PCSO
Police Community Support Officer
A paid, uniformed non-warranted role focused on neighbourhood policing, visibility and community engagement.
Also searched as pcso, police community support officer, community support officer jobs. We currently see 5 forces referencing this route, with 2 live adverts we can read directly.
Length
Permanent role with an initial training period of a few months
Who it's for
People who want a policing career in the community without the powers, shift pattern or confrontation of a constable role.
Pay
Set locally by each force
What you need
- No formal qualifications in most forces
- Aged 18 or over
- Full police vetting
Worth knowing first
- Lower pay than a constable and no warrant card
- Widely used as a route into a regular constable application later
- PCSO numbers vary sharply between forces and budgets
Forces advertising PCSO
Filtered to forces where our last check found this route. Forces whose systems block automated reading won't appear here even if they are recruiting — the full board shows every force with its data source.
54
live vacancies we can read
2
forces with a readable job feed
2
forces confirmed recruiting
Last checked today. We check every force twice a day and show you exactly where each answer came from.
Showing 5 of 43 forces
West Midlands Police
Read from West Midlands Police's own job board, today.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Derbyshire Constabulary
Read from Derbyshire Constabulary's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Leicestershire Police
Read from Leicestershire Police's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Lancashire Constabulary
Read from Lancashire Constabulary's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
PCSO questions
What is Police Community Support Officer? +
A paid, uniformed non-warranted role focused on neighbourhood policing, visibility and community engagement.
Who is PCSO for? +
People who want a policing career in the community without the powers, shift pattern or confrontation of a constable role.
How long does PCSO take? +
Permanent role with an initial training period of a few months. Lower pay than a constable and no warrant card.
What do you need to apply for PCSO? +
No formal qualifications in most forces. Aged 18 or over. Full police vetting.
Compare the other routes
PCEP
Around two years to confirmation as a constable
PCDA
Three years, ending in a degree and confirmation as a constable
DHEP
Two years to confirmation as a constable
Detective
Two years to substantive detective constable, in most schemes
Transferee
Typically three to six months from application to start date
Rejoiner
Often faster than initial entry — a shortened conversion rather than a full programme
Specials
Ongoing, with a minimum commitment of around 16 hours a month
Staff
Permanent and fixed-term contracts