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Alachua Police Department entry pay
What this agency pays a new officer to start, and how that compares with the rest of the country.
Entry pay onlyEvery salary here is what an officer is paid on day one, out of the academy — base pay on a 40-hour week, with no overtime, shift differential, specialty or education pay counted. Nobody stays on it.
Alachua Police Department starts at $53,475 a year — about $25.71 an hour on a 2,080-hour year, before overtime. That is $14,915 below the median of the 1,681 agencies on this list, and $17,789 below the median for municipal agencies.
Cost of livingPrices in Florida run about 3% above the national average, so this is worth roughly $51,710 somewhere at average prices — $1,765 less than the headline figure. Most of that is rent, at 122 against a national average of 100, where goods are 98. Based on state-wide price levels, because this agency is not tied to a single metro area, from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. The salary above is what the employer publishes; this line is our arithmetic on it, and nothing on this site is ranked on it.
How big the department isAlachua Police Department reported 29 sworn officers and 8 civilian staff to the FBI for 2025. That is 2.6 officers per 1,000 residents, over a population of 10,926.A rate is only meaningful for a city department, where the population served is the city’s own. Reporting to the FBI is voluntary, so a count can reflect a partial return as easily as a small agency, and the FBI asks that agencies not be compared on staffing. Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Full-time Law Enforcement Employees, 2025.
About Alachua
The City describes Alachua Police Department as seeking officers committed to public service and a long-term law-enforcement career, emphasising professionalism, teamwork and community service.
Where the figure comes from
Checked 10 August 2026. City of Alachua official Police Department recruiting notice — open the source document
Notice dated 4 December 2026; starting pay stated expressly as $53,475. INDEPENDENTLY CORROBORATED: the City's FY26 compensation plan lists Police Officer at $25.71 hourly = $53,476.80 at 2,080 hours, $1.80 apart. Police Officer Recruit is a separate classification at $18.36 hourly.
Entry-level base salary only. Overtime, bonuses, education incentives, shift
differentials, locality pay and lateral rates are excluded, so most officers earn more
than this.
How this level compares
Where Alachua sits is partly about the agency and partly about which level of policing it belongs to. The three levels do not pay the same.
| Level | Lowest | Median | Highest | Agencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal | $35,006 | $71,287 | $163,619 | 1046 |
| County | $36,492 | $65,374 | $132,263 | 416 |
| Special jurisdiction | $31,200 | $60,195 | $107,954 | 69 |
| State | $33,994 | $64,998 | $102,692 | 143 |
| Federal | $70,477 | $73,502 | $86,530 | 5 |
| Territory | $16,640 | $28,236 | $43,354 | 9 |
Federal agencies pay the most to start
The middle federal agency starts at $73,502 — about $2,200 more than the middle municipal agency and about $8,100 more than the middle county agency and about $13,300 more than the middle special jurisdiction agency and about $8,500 more than the middle state agency and about $45,300 more than the middle territory agency. Alachua starts at $53,475, so $17,812 below the municipal middle.
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How it ranks
Common questions
How much does a Alachua Police Department officer make?
Alachua Police Department starts a new officer on $53,475 a year, about $25.71 an hour on a 2,080-hour year. That is base salary before overtime, bonuses, education incentives, shift differentials and locality pay, so most serving officers earn more. The figure comes from City of Alachua official Police Department recruiting notice.
Is that good pay for a police officer in Florida?
It ranks #124 of 141 agencies we have verified in Florida — 17 pay less, 123 pay more in the state — and #1,487 of 1,681 nationally. Against the national median it is $14,915 below, and against other municipal agencies $17,789 below.
Compare with another department
Put Alachua Police Department side by side with any other agency on the site — the two salaries, what each is worth once local prices are counted, and which comes out ahead.
The agencies either side of it
Other agencies in FL
| # | Agency | Level | Sworn # | Entry pay | Vs Alachua | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boca Raton Police Services Department | Municipal | 195 | $86,674 | +$33,199 | #270 |
| 2 | Fort Lauderdale Police Department | Municipal | 565 | $81,723 | +$28,248 | #354 |
| 3 | Plantation Police Department | Municipal | 164 | $81,000 | +$27,525 | #379 |
| 4 | Pinecrest Police Department | Municipal | 47 | $80,912 | +$27,437 | #383 |
| 5 | Sunny Isles Beach Police Department | Municipal | 65 | $80,000 | +$26,525 | #411 |
| 6 | Aventura Police Department | Municipal | 91 | $78,556 | +$25,081 | #441 |
| 7 | Coral Springs Police Department | Municipal | 222 | $77,516 | +$24,041 | #470 |
| 8 | Boynton Beach Police Department | Municipal | 173 | $76,650 | +$23,175 | #490 |
| 9 | North Palm Beach Police Department | Municipal | 37 | $76,378 | +$22,903 | #497 |
| 10 | Naples Police Department | Municipal | 74 | $76,320 | +$22,845 | #501 |
| 11 | West Palm Beach Police Department | Municipal | 295 | $75,921 | +$22,446 | #524 |
| 12 | Bay Harbor Islands Police Department | Municipal | 24 | $75,836 | +$22,361 | #528 |
Base pay is only part of the year
Whatever the figure above, the rotation is what decides your year — which weekends you lose, when the changeovers land, what you can plan around. Save yours once and BlueShifts shows it a year ahead, with the off-duty jobs you take and what each one paid.
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