HM Coastguard Officer
Also advertised as: Coastal Rescue Officer, Coastguard Rescue Officer, Coastguard Watch Officer, HM Coastguard Officer, Maritime Operations Officer
Coordinates search and rescue operations around the UK coast and at sea.
What the job involves
Coastguard officers work in operations centres coordinating search and rescue responses, tasking helicopters, lifeboats and rescue teams to incidents. Some also work as coastal rescue officers, attending incidents on cliffs and beaches as part of a voluntary or paid rescue team. Training covers navigation, casualty care and radio communication procedures.
Typical responsibilities
- Coordinate search and rescue responses
- Task lifeboats, helicopters and rescue teams
- Monitor radio and distress communications
- Support incident command during major operations
- Maintain readiness of rescue equipment
Common employers
- HM Coastguard (Maritime and Coastguard Agency)
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£24,000 – £28,000 a year
With experience
£30,000 – £38,000 a year
Typical hours
Shift work including nights and weekends
Working environment
Operations centre or coastal environment
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Incident coordination
- Radio communication
- Decision making under pressure
- Navigation knowledge
- Teamwork
Transferable skills you may already have
- Emergency response experience
- Control room or dispatch work
- Working under pressure
Requirements employers ask for
- Incident coordination
- Radio communication
- Decision making under pressure
- Navigation knowledge
- Teamwork
- Security vetting
- Medical fitness assessment
- Security vetting
- Medical fitness clearance
Useful but not essential
- Emergency response experience
- Control room or dispatch work
- Working under pressure
- Experience in the maritime industry or emergency services
- First aid qualifications
Helpful qualifications
- Experience in the maritime industry or emergency services
- First aid qualifications
Licences and checks
- Security vetting
- Medical fitness clearance
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Coastguard Officer
next
Watch Manager
next
Search and Rescue Coordinator
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Directly saves lives at sea and on the coast
- Strong sense of teamwork and public service
- Varied and unpredictable working day
What people find hard
- Shift patterns disrupt normal routine
- Incidents can be traumatic
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a hm coastguard officer?
- not_required
- How much does a hm coastguard officer earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £24,000 to £28,000 a year, rising towards £38,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Emergency response experience, Control room or dispatch work, Working under pressure.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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