Pay & Benefits
The Austin Police Department offers a competitive salary structure. Our officers are currently some of the highest paid in the state of Texas. We also have a great retirement system and offer a variety of other benefits as outlined on this page. Read through our list of benefits below and see why we’re one of the best agencies in the nation to work for.
Salary
Police officer pay is outlined in the charts below. Salary figures reflect base pay and do not include overtime which officers are eligible for after graduating and completing their required 3 month Field Training period. Incentive pay is also not reflected in the charts below.
Regular Academy
| During academy (approximately 8 months) | $50,000/year rate |
| At graduation | $70,644/year |
| At 1 year anniversary of graduation | $79,277/year |
| At 2 year anniversary of graduation | $87,498/year |
| At 6 year anniversary of graduation | $93,623/year |
| At 10 year anniversary of graduation | $100,176/year |
| At 14 year anniversary of graduation | $107,188/year |
| At 16 year anniversary of graduation | $114,692/year |
| Top Step (at 23 year anniversary) | $118,132/year |
Salary by Rank
This list provides a salary range for each rank up to Commander. These numbers do not include overtime or specialty (incentive) pays.
| Cadet | $50,000/year rate during Academy |
| Police Officer | $70,644 - $118,132/year |
| Corporal/Detective | $95,372 - $128,764/year |
| Sergeant | $111,233 - $140,353/year |
| Lieutenant | $127,918 - $161,406/year |
| Commander | $158,265 - $186,634/year |
Incentive Pay
In addition to base salary, the Austin Police Department offers several forms of incentive pay for qualifying officers:
- Bilingual Pay or ASL $2,400/year*
- Field Training Officer (FTO) Pay $4,507/year*
- Education Incentive Pay
- Associate's degree or 60 hours college credit $1,200/year*
- Bachelor's degree $2,640/year*
- Master's degree $3,600/year*
- Certificate Pay $1,800/year* for TCOLE Master Peace Officer Certificate
- Shift Differential for evening or night shifts $3,600 - $4,200/year*
- Longevity Pay $107 per year of service, up to a maximum of 25 years
- Court Overtime
*Paid in 12 monthly installments.
Retirement
Our retirement system ranks as one of the best in Texas and the United States. Austin police officers qualify for a pension with the Austin Police Retirement System after successfully completing a minimum of 25 years of service and 50 years of age. Your pension is based on the number of years of service at a multiplier of 2.5% per year. There is currently no maximum cap on the percentage you can earn.
Formula: [Years of Service] x [2.5% multiplier] = Percentage of Base Salary
The chart below details three examples for earning retirement:
| YEARS OF SERVICE | PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL BASE SALARY EARNED |
|---|---|
| 25 | 62.5% |
| 27 | 67.5% |
| 30 | 75.0% |
Military personnel are eligible to purchase an additional 2 years into the retirement system. This purchase does not count toward the required 25 years of service, but will be added to your multiplier for pension purposes.
For example, an officer who works 25 years and purchases 2 years of military time would earn at the rate of someone who worked 27 years total (earning 67.5% of his/her base salary according to the formula and chart above).
The Austin Police Department also offers an optional Deferred Compensation Plan, which is an employee only contribution.
For more information, visit the Austin Police Retirement System website.
Benefits Overview
Health, dental and retirement benefits will begin on day one of the police academy. Austin Police Department employees are eligible to participate in the following benefits:
- Medical (BlueCross BlueShield)
- Vision
- Dental
- Life insurance
- Short term disability
- Long term disability
- FLEXTRA Health Care
- FLEXTRA Dependent Care
- Group Legal Plan
- Wellness Program
- Employee Assistance Program
- Childcare Programs
- Commuter Program
- Retirement (mandatory)
- Tuition Reimbursement: Up to $3,000 per year
- Deferred Compensation
Additionally, the following four types of coverage are offered at no cost to the employee:
- CDHP with HSA (employee only)
- Dental (employee only)
- Basic life insurance
- Short term disability
Medical Benefits
BlueCross BlueShield provides medical coverage for our employees. A Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP) with Health Savings Account (HSA) is offered at no cost for employee only coverage. PPO and HMO medical plans are also offered, with contributions made by the employee per pay period (every two weeks) as follows:
| Coverage type | CDHP with HSA | PPO | HMO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee only | $0.00 | $15.00 | $20.00 |
| Employee & spouse/domestic partner | $96.37 | $200.67 | $210.67 |
| Employee & children | $47.79 | $147.84 | $157.84 |
| Employee & family or domestic partner & children | $221.63 | $336.91 | $346.91 |
Other Benefits
For a complete list of benefits, please visit the City of Austin Human Resources Department website.
Education
- Graduates of the police academy will receive 18 hours of college credit through Austin Community College
- Texas A&M University-Commerce Partnership Program
Personal Leave
- Vacation Leave: 6.25 hours accrued per pay period (24 pay periods)
- Sick Leave: 6.25 hours accrued per pay period (24 pay periods)
- Exception (Holiday) Leave: Up to 88 hours annually
- Personal Holiday: Three days
- Military Leave: 120 hours annually
- Wellness Leave: Earn up to 16 hours annually
- Emergency Leave: Three consecutive work days
Career Growth
- Rotating shifts – Patrol officers typically work four 10-hour days with 3 days off. Days off rotate every 28 days.
- Opportunities for promotions
Other Incentives
- Uniforms and associated equipment provided (including a firearm)