How to become a police officer in California

Pay at the Los Angeles Police Department

Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Los Angeles Police Department, the largest city's agency.

LAPD recruiting site (City of Los Angeles): Police Officer I & II annual salary $93,730 - $127,660, and $97,363 - $127,660 (the site lists both ranges without explaining the difference); annual salary is at the start of the pay range and is subject to change. Recruits begin contributing to the pension on academy graduation.

Source:[joinlapd.com]

Pay for this work across California

Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in California, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]

Requirements

• Minimum age: 21
• Education: U.S. high school graduation, or passage of the GED or other approved equivalency test
• Citizenship: Legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law
• Minimum age 21 on or before appointment unless appointed under Penal Code 830.1(c) (Gov. Code 1031.4)
• Fingerprint and criminal history check; a felony conviction bars enrollment in a POST basic academy
• Background investigation showing good moral character
• Medical and psychological suitability evaluations
• Employment interview
• Reading and writing ability test
• Probation of at least 12 months from appointment
• Local departments may set higher standards (e.g., vision, hearing, physical ability test)

Source:[post.ca.gov]

Hiring process

1. Reading and writing ability test
2. Employment interview
3. Fingerprint and criminal history check
4. Background investigation
5. Medical evaluation
6. Psychological evaluation
7. POST Regular Basic Course (academy)
8. Field training program and at least 12 months probation
9. POST Basic Certificate

Source:[post.ca.gov]

Entrance exam

Reading and writing ability test (state minimum standard). State minimum standards require a reading and writing ability test before appointment. Inside the Regular Basic Course, students must pass comprehensive, exercise, scenario, report writing and physical abilities tests (Commission Procedure D-1). There is no separate post-academy state licensing exam.[post.ca.gov]

Required training

680 hours minimum. POST Regular Basic Course, Standard Format: minimum 680 hours (Intensive full-time or Extended part-time). Modular Format (three reserve modules): minimum 750 hours. 43 Learning Domains. Training must be requalified (161-hour course) after a 3-year gap without employment.[post.ca.gov]

Pension and retirement

• Plan: Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions (LAFPP) - Tier 6
• Benefit formula: Final Average Salary (last 24 consecutive months, or another designated 24-month period) x service percentage: 40% at 20 years, plus 3% per year for years 21-25, 4% per year for years 26-30, and 5% per year for years 31-33; maximum 90% at 33+ years
• When you can retire: Service pension at age 50 with 20 years of service
• Social Security: no, this job is not covered

Local police plans vary by employer (CalPERS contracts, county systems, city systems); Los Angeles, the largest city, has its own system, so the pay.employer plan is shown. LAFPP Tier 6 covers sworn members hired July 1, 2011 to present; members contribute 11% of pre-tax pay from academy graduation (2% toward retiree health until 25 years) and do not contribute to or earn Social Security credit.

Source:[lafpp.com]