Annual Salary
£58,000 to £67,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Armed forces or Security or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Armed forces or Security or go back to all job sectors
Chief inspectors manage operational teams in their districts, planning and monitoring policing operations, including responses to major incidents.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; attending events or appointments
There will be
3.4% more Chief inspector jobs in 2027.
As a chief inspector, you would:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work at a police station or in the community.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
If you're an existing police officer, you can apply for fast-track development through the ranks. You can also apply for a promotion if you're currently an inspector.
If you're a middle or senior manager working in commerce or industry, and have relevant skills and experience, you can apply for the Direct Entry to Inspector or Superintendent programmes. You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification to apply.
The programmes last between 18 and 24 months and offer the training and support you'll need to make the switch from your current job to an operational police leader.
After completing the training and with several years' experience working at operational level, you can apply to become a chief inspector.
You'll need to:
Application dates for police recruitment programmes can vary between forces. Check with your local police force for details.
You can get more advice about becoming a chief inspector from the College of Policing.
With experience and further training, you could move up the policing ranks from chief inspector to superintendent, and on to assistant chief constable and chief constable.
You could also move into the security services, for instance:MI5; MI6; | https://www.sis.gov.uk/][Civil Nuclear Constabulary; Ministry of Defence
You'll need: