Average Surveillance Operator Salary in United Kingdom for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Surveillance Operator 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 Surveillance Operator Make in United Kingdom?

A Surveillance Operator working in United Kingdom will typically earn around 27,400 GBP per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 14,500 GBP to the highest average salary of 42,700 GBP.

Average Annual Salary
27,400 GBP
Average Monthly Salary
2,283 GBP

Lowest Annual Salary
14,500 GBP
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,208 GBP

Highest Annual Salary
42,700 GBP
Highest Monthly Salary
3,558 GBP

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

Surveillance Operator 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 Surveillance Operator Salaries in United Kingdom

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

Salary ranges

We already know that a Surveillance Operator can earn between 14,500 GBP and 42,700 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 Surveillance Operator in United Kingdom is 26,500 GBP. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 26,500 GBP, and 50% of the population earn more than 26,500 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 Surveillance Operator salary in United Kingdom, 25% of the population are earning less than 17,800 GBP while 75% of the population earn more than 17,800 GBP.

75% of the population earn less than 33,600 GBP, and 25% of the population earn more than 33,600 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.

Surveillance Operator 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 surveillance operator 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 Surveillance Operator in United Kingdom that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 16,900 GBP.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Surveillance Operator salary would increase to 23,800 GBP.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Surveillance Operator, the average salary would be 31,200 GBP.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 34,900 GBP.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Surveillance Operator with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 40,000 GBP.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Surveillance Operator with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 41,000 GBP.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
16,900 GBP
2-5 Years +34%
23,800 GBP
5-10 Years +30%
31,200 GBP
10-15 Years +21%
34,900 GBP
15-20 Years +9%
40,000 GBP
20+ Years +5%
41,000 GBP

Surveillance Operator 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 Surveillance Operator 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 Surveillance Operator in United Kingdom with a high school education can earn an average salary of 23,200 GBP.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Surveillance Operator in United Kingdom with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 34,900 GBP.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
23,200 GBP
Certificate or Diploma +68%
34,900 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.

Surveillance Operator 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 surveillance operator will earn an average of 31,300 GBP, while a female surveillance operator will earn around 27,200 GBP.

This means that a male surveillance operator earns approximately 15% more than a female surveillance operator for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United Kingdom

Male
31,300 GBP
Female -15%
27,200 GBP

Surveillance Operator 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 Surveillance Operator in United Kingdom is around 9% every 16 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 = ( 9 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 7%

What this means is that a Surveillance Operator 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%

Surveillance Operator 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 Surveillance Operator is a low bonus based job, with 29% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

71% 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
29%
No Bonus
71%

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 Surveillance Operator

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Surveillance Operator 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 Captain Law Enforcement / Security / Fire 93,100 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
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 30,200 GBP
Abingdon 25,800 GBP
Armagh 29,100 GBP
Bangor 24,200 GBP
Belfast 33,600 GBP
Birmingham 34,000 GBP
Bradford 32,200 GBP
Brighton 32,600 GBP
Bristol 33,800 GBP
Cambridge 28,900 GBP
Canterbury 29,300 GBP
Cardiff 32,600 GBP
Chester 26,900 GBP
Coventry 32,200 GBP
Derby 30,200 GBP
Derry 31,200 GBP
Dundee 29,100 GBP
Durham 27,400 GBP
Edinburgh 35,100 GBP
Exeter 29,300 GBP
Glasgow 36,500 GBP
Gloucester 31,300 GBP
Hartlepool 30,100 GBP
Inverness 27,700 GBP
Kingston upon Hull 35,500 GBP
Kirkwall 24,400 GBP
Leeds 35,300 GBP
Leicester 30,200 GBP
Lincoln 28,900 GBP
Lisburn 30,800 GBP
Liverpool 32,600 GBP
London 34,000 GBP
Manchester 33,500 GBP
Newcastle 32,900 GBP
Newport 29,200 GBP
Newry 29,600 GBP
Norwich 28,900 GBP
Nottingham 35,500 GBP
Oxford 32,200 GBP
Peterborough 30,100 GBP
Plymouth 30,100 GBP
Poole 27,300 GBP
Portsmouth 31,400 GBP
Ripon 27,100 GBP
Salisbury 26,300 GBP
Sheffield 33,000 GBP
Somerset 33,600 GBP
Southampton 32,600 GBP
St Davids 27,800 GBP
Stirling 29,600 GBP
Stromness 24,200 GBP
Strontian 24,200 GBP
Swansea 30,600 GBP
Truro 26,900 GBP
Wakefield 26,500 GBP
Wells 27,400 GBP
Winchester 26,500 GBP
Wolverhampton 29,600 GBP
York 29,100 GBP

Salary Comparison by State

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

City Average Salary
England 54,600 GBP
Northern Ireland 28,800 GBP
Scotland 41,000 GBP
Wales 25,800 GBP

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