06-06-2008, 07:03 PM
Quote:Salaries for most starting police officers begin around 35k in most decent size municipalities (before taxes). Special duty and court time adds some money onto that amount depending on how intelligently the officer schedules their court dates. Overtime for the profession is the norm but most cities have in place a system where an officers overtime for each year is accumulated in some way and can be cashed out at the end of the year, it is generally not added to each check.
After 5 to 10 years on the force it is possible to have a salary upwards of around 75k and with accrued overtime cashouts as well as special duty and court time it is within reason to see over 100k for the job.
Here in Santa Barbara, starting pay is $66k up to $81k (link). Starting pay for CHP is $77k. If you transfer to Los Angeles, they will match your pay and give you $10,000. I feel really sorry for those poor cops making 35k.
"The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from the self." -Albert Einsetin