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Police Community Support Officers

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) support the local police force by patrolling the streets to provide a visible and reassuring presence and to tackle a range of crime and disorder problems. PCSOs are also attached to the British Transport Police who operate the specialised police service for the railway network across Britain.

Wages

New workers
AVERAGE
Experienced
£10,185
£28,758
£49,166

New workers start around £10,185. Normal pay is £28,758 per year.
Highly experienced workers can earn up to £49,166.

Available jobs

In the past year there were 12,274 vacancies for this type of job

4.90%

Projected job growth over the next 8 years

Related courses

People work towards these careers by taking these courses at college and uni.

What they do most days?

  • May direct traffic and arrange for vehicles to be removed.

  • May detain someone pending the arrival of a police officer.

  • Provides crime prevention advice and helps to support victims of crime.

  • Carries out house-to-house enquiries.

  • Assists police officers at crime scenes and major events.

  • Patrols a geographic area to monitor and deter criminal and anti-social activity and disorderly conduct.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Community Policing

  • Anti-Social Behaviour

  • Intelligence Gathering

  • Automated External Defibrillator

  • Calculations

  • Community Resilience

  • Crime Prevention

  • Crime Scene Security

  • Defibrillation

  • Financial Advising

Soft Skills

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Resilience

  • English Language

  • Mathematics

  • Problem Solving

  • Communication

  • Calmness Under Pressure

  • Composure

  • Decision Making

  • Handling Confrontation

  • Presentations

How do I get a job like this?

People in these types of job started their career paths after studying courses like the ones below.

Routes to this career

See all

Professional Policing

Edge Hill University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Ormskirk · 09/2024

Tariff points: 112/120

Criminology

Nottingham College

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Nottingham · 23/09/2024

Tariff points: 64/64

Social Science

University of Brighton

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Brighton · 23/09/2024

Tariff points: 104/120

Contemporary Criminology (Top Up)

University Centre Bishop Burton

BA (Hons) · 2 Years · Part-time · Beverley · 10/09/2024

Tariff points: N/A

Criminology and Policing

London Metropolitan University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Islington · 02/2025

Tariff points: 112/112

Social Sciences

King's College London, University of London

BA (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · London · 23/09/2024

Tariff points: N/A

Police Studies (Top-up)

Teesside University, Middlesbrough

BSc (Hons) · 1 Year · Full-time · Middlesbrough · 16/09/2024

Tariff points: N/A

Policing Profession

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

CertHE · 1 Year · Full-time · Swansea · 23/09/2024

Tariff points: 40/40

Related careers

Senior Police Officers

Paramedics

Probation Officers

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Police Officers (Sergeant and Below)

Prison Service Officers (Below Principal Officer)

Human Resources Administrative Occupations

Rail Travel Assistants

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Related industry guides

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