How to become a police officer in Missouri
In Missouri, police officers are hired by city police departments and county sheriff's offices. The Missouri Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Program, Missouri Department of Public Safety sets the statewide standards; the credential is Class A Peace Officer License. At the Kansas City Missouri Police Department, new hires start at $68,928 a year, rising to $108,912. You must be at least 21.
Pay at the Kansas City Missouri Police Department
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department, the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $68,928 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $108,912 |
Kansas City Police officer pay scale (current top step).
Source:[web.archive.org]
Pay for this work across Missouri
Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Missouri, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 13,570 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $43,210 |
| Median pay | $59,460 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $90,770 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 21
- Education: High school diploma or its equivalent (11 CSR 75-2.010)
- Citizenship: U.S. citizen
- No residency requirement to receive or hold a peace officer license
- Graduate from a POST-certified basic training course for the license class (or recognized federal/military/out-of-state training, or the Veteran Peace Officer Point Scale)
- Apply for the license within five years of graduating from basic training
- Fingerprinted through the Missouri State Highway Patrol for a state and FBI criminal history check
- Director reviews qualifications including RSMo 590.100 (grounds for denial)
- Achieve a qualifying score on the Missouri Peace Officer License Exam (MPOLE)
- License expires automatically after five consecutive years without a peace officer commission
Source:[sos.mo.gov]
Hiring process
- Complete a POST-certified basic training course (Class A: 600 hours minimum)
- Pass the Missouri Peace Officer License Exam (MPOLE)
- Fingerprint-based criminal history check
- Submit peace officer license application to the POST Director
- Receive license and be commissioned by a law enforcement agency
Source:[sos.mo.gov]
Entrance exam
Missouri Peace Officer License Exam (MPOLE). Applicants must achieve a qualifying score on the MPOLE; class R and class D applicants do not take it (11 CSR 75-13.020(8)).[sos.mo.gov]
Required training
600 hours minimum. 11 CSR 75-14: minimum basic training hours by license class - Class A 600 hours; Class A-HP 1,000; Class A-CC 1,000; Class B 480; Class C 120; Class R 297; Class S 480. KCPD pays recruits during its academy ($65,004 per its salary page).[sos.mo.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Police Retirement System of Kansas City, Missouri (Tier II)
- Benefit formula: 2.5% of Final Compensation x years of creditable service, capped at 80% of Final Compensation; Tier II Final Compensation = average of the highest 36 months of base salary
- When you can retire: Tier II (hired on or after August 28, 2013): 27 or more years of creditable service, or age 60 with at least 15 years; mandatory retirement at age 65. Member contribution 11.55% of base pay
No single statewide plan covers Missouri local police (LAGERS is optional per employer), so this is the Kansas City plan. Tier II retirees also get a $200 monthly supplemental retirement benefit; COLA up to 3% begins the year after the member would have reached 32 years of service.
Source:[kcpers.org]