North Carolina police hiring, Q4 2026

1. Wilmington Police DepartmentFor certified laterals · “Hiring incentives of up to $25,000 for certified lateral transfers!” postingup to $25,000
2. Gastonia Police DepartmentFor certified laterals · “Lateral Officer Sign-On Bonus: $15,000” posting$15,000
3. Durham Police DepartmentFor new officers · “The Durham Police Department has reinstated its $10,000 hiring incentive for all recruits who successfully complete the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) academy, and all three phases of field training.” posting$10,000
4. New Hanover County Sheriff's OfficeFor new officers · “plus a $2,000 one time sign on bonus” posting$2,000

No department in North Carolina changed its posted starting pay since Jul 22, 2026.

• 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.