Average Police Officer Salary in Guatemala for 2026
In this article, we will look at the average Police Officer salary for 2026 in Guatemala 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 Guatemalan quetzal. To keep things simple, we are using the GTQ currency code instead of the currency symbol Q.
How Much Does a Police Officer Make in Guatemala?
A Police Officer working in Guatemala will typically earn around 72,380 GTQ per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 34,160 GTQ to the highest average salary of 117,100 GTQ.
These are average salaries for a Police Officer in Guatemala and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Police Officer to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.
Police Officer 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 Officer Salaries in Guatemala
So we've looked at the average salaries a Police Officer will earn in Guatemala. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.
Salary ranges
We already know that a Police Officer can earn between 34,160 GTQ and 117,100 GTQ on average in Guatemala. 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 Officer in Guatemala is 77,340 GTQ. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.
What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 77,340 GTQ, and 50% of the population earn more than 77,340 GTQ.
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 Officer salary in Guatemala, 25% of the population are earning less than 49,560 GTQ while 75% of the population earn more than 49,560 GTQ.
75% of the population earn less than 104,900 GTQ, and 25% of the population earn more than 104,900 GTQ.
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 Officer Salary by Experience Level in Guatemala
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 Officer 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 Officer in Guatemala that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 36,700 GTQ.
- 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Police Officer salary would increase to 49,020 GTQ.
- 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Police Officer, the average salary would be 72,740 GTQ.
- 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 91,580 GTQ.
- 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Police Officer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 98,540 GTQ.
- 20+ Years Experience. For a Police Officer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 109,000 GTQ.
Average Salary by Experience Chart
| 0-2 Years | - | 36,700 GTQ |
| 2-5 Years | +34% | 49,020 GTQ |
| 5-10 Years | +48% | 72,740 GTQ |
| 10-15 Years | +22% | 91,580 GTQ |
| 15-20 Years | +9% | 98,540 GTQ |
| 20+ Years | +8% | 109,000 GTQ |
Police Officer Salary by Education Level in Guatemala
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 Officer in Guatemala 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 Officer in Guatemala with a high school education can earn an average salary of 44,800 GTQ.
- Certificate or Diploma. A Police Officer in Guatemala with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 66,180 GTQ.
- Bachelor's Degree. A Police Officer in Guatemala with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 114,820 GTQ.
Average Salary by Education Chart
| High School | - | 44,800 GTQ |
| Certificate or Diploma | +57% | 66,180 GTQ |
| Bachelor's Degree | +68% | 114,820 GTQ |
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 Guatemala is around 52,400 to 157,000 GTQ 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 Officer 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 Guatemala, a male police officer will earn an average of 79,600 GTQ, while a female police officer will earn around 66,140 GTQ.
This means that a male police officer earns approximately 20% more than a female police officer for performing the same job.
Average Salary by Gender Chart in Guatemala
| Male | - | 79,600 GTQ |
| Female | -20% | 66,140 GTQ |
Police Officer Average Pay Raise in Guatemala
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 Officer in Guatemala is around 7% every 21 months.
The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Guatemala is around 7% every 19 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 = ( 7 ÷ 21 ) × 12 = 4%
What this means is that a Police Officer in Guatemala can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 4% every 12 months.
Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Guatemala for 2026
In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Guatemala.
You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.
| Banking | - | 8% |
| Energy | - | 7% |
| Information Technology | - | 6% |
| Healthcare | - | 5% |
| Travel | - | 4% |
| Construction | - | 3% |
| Education | - | 2% |
Police Officer Bonus and Incentive Rates in Guatemala
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 Officer is a low bonus based job, with 30% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.
70% 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 0% to 4%.
| Received Bonus | - | 30% |
| No Bonus | - | 70% |
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 Guatemala earn approximately 12% more than private sector employees in the same role.
| Public Sector | - | 134,600 GTQ |
| Private Sector | -12% | 119,700 GTQ |
Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Police Officer
In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Police Officer in Guatemala.
| Job Title | Category | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Accreditation Coordinator | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 103,580 GTQ |
| Accreditation Manager | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 148,300 GTQ |
| Advocate | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 91,660 GTQ |
| Armed Security Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 88,580 GTQ |
| Company Guard | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 44,140 GTQ |
| Control Room Operator | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 36,700 GTQ |
| Correctional Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 65,800 GTQ |
| Criminal Investigator | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 136,200 GTQ |
| Facility Monitor | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 76,540 GTQ |
| Fire Chief | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 128,500 GTQ |
| Fire Dispatcher | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 64,040 GTQ |
| Fire Education Specialist | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 107,680 GTQ |
| Fire Extinguisher Technician | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 42,460 GTQ |
| Fire Fighter | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 66,960 GTQ |
| Fire Inspector | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 123,400 GTQ |
| Fire Investigator | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 119,900 GTQ |
| Fire Prevention Engineer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 113,220 GTQ |
| Fire Prevention Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 96,220 GTQ |
| Fire Protection Specialist | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 112,560 GTQ |
| Forensic Investigator | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 118,260 GTQ |
| Forensic Science Technician | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 119,700 GTQ |
| Fraud Examiner | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 137,400 GTQ |
| Fraud and Forensic Specialist | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 136,100 GTQ |
| Grants Specialist | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 148,300 GTQ |
| Intellectual Property Associate | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 115,940 GTQ |
| Intelligence Research Specialist | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 191,600 GTQ |
| Investigator | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 125,100 GTQ |
| Jail Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 51,340 GTQ |
| Juvenile Probation Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 89,800 GTQ |
| Juvenile Supervision Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 88,240 GTQ |
| Lock-Smith | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 37,380 GTQ |
| Parole Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 65,920 GTQ |
| Police Captain | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 158,700 GTQ |
| Police Communications Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 89,960 GTQ |
| Police Patrol Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 63,040 GTQ |
| Prison Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 53,660 GTQ |
| Prisoner Custody Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 45,620 GTQ |
| Private Detective / Investigator | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 129,000 GTQ |
| Security Adviser | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 123,400 GTQ |
| Security Guard | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 33,980 GTQ |
| Security Management Specialist | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 172,400 GTQ |
| Security Manager | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 172,200 GTQ |
| Security Officer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 43,340 GTQ |
| Security Supervisor | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 96,720 GTQ |
| Security Systems Installer | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 103,600 GTQ |
| Security Technician | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 43,260 GTQ |
| Surveillance Operator | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 51,340 GTQ |
| Traffic Controller | Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | 74,620 GTQ |
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