CopJobs report · Q4 2026 · as of Oct 20, 2026
State of Police Hiring, Q4 2026
2,739 sworn police, deputy and trooper jobs were open at 1,524 US departments on Oct 20, 2026. 9% of them offered a hiring bonus, and 26% were for officers already certified.
Open sworn jobs
2,739
as of Oct 20, 2026Departments hiring
1,524
as of Oct 20, 2026Median starting pay
$68,999
departments' own postingsJobs offering a hiring bonus
246 (9%)
as of Oct 20, 2026Lateral (certified officer) jobs
717 (26%)
of open sworn jobsStarting pay changes
13
since Jul 22, 2026Largest hiring bonuses in the US
- Alameda Police DepartmentFor new officers · “$75,000 HIRING INCENTIVE” posting$75,000
- Hemet Police DepartmentFor certified laterals · “Police Officer (Lateral) - $60K Hiring Bonus Eligible” posting$60,000
- Bothell Police DepartmentFor certified laterals · “LATERAL OFFICER HIRING BONUS OF $50,000” posting$50,000
- Yuba City Police DepartmentFor certified laterals · “*Lateral Incentive! $45,000**” posting$45,000
- Federal Way Police DepartmentFor certified laterals · “Hiring bonus of $40,000 for experienced police officers” posting$40,000
Starting pay changes this quarter
| Department | Was | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny Isles Beach Police Department FL | $80,000 | $84,000 source |
| Treasure Island Police Department FL | $60,320 | $64,002 source |
| Amarillo Police Department TX | $72,848 | $75,762 source |
| Pilot Point Police Department TX | $72,072 | $73,514 source |
| Milton Police Department GA | $59,000 | $68,269 source |
| Maryland-National Capital Park Police MD | $65,016 | $66,706 source |
| Elko Police Department NV | $68,521 | $65,258 source |
| Napa County Sheriff's Office CA | $105,810 | $109,242 source |
| Napa County Sheriff's Office CA | $111,072 | $114,691 source |
| Napa County Sheriff's Office CA | $122,574 | $126,568 source |
| Hays County Sheriff's Office TX | $72,236 | $74,888 source |
| Gilbert Police Department AZ | $71,906 | $78,208 source |
| St. Johns County Sheriff's Office FL | $60,500 | $68,500 source |
By state
| State | Open jobs | Departments hiring | Median start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 33 | 18 | $55,440 |
| Alaska | 11 | 9 | $86,466 |
| Arizona | 84 | 41 | $66,996 |
| Arkansas | 21 | 13 | $52,267 |
| California | 752 | 323 | $87,336 |
| Colorado | 83 | 56 | $74,110 |
| Connecticut | 77 | 43 | $72,009 |
| Florida | 165 | 93 | $62,448 |
| Georgia | 53 | 30 | $54,017 |
| Idaho | 11 | 8 | $62,778 |
| Illinois | 28 | 21 | $81,114 |
| Iowa | 19 | 18 | $69,585 |
| Kansas | 12 | 8 | $54,954 |
| Louisiana | 36 | 16 | $38,646 |
| Maryland | 45 | 21 | $66,066 |
| Michigan | 37 | 25 | $60,124 |
| Minnesota | 42 | 30 | $81,307 |
| Missouri | 164 | 141 | $46,275 |
| Nevada | 35 | 15 | $65,046 |
| New Mexico | 22 | 10 | $62,429 |
| North Carolina | 132 | 85 | $54,361 |
| Ohio | 42 | 32 | $71,116 |
| Oklahoma | 39 | 37 | $57,450 |
| Oregon | 61 | 35 | $76,960 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 7 | $65,242 |
| South Carolina | 54 | 21 | $54,568 |
| Tennessee | 16 | 7 | $64,451 |
| Texas | 194 | 126 | $73,000 |
| Utah | 19 | 12 | $73,050 |
| Virginia | 100 | 38 | $58,000 |
| Washington | 154 | 64 | $89,742 |
| Wisconsin | 59 | 47 | $68,973 |
How these numbers are made
- Jobs. Open sworn police, deputy and trooper postings on Oct 20, 2026, read every week from departments' own hiring systems and state peace-officer boards. Civilian, dispatch and corrections-officer jobs are not counted; sheriff's jail deputy jobs are.
- Starting pay. The median of each department's starting figure for a new full-time officer, as its own posting states it. A state's median needs at least 5 departments.
- Hiring bonuses. Bonuses a current posting offers, in the posting's own words, until the end date it gives. Referral and retention pay are not counted.
- Lateral jobs. Postings only for officers already certified elsewhere.
- Pay changes. Starting-pay moves seen in the department's own postings over the last 90 days, with the posting linked.
Published by CopJobs. Every figure is as of Oct 20, 2026; the report is refreshed each week and published quarterly.