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Average Police Communications Officer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A police communications officer in United Kingdom earns about 54,500 GBP a year. That's 22% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 25,500 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 86,100 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a police communications officer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
54,500 GBP
4,541 GBP per month
Lowest reported
25,500 GBP
2,125 GBP per month
Highest reported
86,100 GBP
7,175 GBP per month

A typical police communications officer working in United Kingdom brings home around 4,541 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 25,500 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 86,100 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior police communications officer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the police communications officer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How police communications officer pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all police communications officers in United Kingdom earn less than 57,900 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 36,200 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 73,300 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of police communications officers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 25,500 GBP. The highest stretch to 86,100 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

25,500
Low
57,900
Median
86,100
High
36,200
25th
73,300
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Police communications officer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a police communications officer in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical police communications officer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    30,700 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +38% from previous
    42,500 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +38% from previous
    58,600 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +22% from previous
    71,600 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +7% from previous
    76,800 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    82,300 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 38%. That is the point at which a police communications officer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Police communications officer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving police communications officer pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average police communications officer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    42,500 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +38% from previous
    58,800 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +42% from previous
    83,300 GBP

Police communications officer gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male police communications officers in United Kingdom earn an average of 57,900 GBP a year, while female police communications officers earn around 54,700 GBP. That works out to a 6% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Police Communications Officer gender pay gap

6%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 57,900 GBP
Women 54,700 GBP

Pay raises for a police communications officer in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 10% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 7% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Police communications officer bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

33%

33% of police communications officers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a police communications officer a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 67% of police communications officers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Police communications officer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Police communications officer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Police communications officer pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • London
  • Sheffield
  • Manchester
  • Liverpool
  • Leeds
  • Glasgow
  • Cardiff
  • Somerset
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion107,300 GBP109,700 GBP52,000-165,900 GBP
ScotlandRegion77,100 GBP77,100 GBP40,900-123,000 GBP
LondonCity63,700 GBP66,200 GBP29,300-100,100 GBP
SheffieldCity63,500 GBP66,000 GBP30,300-99,600 GBP
ManchesterCity62,600 GBP63,700 GBP29,300-94,800 GBP
LiverpoolCity62,500 GBP57,800 GBP32,900-94,100 GBP
LeedsCity62,500 GBP59,100 GBP29,600-92,600 GBP
GlasgowCity61,400 GBP60,400 GBP31,400-94,100 GBP
CardiffCity61,400 GBP56,100 GBP30,700-92,300 GBP
SomersetCity61,200 GBP56,900 GBP33,000-96,000 GBP
LeicesterCity60,900 GBP58,100 GBP30,000-88,700 GBP
NewcastleCity59,700 GBP59,800 GBP26,300-91,600 GBP
BirminghamCity59,500 GBP64,500 GBP26,200-95,000 GBP
NottinghamCity59,200 GBP59,200 GBP29,200-92,300 GBP
EdinburghCity59,000 GBP59,000 GBP27,300-88,500 GBP
PlymouthCity59,000 GBP55,100 GBP30,000-86,800 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity58,700 GBP58,700 GBP27,700-88,300 GBP
BelfastCity58,600 GBP58,200 GBP26,400-91,000 GBP
BristolCity58,200 GBP61,400 GBP29,300-90,900 GBP
SouthamptonCity58,200 GBP58,200 GBP30,100-91,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity57,800 GBP55,400 GBP30,100-84,300 GBP
BradfordCity57,000 GBP58,600 GBP27,300-90,600 GBP
PortsmouthCity56,400 GBP63,100 GBP27,300-93,100 GBP
BrightonCity55,700 GBP57,900 GBP25,800-87,500 GBP
ArmaghCity55,400 GBP57,800 GBP26,600-83,700 GBP
CoventryCity55,300 GBP53,500 GBP30,800-85,700 GBP
SwanseaCity55,300 GBP58,600 GBP25,800-89,200 GBP
NewportCity55,100 GBP59,500 GBP23,700-85,700 GBP
OxfordCity54,900 GBP55,700 GBP27,200-86,600 GBP
DerbyCity54,500 GBP51,800 GBP29,100-83,800 GBP
WalesRegion54,300 GBP56,100 GBP24,400-84,900 GBP
YorkCity54,300 GBP57,000 GBP23,600-83,000 GBP
PooleCity54,100 GBP51,300 GBP29,200-83,800 GBP
WolverhamptonCity53,800 GBP58,400 GBP23,600-86,600 GBP
DerryCity53,300 GBP53,300 GBP27,400-80,900 GBP
AberdeenCity52,800 GBP54,500 GBP24,200-83,800 GBP
NorwichCity52,800 GBP55,100 GBP25,800-83,000 GBP
GloucesterCity52,000 GBP54,100 GBP22,800-81,300 GBP
LincolnCity51,900 GBP50,700 GBP26,900-79,800 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion51,800 GBP50,700 GBP27,800-77,000 GBP
TruroCity51,800 GBP49,700 GBP26,600-79,800 GBP
DundeeCity51,500 GBP52,300 GBP27,400-79,600 GBP
NewryCity51,400 GBP51,500 GBP26,900-80,800 GBP
SalisburyCity51,400 GBP54,100 GBP26,400-79,500 GBP
HartlepoolCity51,300 GBP51,400 GBP26,400-79,600 GBP
ExeterCity51,300 GBP54,100 GBP24,200-83,700 GBP
RiponCity50,300 GBP51,300 GBP23,500-77,100 GBP
AbingdonCity50,000 GBP46,700 GBP27,300-76,900 GBP
ChesterCity49,300 GBP45,300 GBP27,400-77,000 GBP
CambridgeCity49,200 GBP49,200 GBP23,700-77,300 GBP
StirlingCity49,200 GBP46,000 GBP26,200-76,600 GBP
LisburnCity49,100 GBP50,800 GBP27,400-78,500 GBP
CanterburyCity48,600 GBP47,500 GBP25,300-74,000 GBP
WinchesterCity48,600 GBP43,500 GBP27,400-73,100 GBP
InvernessCity47,400 GBP46,700 GBP23,600-73,300 GBP
DurhamCity47,400 GBP54,300 GBP23,800-78,900 GBP
BangorCity47,200 GBP45,200 GBP27,600-72,700 GBP
WakefieldCity46,700 GBP46,100 GBP23,600-73,100 GBP
St DavidsCity46,700 GBP51,300 GBP22,100-77,000 GBP
StrontianCity46,400 GBP46,900 GBP20,000-72,700 GBP
WellsCity46,300 GBP44,300 GBP22,400-69,400 GBP
StromnessCity46,100 GBP51,500 GBP20,000-71,900 GBP
KirkwallCity45,900 GBP45,200 GBP22,800-69,400 GBP

Police Communications Officer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a police communications officer make per month in United Kingdom?

    A police communications officer in United Kingdom earns about 4,541 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 54,500 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a police communications officer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level police communications officers in United Kingdom start near 25,500 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 86,100 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 36,200 and 73,300 GBP.

  • Is the median police communications officer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 57,900 GBP, higher than the average of 54,500 GBP. Half of police communications officers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for police communications officers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a police communications officer in United Kingdom earn around 6% more than women on average (57,900 vs 54,700 GBP a year).

  • Do police communications officers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 33% of police communications officers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do police communications officers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a police communications officer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do police communications officers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A police communications officer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 10% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.