Annual Salary
£20,000 to £30,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Swap to Armed forces or Security or go back to all job sectors
Coastguards help prevent the loss of life along the coast and at sea by co-ordinating and supporting search and rescue operations.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
0.2% fewer Coastguard jobs in 2027.
In this job, you could:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in an office or at sea.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.
You can get into this job through:
You may be able to work your way into this role by starting as a watch assistant and applying for promotion when you've got more experience.
You'll need literacy, numeracy and IT skills, as well as seagoing experience.
You could start by becoming a coastguard rescue officer volunteer, then apply for a paid position when vacancies are advertised.
You can apply directly for jobs if you have some of the relevant skills and knowledge needed for this role.
You'll need a good standard of literacy and numeracy, good hearing and eyesight to become a watch officer.
Employers will often ask for seagoing experience, for example from:
You'll need to:
You can find out more about becoming a coastguard from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Civil Service Careers.
With experience, you could be promoted from coastguard watch assistant to watch officer, then to watch manager or section manager. You could also work in other parts of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
You'll need: