How to hire a police officer

How to hire a police officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step police officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a police officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new police officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a police officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your police officer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a police officer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A police officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, police officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of police officers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Police Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Police Officer	Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.	$18-34
   Deputy	The duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat... Show more	$14-43
   Criminal Investigator	A criminal investigator is a law enforcement professional who endeavors to solve felony crimes. Criminal investigators may work alone or as a member of an investigative team whose goal is to uncover the certainty of a case and potentially keep suspects to prevent the ensuing criminal activity... Show more	$16-40

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patrol
   • Public Safety
   • Law Enforcement Agencies
   • Emergency Situations
   • Field Training
   • CPR
   • Police Academy
   • Traffic Control
   • Criminal Justice
   • Crime Scenes
   • Firearms
   • Federal Laws
   • Local Laws
   • State Laws

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Apprehend violators and log evidence, complete require USAF and DoD forms, and accomplish report.
   • Train in CPR and first aid, radar speed enforcement, domestic violence intervention, pepper spray, and basic anti-terrorism.
   • Gather preliminary investigation information as a first responder to crime scenes.
   • Perform basic patrol functions including criminal and traffic law enforcement, incident reporting and community relations.
   • Complete numerous testimonies at criminal hearings and traffic violations, serve summons, subpoenas and other official documentation.
   • Patrol MARTA trains and bus lines.

   More police officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your police officer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A police officer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, police officers' average salary in mississippi is 61% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level police officers 46% less than senior-level police officers.
   • Certifications. A police officer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a police officer's salary.

   Average police officer salary

   $52,638yearly

   $25.31 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level police officer salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 15, 2026

   Average police officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Alaska	$78,724	$38
   2	Washington	$74,409	$36
   3	California	$73,569	$35
   4	Oregon	$70,639	$34
   5	Colorado	$61,857	$30
   6	District of Columbia	$60,406	$29
   7	Minnesota	$59,394	$29
   8	Massachusetts	$56,736	$27
   9	Maryland	$56,506	$27
   10	Illinois	$56,366	$27
   11	Nevada	$55,281	$27
   12	Arizona	$51,096	$25
   13	Michigan	$50,015	$24
   14	Utah	$49,427	$24
   15	Texas	$47,886	$23
   16	Pennsylvania	$47,555	$23
   17	Missouri	$44,501	$21
   18	Florida	$42,936	$21
   19	New Mexico	$42,834	$21
   20	Virginia	$42,223	$20

   Average police officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Icma-rc	$87,848	$42.23	16
   2	The Midland Group	$76,892	$36.97	1
   3	University of California-Berkeley	$70,970	$34.12
   4	University of Alaska	$69,960	$33.63	10
   5	City of Benicia	$69,952	$33.63
   6	1 8 3 Lanes	$69,925	$33.62
   7	Ontario City Library	$69,885	$33.60	1
   8	City of Largo	$69,867	$33.59
   9	City of Downey	$69,845	$33.58	3
   10	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$69,689	$33.50	7
   11	City of Coronado	$69,672	$33.50
   12	City of Riverside	$69,594	$33.46
   13	City of Mountain View	$69,536	$33.43
   14	City of Pleasanton	$69,467	$33.40	1
   15	Sandia Resort & Casino	$69,385	$33.36
   16	City Of San Mateo	$69,355	$33.34	2
   17	City of Bellaire	$69,249	$33.29
   18	City of Scottsdale	$69,246	$33.29	2
   19	City of Roseville Michigan	$69,150	$33.25
   20	City of Sunny Isles Beach	$69,041	$33.19	3

4. Writing a police officer job description

   A job description for a police officer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a police officer job description:

   Police officer job description example

   Under the direction of the Deputy Chief of Police/Manager and the Captain/Supervisor, provides for the physical security of all Parkview owned buildings, equipment, and grounds. Administers related nonprofessional services necessary in assisting patients and their families. Creates a safe campus environment with an emphasis on customer relations and service excellence. Enhances the patient experience by taking proactive steps to ensure our customers receive services in a safe and secure environment. Performs general safety and security duties with an emphasis on the protection of life and property while providing enforcement of Parkview Health policies and procedures, and when necessary, in order to protect the safety and security of others, enforces Indiana state law as directed under IC 16-18-4. Typical functions include but are not limited to the following: foot and vehicle patrol, escort functions, collecting data for the preparation of crime and other types of event reports, access control, lost and found, handling of patient valuables and the pick up and release of deceased patients. Assists the Samaritan Crew as well as air crews from other medical services in unloading patients brought to Parkview via helicopter. Is responsible for delivering services to all customers, both internal and external, in a cheerful, respectful, and cordial manner and strives for service excellence in the delivery of all services.
   Education
   
   High School Diploma or GED required. Associate degree in related field preferred.
   
   Licensure/Certification
   
   Must have and maintain a valid driver's license at time of hire, Current CPR Certification within 90 days of hire, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI) within six (6) months of hire. Indiana Law Enforcement Academy within 1 year of hire.
   
   Experience
   
   Prior security officer, police or military police experience is preferred.
   
   Other Qualifications
   
   Must be computer literate, have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Must be physically able to handle disoriented, disruptive, or combative individuals. Must be available to work nights, weekends, and holidays outside of normal scheduled work hours. Must be available to work any Parkview owned site as needed. Must successfully pass a criminal background check. Must possess 20/40 vision with both eyes. Must be able to lift, push/pull 70 pounds. Demonstrates ability to multi-task and work independently using critical thinking skills.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find police officers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your police officer job on Zippia to find and recruit police officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit police officers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new police officer

   Once you've found the police officer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new police officer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a police officer?