Updated 2026-10-09 · 76 of 491 North Carolina agencies publish starting pay

Highest paying police departments in North Carolina

Police officer salary in North Carolina by department, ranked by the starting pay each one states in a current posting. Median starting pay is $54,814, about $26.35/hr or $4,568/mo, below the national median of $69,347. 76 of these departments are hiring right now.

Median starting pay

$54,814

▼ 21% vs national $69,347

Highest starting pay

$67,363

Knightdale PD

Lowest on file

$43,738

Nash County Sheriff

Median top-step pay

$75,275

75 departments publish a top step

Every North Carolina department by starting pay

Highest first

Starting pay is the lowest advertised full-time figure for a sworn officer in each department's current posting, annualized. Top pay and lateral start appear where the posting states them. Click a department for the quoted source line and verification date.
Department	Area	Starting pay	Top pay	Lateral start	Status
1. Knightdale PD	Raleigh Area	$67,363	$100,294	—	Hiring · 1
2. Wake Forest PD	Raleigh Area	$65,535	$94,221	—	Hiring · 1
3. Cary PD	Durham & Chapel Hill	$65,104	$89,128	—	Hiring · 1
4. Davidson PD	Charlotte Area	$63,000	$93,995	—	Hiring · 2
5. Nags Head PD	Kill Devil Hills Area	$62,866	$62,866	—	Hiring · 1
6. Raleigh PD	Durham & Chapel Hill	$62,338	$72,268	—	Hiring · 1
7. Fuquay-Varina PD	Raleigh Area	$62,292	$99,667	—	Hiring · 1
8. Johnston County Sheriff	Raleigh Area	$62,213	$102,302	—	Hiring · 2
9. Holly Springs PD	Raleigh Area	$61,440	$91,753	—	Hiring · 1
10. Apex PD	Durham & Chapel Hill	$61,291	$75,082	—	Hiring · 1
11. Union County Sheriff	Charlotte Area	$61,069	$85,805	—	Hiring · 2
12. Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD	Charlotte Area	$59,509	$96,720	—	Hiring · 3
13. Burlington PD	Burlington Area	$59,000	$94,380	—	Hiring · 4
14. Mooresville PD	Charlotte Area	$59,000	$95,503	—	Hiring · 1
15. Hickory PD	Hickory Area	$58,716	$70,460	—	Hiring · 2
16. Wendell PD	Raleigh Area	$58,588	$96,260	$58,588	Hiring · 1
17. Mebane PD	Burlington Area	$58,565	$91,508	—	Hiring · 1
18. Clayton PD	Raleigh Area	$58,401	$58,401	—	Hiring · 2
19. Cabarrus County Sheriff	Charlotte Area	$58,225	$73,142	—	Hiring · 2
20. Morrisville PD	Durham & Chapel Hill	$58,115	$92,997	—	Hiring · 1
21. Pitt County Sheriff	Greenville Area	$57,310	$90,573	—	Hiring · 1
22. Greensboro PD	Greensboro & High Point	$57,220	$57,220	—	Hiring · 1
23. Chapel Hill PD	Durham & Chapel Hill	$57,164	$105,181	—	Hiring · 2
24. Dare County Sheriff	Kill Devil Hills Area	$56,935	$74,017	—	Hiring · 2
25. Chatham County Sheriff	Durham & Chapel Hill	$56,593	$72,157	—	Hiring · 2
26. Franklin County Sheriff	Raleigh Area	$56,563	$59,391	—	Hiring · 2
27. Kernersville PD	Winston-Salem Area	$56,264	$56,264	—	Hiring · 1
28. Iredell County Sheriff	Charlotte Area	$56,225	$87,711	—	Hiring · 3
29. Topsail Beach PD	Wilmington Area	$55,793	$86,479	—	Hiring · 1
30. Harnett County Sheriff	Anderson Creek Area	$55,688	$91,831	—	Hiring · 2
31. Onslow County Sheriff	Jacksonville Area	$55,623	$72,310	—	Hiring · 2
32. High Point PD	Winston-Salem Area	$55,474	$75,275	—	Hiring · 1
33. Halifax County Sheriff	Roanoke Rapids Area	$55,302	$61,848	—	Hiring · 2
34. Statesville PD	Charlotte Area	$55,120	$90,938	—	Hiring · 1
35. Wilson PD	Wilson Area	$54,970	$75,702	—	Hiring · 1
36. Rocky Mount PD	Rocky Mount Area	$54,944	$89,009	—	Hiring · 3
37. Southport PD	Wilmington Area	$54,878	$69,695	—	Hiring · 1
38. Beaufort PD	Morehead City Area	$54,862	$82,293	—	Hiring · 2
39. Cumberland County Sheriff	Fayetteville Area	$54,765	$54,765	—	Hiring · 4
40. Pender County Sheriff	Wilmington Area	$54,577	$67,539	—	Hiring · 3
41. Wrightsville Beach PD	Wilmington Area	$54,533	$97,659	—	Hiring · 1
42. Wilson County Sheriff	Wilson Area	$54,516	$92,124	—	Hiring · 2
43. Alamance County Sheriff	Burlington Area	$54,515	$66,264	—	Hiring · 3
44. Elon PD	Burlington Area	$54,207	$89,645	—	Hiring · 1
45. Carolina Beach PD	Wilmington Area	$54,013	$59,415	$56,714	Hiring · 2
46. Durham PD	Durham & Chapel Hill	$53,167	$53,167	—	Hiring · 1
47. Albemarle PD	Albemarle Area	$52,569	$65,520	—	Hiring · 1
48. Hillsborough PD	Durham & Chapel Hill	$52,466	$105,039	—	Hiring · 1
49. North Carolina Highway Patrol		$51,852	$92,290	—	Hiring · 4
50. Craven County Sheriff	New Bern Area	$51,677	$54,159	—	Hiring · 3
51. Maiden PD	Hickory Area	$51,635	$77,453	—	Hiring · 2
52. Forsyth County Sheriff	Winston-Salem Area	$51,537	$87,604	—	Hiring · 2
53. Gastonia PD	Charlotte Area	$51,300	$99,810	$56,557	Hiring · 2
54. Kinston PD	Kinston Area	$50,981	$65,062	—	Hiring · 1
55. Sampson County Sheriff	Sampson County	$50,616	—	—	Hiring · 2
56. Fayetteville PD	Fayetteville Area	$50,555	$84,585	—	Hiring · 1
57. Winston-Salem PD	Winston-Salem Area	$50,264	$72,141	—	Hiring · 3
58. Elizabeth City PD	Hampton Roads	$50,000	$62,520	—	Hiring · 2
59. Huntersville PD	Charlotte Area	$49,986	$93,970	$62,647	Hiring · 2
60. Washington PD	Washington Area	$49,153	$83,182	—	Hiring · 1
61. Pinehurst PD	Pinehurst Area	$48,789	$84,720	—	Hiring · 2
62. Asheville PD	Asheville Area	$48,630	$76,597	—	Hiring · 2
63. Clinton PD	Sampson County	$48,527	$67,957	—	Hiring · 1
64. Greenville PD	Greenville Area	$48,506	$60,570	$57,678	Hiring · 2
65. Havelock PD	New Bern Area	$48,483	$48,483	—	Hiring · 1
66. Graham PD	Burlington Area	$47,614	$57,875	—	Hiring · 2
67. Buncombe County Sheriff	Asheville Area	$45,469	$61,422	—	Hiring · 2
68. Lexington PD	Winston-Salem Area	$45,365	$70,741	—	Hiring · 3
69. North Topsail Beach PD	Jacksonville Area	$45,067	$69,854	—	Hiring · 1
70. Warren County Sheriff	Warren County	$44,500	$56,395	—	Hiring · 2
71. Gaston County PD	Charlotte Area	$44,179	$99,923	—	Hiring · 1
72. Shelby PD	Shelby Area	$44,179	$46,384	—	Hiring · 3
73. New Hanover County Sheriff	Wilmington Area	$44,152	$75,059	—	Hiring · 2
74. Jacksonville PD	Jacksonville Area	$44,081	$74,055	—	Hiring · 2
75. Scotland County Sheriff	Laurinburg Area	$43,780	$48,158	—	Hiring · 2
76. Nash County Sheriff	Rocky Mount Area	$43,738	$45,925	—	Hiring · 2

Starting pay by area in North Carolina

Area	Median starting pay	Departments with pay	Open jobs
Raleigh Area	$61,826	8	12
Durham & Chapel Hill	$57,640	8	11
Charlotte Area	$57,225	10	19
Wilmington Area	$54,555	6	13
Burlington Area	$54,515	5	11
Winston-Salem Area	$51,537	5	10
Jacksonville Area	$45,067	3	5

Hiring bonuses in North Carolina

All North Carolina bonuses

Wilmington PDLaterals$25,000
Gastonia PDLaterals$15,000
Durham PDNew officers · upon successful completion of the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) academy, and all three phases of field training$10,000
New Hanover County SheriffNew officers · one time sign on bonus$2,000

Police jobs in North Carolina (146)Lateral police jobs in North Carolina North Carolina departments that don't require college (51)All North Carolina departments Starting pay by state

Highest paying police departments in North Carolina

Every North Carolina department by starting pay

Starting pay by area in North Carolina

Hiring bonuses in North Carolina

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