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Police pay comparisons built from the same official schedules as the state and department pages.
California Police Pay: Starting and Top Salary by DepartmentCalifornia police start at a median $97,635 and reach $131,575 at top step. Compare 13 departments, years to top and the federal estimate.
City Police vs State Trooper PayCity police start at a median $75,433 and state troopers at $70,222. Compare both side by side in 24 states using official pay schedules.
Do Police Get Paid in the Academy? Recruit Pay by DepartmentPolice recruits earn a median $65,166 a year in the academy. Compare academy pay with post-academy starting pay at 55 departments and state agencies.
Highest-Paying Police Departments in the U.S.Irvine Police Department tops police pay at $171,309 at top step. See the 20 highest-paying departments ranked from official pay schedules.
How Long Does It Take Police to Reach Top Pay?Police officers reach top-step pay in a median 7 years. See years to top, starting pay and total raise for 35 departments from official schedules.
How Much Do Police Officers Make? Starting and Top PayPolice officers start at a median $73,548 in base pay and reach $109,340 at top step, across 97 official department pay schedules.
Police College Degree Incentive Pay by Department25 police departments pay extra for college credit or a degree, up to $7,862 a year. Compare education incentive pay from official schedules.
Police Hiring and Lateral Bonuses by Department14 police agencies advertise hiring bonuses and 15 reward lateral officers. Compare bonus amounts, payout terms and step credit from official sources.
Police Starting Salary by StateStarting police pay by state from official schedules: Washington leads at $104,562. Compare 46 states and the top-paying agency in each one.
Police vs Teacher Pay in Big CitiesNew police officers out-earn new teachers in 21 of 22 big cities. Compare official starting and top pay for police and teachers side by side.
State Trooper Salary by StateState troopers start at a median $70,222 in base pay. Compare starting and top-step trooper pay for 42 state police and highway patrol agencies.
Texas Police Pay: Starting and Top Salary by DepartmentTexas police start at a median $78,358 and reach $102,304 at top step. Compare 9 departments, years to top and the federal estimate.