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Police Officer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a police officer is $133,100 per annum, before tax, up $27,600 since 2018.
- Your force's enterprise agreement sets the rate, and shift loadings, weekend penalties and on-call allowances push actual earnings above it, so two constables at the same rank can be on quite different money.
- Promotion to senior constable or sergeant, or a move into criminal investigation, lifts the figure again, and some forces pay overtime while others fold it into the annual salary.
- Ask each force how much of a quoted salary assumes loadings you might not actually work.
The median salary rose by $27,600 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
How to negotiate a higher police officer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time police officer salary is $133,100; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Emergency response tend to command a premium over general police officer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Police Officer salary questions
How much do police officers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a police officer is $133,100 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is police officer pay rising or falling?
The median police officer salary is up $27,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
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Pay advice
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.