Wages

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median wage for a police officer was $51,410 as of 2008. More than half of all police officers earned between $38,000 and $65,000. Police detectives earn considerably more for the same agencies as officers who work primarily in the field. Police staff who work as game wardens or for a transit system generally earn slightly less than regular police officers in the same community.
  
  

Salary Policies

• Many police officers belong to unions, which negotiate with the local government and police department to set policies regarding wages, raises, overtime and benefits. Even officers who don't belong to a union may benefit from union negotiating in nearby communities, which forces other police departments to raise their salaries to remain competitive in the recruiting and retention of officers. Police officers who work for federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security or the Drug Enforcement Administration, earn wages that fall within guidelines laid out in federal law.
  
  

Overtime

• Police officers may supplement their annual salaries with overtime pay. Overtime work pays at a higher rate than standard duty and may be sporadic or a part of an officer's regular work schedule. Local departments use grants from state and federal agencies to secure the funds that go into paying officers for overtime, which means that some overtime work must involve a particular type of law enforcement. For example, a state's department of transportation may provide a village police department with funds to pay overtime to officers who focus specifically on seat belt enforcement or highway safety. Overtime can have a significant impact on how much a given officer earns over the course of a full year.
  
  

Advancement

• New police officers at a local department earn the least of all regular police officers. However, police officers also have ample opportunity for advancement and increased wages. Seniority will increase a local officer's salary over time. Likewise, moving into a position with a state or federal agency will likely lead to a higher salary. Many officers take positions as detectives, supervisors or consultants when they no longer wish to work in the field. Others go into the private security industry, where there may be additional opportunities for experienced officers to earn more money.