Criminal Intelligence Analyst

Typical Salary

£20,000 To £52,000

Typical Hours

37 to 40 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays at short notice

How To Become a Criminal Intelligence Analyst

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
a graduate training scheme

College / University

You could do a degree in a subject that includes data analysis, for example:

computing
maths and statistics
social science
psychology
criminology

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You can get into this job through an intelligence analyst, cyber intrusion analyst or cyber security technologist higher apprenticeship.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You may be able to start in a related job in the security services, for example as a researcher or language specialist, and apply to join an intelligence officer training programme.

You could also apply to become a police intelligence officer, if you're working in a police force. Each force sets its own application entry requirements.

Other Routes

You could apply for MI5's Intelligence and Data Analyst Development Programme if you have a degree or relevant work experience.

You may also be able to apply through the Civil Service Fast Stream.

Applications can take up to 9 months. As part of the process, you'll need to be prepared to answer questions about your personal life, relationships, family and finances.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

analytical thinking skills
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
knowledge of English language
legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
the ability to use your initiative
thinking and reasoning skills
the ability to read English
excellent verbal communication skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Day To Day Tasks

In this role, you'll:

collect national and international data
analyse data using specialist software
build a picture of crime in an area by studying trends in data
present your intelligence to managers and other agencies
monitor the behaviour of individuals or groups
update intelligence records on databases
review the effectiveness of your analysis
act as an expert witness in court
keep up to date with security and confidentiality rules

Working Environment

You could work in an office or in a court.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and you may spend nights away from home.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could work as a senior analyst, giving specialist advice and assessing trends to work with managers on future priorities.

Employers usually offer clear career paths to more senior roles.

You might also move to related areas of work within your organisation, for example applying to become a police officer.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about a career in intelligence from the security agencies:

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

be over 18 years of age
be a British citizen
have lived in the UK for the last 3 years
pass enhanced background checks
have a good level of fitness
pass a medical check