How to become a police officer in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, police officers are hired by city police departments and county sheriff's offices. The Wisconsin Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB), Wisconsin Department of Justice Training and Standards Bureau sets the statewide standards; the credential is Law Enforcement Officer certification. You must be at least 18.
Pay at the Milwaukee Police Department
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Milwaukee Police Department, the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | — |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $97,575 |
| Years to top | 5 |
Milwaukee police: maximum reached within five years. The starting rate is left blank because official sources differ (recruit rate vs. rate after the academy).
Source:[web.archive.org]
Pay for this work across Wisconsin
Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Wisconsin, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 12,320 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $58,530 |
| Median pay | $78,090 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $94,450 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 18
- Education: High school diploma or GED/equivalent; plus a 2-year associate degree or 60 college credits (may be completed within the first 5 years of employment; self-sponsored academy applicants need 40 credits to enroll)
- Citizenship: U.S. citizen (Wis. Stat. § 66.0501(1) for city, village, and town police officers and deputy sheriffs)
- Valid Wisconsin driver's license (or recognized operator's permit) before completing preparatory training
- No unpardoned felony conviction (or offense punishable as a felony in Wisconsin)
- No conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or domestic abuse
- Good character: fingerprint search of local, state and national records and a background investigation by the employer
- Free from any physical, emotional or mental condition that might adversely affect performance; medical exam by a Wisconsin-licensed physician
- Oral interview by the employing authority
- Pre-employment drug testing (LES 2.02)
- Entry Physical Readiness Test (PRT) within 180 days before academy coursework
Source:[docs.legis.wisconsin.gov]
Hiring process
- Application to a law enforcement agency (or self-sponsored academy enrollment)
- Oral interview
- Background investigation and fingerprint check
- Medical examination
- Pre-employment drug test
- Entry Physical Readiness Test
- 720-hour LESB-certified law enforcement academy
- Employment and certification by the LESB (recommended at quarterly meetings)
Source:[wilenet.widoj.gov]
Required training
720 hours minimum. WI DOJ factsheet (2026): 'The LESB requires all law enforcement recruits to complete 720 hours of academy training'; all academies (technical colleges and agency academies such as Milwaukee PD) use the same 720-hour LESB curriculum. LES 3 still states a 400-hour legal minimum. Trainees must score at least 70% on written exams in all subjects and pass competency-based checklists; training must be completed within the probationary period (max 2 years). Out-of-state officers may qualify via a reciprocity examination instead.[wilenet.widoj.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), protective occupation participant
- Benefit formula: Final average earnings x 2% for each year of protective occupation service on or after January 1, 2000 (participants covered by Social Security); 2.5% if not covered by Social Security (Wis. Stat. § 40.23(2m)(e))
- When you can retire: Normal retirement date: age 54, or age 53 with at least 25 years of creditable service (Wis. Stat. § 40.02(42)(a))
WRS is the statewide plan for participating local employers. Whether Milwaukee officers are in WRS or a city plan was not verified.
Source:[docs.legis.wisconsin.gov]