Average Police Captain Salary in United Kingdom for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Police Captain salary for 2024 in United Kingdom and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the British pound. To keep things simple, we are using the GBP currency code instead of the currency symbol £.

How Much Does a Police Captain Make in United Kingdom?

A Police Captain working in United Kingdom will typically earn around 93,100 GBP per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 47,400 GBP to the highest average salary of 142,100 GBP.

Average Annual Salary
93,100 GBP
Average Monthly Salary
7,758 GBP

Lowest Annual Salary
47,400 GBP
Lowest Monthly Salary
3,950 GBP

Highest Annual Salary
142,100 GBP
Highest Monthly Salary
11,841 GBP

These are average salaries for a Police Captain in United Kingdom and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Police Captain to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Police Captain salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Police Captain Salaries in United Kingdom

So we've looked at the average salaries a Police Captain will earn in United Kingdom. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Police Captain can earn between 47,400 GBP and 142,100 GBP on average in United Kingdom. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Police Captain in United Kingdom is 90,600 GBP. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 90,600 GBP, and 50% of the population earn more than 90,600 GBP.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Police Captain salary in United Kingdom, 25% of the population are earning less than 61,600 GBP while 75% of the population earn more than 61,600 GBP.

75% of the population earn less than 108,200 GBP, and 25% of the population earn more than 108,200 GBP.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Police Captain Salary by Experience Level in United Kingdom

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average police captain salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Police Captain in United Kingdom that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 54,700 GBP.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Police Captain salary would increase to 71,400 GBP.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Police Captain, the average salary would be 94,200 GBP.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 116,400 GBP.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Police Captain with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 127,700 GBP.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Police Captain with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 130,400 GBP.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
54,700 GBP
2-5 Years +34%
71,400 GBP
5-10 Years +30%
94,200 GBP
10-15 Years +21%
116,400 GBP
15-20 Years +9%
127,700 GBP
20+ Years +5%
130,400 GBP

Police Captain Salary by Education Level in United Kingdom

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Police Captain in United Kingdom based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Police Captain in United Kingdom with a high school education can earn an average salary of 63,400 GBP.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Police Captain in United Kingdom with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 92,100 GBP.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Police Captain in United Kingdom with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 127,600 GBP.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
63,400 GBP
Certificate or Diploma +43%
92,100 GBP
Bachelor's Degree +38%
127,600 GBP

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United Kingdom is around 29,600 to 88,700 GBP and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Police Captain Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United Kingdom, a male police captain will earn an average of 93,600 GBP, while a female police captain will earn around 90,900 GBP.

This means that a male police captain earns approximately 3% more than a female police captain for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United Kingdom

Male
93,600 GBP
Female -3%
90,900 GBP

Police Captain Average Pay Raise in United Kingdom

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Police Captain in United Kingdom is around 11% every 18 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United Kingdom is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 18 ) × 12  = 7%

What this means is that a Police Captain in United Kingdom can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 7% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United Kingdom for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United Kingdom.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
3%
Energy
6%
Information Technology
9%
Healthcare
3%
Travel
6%
Construction
9%
Education
3%

Police Captain Bonus and Incentive Rates in United Kingdom

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Police Captain is a low bonus based job, with 31% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

69% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3%.

Received Bonus
31%
No Bonus
69%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United Kingdom earn approximately 7% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
72,700 GBP
Private Sector -7%
68,200 GBP

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Police Captain

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Police Captain in United Kingdom.

Job Title Category Salary
Accreditation Coordinator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 63,000 GBP
Accreditation Manager Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 90,900 GBP
Advocate Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 51,900 GBP
Armed Security Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 50,600 GBP
Company Guard Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 23,600 GBP
Control Room Operator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 23,800 GBP
Correctional Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 38,900 GBP
Criminal Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 78,200 GBP
Facility Monitor Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 42,700 GBP
Fire Chief Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 79,000 GBP
Fire Dispatcher Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 41,700 GBP
Fire Education Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 63,800 GBP
Fire Extinguisher Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 23,300 GBP
Fire Fighter Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 41,000 GBP
Fire Inspector Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 75,900 GBP
Fire Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 71,600 GBP
Fire Prevention Engineer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 66,000 GBP
Fire Prevention Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 55,200 GBP
Fire Protection Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 69,100 GBP
Forensic Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 71,400 GBP
Forensic Science Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 71,000 GBP
Fraud and Forensic Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 80,200 GBP
Fraud Examiner Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 83,800 GBP
Grants Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 93,100 GBP
Intellectual Property Associate Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 67,800 GBP
Intelligence Research Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 118,900 GBP
Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 74,700 GBP
Jail Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 33,300 GBP
Juvenile Probation Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 55,700 GBP
Juvenile Supervision Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 55,200 GBP
Lock-Smith Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 23,800 GBP
Parole Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 36,900 GBP
Police Communications Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 54,500 GBP
Police Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 40,300 GBP
Police Patrol Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 36,800 GBP
Prison Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 32,900 GBP
Prisoner Custody Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 26,400 GBP
Private Detective / Investigator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 75,900 GBP
Security Adviser Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 78,700 GBP
Security Guard Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 21,400 GBP
Security Management Specialist Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 108,200 GBP
Security Manager Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 109,000 GBP
Security Officer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 27,800 GBP
Security Supervisor Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 60,100 GBP
Security Systems Installer Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 62,600 GBP
Security Technician Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 25,300 GBP
Surveillance Operator Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 27,400 GBP
Traffic Controller Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 44,300 GBP

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United Kingdom, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Aberdeen 91,900 GBP
Abingdon 79,500 GBP
Armagh 92,000 GBP
Bangor 81,000 GBP
Belfast 94,800 GBP
Birmingham 105,200 GBP
Bradford 97,600 GBP
Brighton 95,200 GBP
Bristol 102,700 GBP
Cambridge 88,000 GBP
Canterbury 81,300 GBP
Cardiff 99,700 GBP
Chester 85,500 GBP
Coventry 100,900 GBP
Derby 95,900 GBP
Derry 86,600 GBP
Dundee 88,000 GBP
Durham 84,600 GBP
Edinburgh 99,600 GBP
Exeter 89,400 GBP
Glasgow 100,700 GBP
Gloucester 91,000 GBP
Hartlepool 88,400 GBP
Inverness 81,300 GBP
Kingston upon Hull 99,700 GBP
Kirkwall 79,800 GBP
Leeds 107,300 GBP
Leicester 103,600 GBP
Lincoln 94,100 GBP
Lisburn 83,300 GBP
Liverpool 107,300 GBP
London 109,000 GBP
Manchester 105,800 GBP
Newcastle 100,700 GBP
Newport 90,600 GBP
Newry 86,300 GBP
Norwich 94,100 GBP
Nottingham 103,600 GBP
Oxford 95,400 GBP
Peterborough 96,500 GBP
Plymouth 101,100 GBP
Poole 94,900 GBP
Portsmouth 99,600 GBP
Ripon 85,400 GBP
Salisbury 89,300 GBP
Sheffield 107,700 GBP
Somerset 99,700 GBP
Southampton 100,900 GBP
St Davids 78,500 GBP
Stirling 86,400 GBP
Stromness 76,800 GBP
Strontian 75,800 GBP
Swansea 94,200 GBP
Truro 84,800 GBP
Wakefield 83,700 GBP
Wells 78,200 GBP
Winchester 80,400 GBP
Wolverhampton 93,200 GBP
York 91,000 GBP

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United Kingdom.

City Average Salary
England 175,200 GBP
Northern Ireland 86,100 GBP
Scotland 128,400 GBP
Wales 88,600 GBP

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