What is the starting salary for a Chicago police officer? Well, it depends on your experience and education. The Chicago Police Department has a great starting salary for new recruits. This includes training pay, as well as top-tier health insurance.
The starting salary for a Chicago police officer is based on the level of education and experience by the prospective applicant, with a minimum of five years of department service before reaching the top pay scale.
The starting salary for a Chicago Police Officer is $47, 772.00 – $65, 628.00 per year.
Starting Salary For Chicago Police Officer Overview
The starting salary for Chicago Police Officers varies depending on the officer’s education and experience. For example, a new recruit who has completed their Bachelor’s degree will earn $60,000 per year. An officer with a Master’s Degree will earn $78,000 per year.
The Chicago Police Department also offers a number of different programs that can help officers earn more money. For example, if an officer completes the police academy and then obtains their Bachelor’s Degree within three years of joining the force, they can receive an additional $10,000 per year in salary. This is important because it helps to ensure that officers are well-educated and prepared to serve their community.
How much does a Chicago police officer make?
According to BetterData.gov, employees with the Chicago Police Department received an average yearly salary of $99,954, as of 2018. This accounts for fifteen thousand employees within the department, and about 44.8% of the City of Chicago’s total payroll. The average base salary for employees with the Chicago Police Department was $87,383, and median extra pay for Chicago police officers averaged at $12,390 per year. The highest paid Chicago Police Department employees were as follows, including their yearly salary and identified with their position:
- Police Officer (Assigned as Detective): $100,980 per year with bonus pay of $171,692.
- Superintendent of Police: $260,004 per year.
- Lieutenant: $127,692 per year with bonus pay of $131,456.
- Lieutenant: $123,894 per year with bonus pay of $124,475.
- Commander: $26,210 with bonus pay of $219,472.
While these salaries are the highest end of what Chicago police officers can expect to make, and are all well above the average yearly salary, these values demonstrate that pay can vary depending on the position the employee holds within the Chicago Police Department, in addition to the years of experience the employee has.
Chicago Police Qualifications
The Chicago Police Department, which serves the nation’s third largest city, requires all employees to adopt its core values: professionalism, obligation, leadership, integrity, courage and excellence. In 2022, the official Chicago Police Department, or CPD, website listed its starting salary for law enforcement officers at $53,340, which jumps to $80,448 after 18 months.
Applicants to the CPD choose to serve as patrol officers, detectives or polygraph examiners and also may serve in specialized units, such as narcotics or task forces. The CPD employs those who meet its Chicago police requirements to serve and protect Chicago’s population of nearly 3 million.
Desired Characteristics
The personal characteristics that qualify applicants to serve as CPD law enforcement officers address the department’s focus on building a diverse, motivated and technologically advanced workforce. The CPD requires its employees to adhere to its core values, whether on or off duty. Applicants must have broad-based skills, be comfortable with change and exhibit willingness to use new technologies and strategies to advance the mission of the police department and help achieve its goals.
General Qualifications
The CPD does not require applicants to be U.S. citizens if they have been granted permanent residency. Citizens of foreign countries may apply if they have permission to work in the United States and can provide proof, such as a Green Card, or Alien Registration Card, from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services. Residency in the city of Chicago is not required to apply for CPD employment but is required at the time of hire.
Chicago police requirements include a valid driver’s license to apply and have an Illinois-issued driver’s license at the time of hire. Applicants who are former or current members of the U.S. military with at least one year of continuous active duty can be hired at the age of 21. Applicants without military service must be at least 25 years old at time of hire. Applicants must be less than 40 years old at the time of hire.
Education and Military Service
Law enforcement applicants must have earned a minimum of 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours from an accredited university or college. However, this Chicago police requirement is waived for applicants who have at least three consecutive years of active duty in the U.S. military. Applicants who use a combination of education and military service to qualify must have 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of college credit and one continuous year of active duty service.
Firearm Owner’s Identification Card
The Firearm Owner’s Identification Card, or FOID, is not required to apply, but you must have an FOID issued by the state of Illinois at time of hire. The CPD recommends applying for the FOID as early as possible since the state takes about 30 days to process requests. The Illinois State Police provides the forms online, where you can complete and print the forms to mail with the required fee to fulfill this Chicago police requirement.
Application, Examination and Hiring
The CPD opens its examination periods by making the applications available online at certain times of the year. The CPD does not mail applications and does not allow transfer from other law enforcement jurisdictions. Applicants must pass a written examination before progressing to the next steps in the hiring process.
The CPD uses minimum qualifications, examination scores and a lottery system to identify applicants for further processing, which includes background investigation and assessment of medical, physical and psychological suitability for the job. New hires must successfully complete the probationary period and the CPD Training Academy. Potential applicants may contact the CPD recruitment office and ask to be contacted when an examination is scheduled.
