Annual Salary
£42,000 to £63,000
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 like CID or neighbourhood policing, co-ordinating 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.
In this role you could:
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 at Superintendent programme. 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 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:
You can get more advice about becoming a senior officer through 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 work for the security services, MI5 and MI6, Civil Nuclear Constabulary or Ministry of Defence.
You'll need: