A new Ghana Police Service recruit typically earns about GH₵2,800 a month with a WASSCE certificate, or about GH₵3,500 with a degree, and pay climbs steeply with rank. Unlike teachers, police pay is not published in one official table, so the numbers below are estimates from several blogs that do not fully agree.
The ranks, lowest to highest
The Ghana Police Service runs from Constable up to Inspector General of Police: Constable, Lance-Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, District Sergeant Major, Regional Sergeant Major, Inspector, Chief Inspector, Assistant Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, Superintendent, Chief Superintendent, Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Commissioner, Deputy Inspector General, and Inspector General of Police (Asetena). Cadet Officers are officers in training at the Police Academy who are not yet senior officers (GH Students).
Where recruits start
Your entry rank depends on your qualification (GESHub):
- WASSCE holders enter as Constable, at about GH₵2,800 a month.
- University graduates enter as Chief Inspector, at about GH₵3,500 a month.
For comparison, the same pair of entry points was reported at GH₵700 and GH₵1,400 in 2018 (GH Students), which shows how much pay has moved.
Estimated monthly pay by rank (GH₵)
These ranges are reported for 2025 and exclude allowances (Campus Cybercafe).
|
Rank |
Estimated monthly pay |
|---|---|
|
Constable |
2,000 – 2,800 |
|
Cadet Officer |
2,500 – 3,200 |
|
Sergeant and Inspector |
3,200 – 5,500 |
|
Chief Inspector and Assistant Superintendent |
5,500 – 7,500 |
|
Superintendent and Chief Superintendent |
8,000 – 11,000 |
|
Commissioner of Police |
15,000 – 18,000 |
That source describes special units such as CID, so ordinary postings may differ. Ranks between Chief Superintendent and Commissioner, and the top posts of Deputy Inspector General and Inspector General, have no reliable published figure, so I have left them out.
Allowances can add a lot
Police officers receive allowances on top of basic pay, and these depend on rank and years of service (GH Students). One source estimates that field, risk and duty allowances raise an entry-level officer's total monthly earnings by 20 to 30 percent (Campus Cybercafe).
How much to trust these numbers
- Sources disagree. One blog puts a graduate Chief Inspector at GH₵3,500, while another puts the Chief Inspector band at GH₵5,500 to GH₵7,500. The gap likely reflects entry pay versus experienced pay, but none of them says so.
- No official table. I could not find a Ghana Police Service or Fair Wages and Salaries Commission publication with these figures.
- Crowd-sourced data is thin. A Glassdoor page for Ghana police officers rests on only four submissions, so it is not a reliable guide (Glassdoor).
The bottom line
Expect roughly GH₵2,800 to GH₵3,500 a month at the start, GH₵3,200 to GH₵5,500 at Sergeant or Inspector, and GH₵8,000 or more once you reach Superintendent level. A degree puts you several ranks ahead on day one, so it is the biggest single lever on your pay. Confirm your exact figure with the Police Service before making financial plans.
Sources
- Ghana Police Service Ranks & Salary Structure, GESHub, Sep 2025
- Ghana Police Special Units Salary Structure 2026, Campus Cybercafe, Aug 2025
- Ghana Police Service Salary Structure, Asetena
- Ghana Police Service Salary Structure & Rank, GH Students, Mar 2018
- Police Officer: Average Salary & Pay Trends 2026, Glassdoor, Aug 2026
Figures come from third-party reports and may be outdated. Verify with official Ghana Police Service sources.
