment announcement before applying.

How Do Police Officers Get Promoted?

Promotion moves you up the rank table, and each rank carries its own base pay. Non-commissioned officers climb from Patrolman through Police Executive Master Sergeant. Promotion depends on meeting NAPOLCOM and PNP requirements, which include eligibility and rank requirements tested through the NAPOLCOM Promotional Examination (PROMEX). In the April 19, 2026 sitting, 2,969 in-service officers passed it.

The step from the sergeant ranks to Police Lieutenant is where pay changes most, so it pays to plan for it early, whether through PNPA or lateral entry as a licensed criminologist. Longevity pay adds 10% of base pay every five years, up to 50%, regardless of rank.

Police Pay vs. Private Security Work

Criminology graduates who do not join the PNP often go into private security. Jobstreet's job-ad data puts a typical security officer salary at ₱26,580-₱31,890 a month and a security guard at ₱19,000-₱23,000. A Patrolman's ₱31,151 base pay sits at the top of the security officer band before allowances, and well above it once subsistence, PERA, and hazard pay are added.

Disclaimer: private-sector figures are Jobstreet estimates based on salary ranges employers disclose in job ads, not a government wage survey. Actual offers vary by agency, region, and assignment.

How to Decide If a Police Career Is Right for You

• Compare the two entry routes honestly. Patrolman entry needs a degree and an eligibility. PNPA needs you to apply right out of Senior High School, before age 22, but starts you at ₱52,004 instead of ₱31,151.
• Consider criminology if you are set on uniformed service. The license exempts you from the NAPOLCOM entrance exam and gives you lateral-entry preference. See our BS Criminology guide, the Criminology Licensure Exam guide, and best criminology schools.
• Budget around base pay, not the total. Subsistence and PERA are reliable, but collateral pays depend on assignment and funding.
• Watch the age window. The PNPE cut-off is 30 on exam day and PNPA closes at 22, so timing your degree matters.
• Still in Senior High? Our strand for criminology guide covers which track feeds most directly into the course.

Ready to find the right school? Browse schools or compare criminology programs, tuition, and board exam results across hundreds of Philippine schools on SchoolFinderPH.

Sources

• DBM National Budget Circular No. 600 — Implementation of the increase in base pay of MUP beginning January 1, 2026 (official PDF, Annex A)
• DBM — DBM welcomes PBBM's approval to increase base pay, subsistence allowance of MUP (EO 107)
• DBM — "The government will not abandon you": salary increase and higher allowance for MUPs in 2026
• GMA News — DBM ready to enforce pay hike for MUPs
• DBM — President Duterte doubles salaries of cops, soldiers (JR No. 1, s. 2018)
• DBM National Budget Circular No. 576 — MUP base pay 2019 and ₱540 hazard pay (official PDF)
• DBM National Budget Circular No. 601 — Third Tranche Salary Schedule for civilian personnel (official PDF)
• DBM Budget Circular No. 2009-3 — PERA coverage of military and uniformed personnel
• Republic Act No. 6975 — DILG Act of 1990, Sec. 71 (LawPhil)
• Republic Act No. 11200 — PNP rank classification (LawPhil)
• Republic Act No. 11549 — minimum height requirement for PNP, BFP, BJMP, BuCor (LawPhil)
• Republic Act No. 11131 — Philippine Criminology Profession Act of 2018, Secs. 34-36 (LawPhil)
• Philstar — NAPOLCOM approves adjustment of police allowances (MC 2025-004)
• The Manila Times — 12,372 qualify in NAPOLCOM-administered PNP eligibility examinations
• Jobstreet — Security Officer salary in the Philippines
• Jobstreet — Security Guard salary in the Philippines