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Elkhorn 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.

Elkhorn Police Department starts at $67,596 a year — about $32.50 an hour on a 2,080-hour year, before overtime. That is $794 below the median of the 1,681 agencies on this list, and $3,668 below the median for municipal agencies.

Cost of livingPrices in Wisconsin run about 6% below the national average, so this goes about as far as $71,838 would somewhere at average prices — $4,242 more than the headline figure. Most of that is rent, at 79 against a national average of 100, where goods are 94. 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 isElkhorn Police Department reported 12 sworn officers and 2 civilian staff to the FBI for 2025. That is 1.2 officers per 1,000 residents, over a population of 10,086.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 Elkhorn

Elkhorn Police Department provides municipal law-enforcement services focused on protecting life and property, preserving peace, preventing and investigating crime, enforcing traffic laws and serving the community. Official City materials emphasize professional police service, public safety and cooperation with residents and businesses

Where the figure comes from

Checked 8 August 2026. City of Elkhorn of — open the source document
Opened 26 January 2026; official 2026 Start salary $67,596. Non-certified hires may receive no less than 75% while in academy, confirming $67,596 is the f
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 Elkhorn sits is partly about the agency and partly about which level of policing it belongs to. The three levels do not pay the same.

LevelLowestMedianHighestAgencies
Municipal$35,006$71,287$163,6191046
County$36,492$65,374$132,263416
Special jurisdiction$31,200$60,195$107,95469
State$33,994$64,998$102,692143
Federal$70,477$73,502$86,5305
Territory$16,640$28,236$43,3549
What this shows

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. Elkhorn starts at $67,596, so $3,691 below the municipal middle.

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How it ranks

Nationally #889of 1,681 agencies Top 53% of everything we have verified
In WI #34of 74 agencies 40 pay less, 33 pay more
Hourly to start $32on a 2,080-hour year Base pay only, before overtime or any differential

Common questions

How much does a Elkhorn Police Department officer make?

Elkhorn Police Department starts a new officer on $67,596 a year, about $32.50 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 Elkhorn of.

Is that good pay for a police officer in Wisconsin?

It ranks #34 of 74 agencies we have verified in Wisconsin — 40 pay less, 33 pay more in the state — and #889 of 1,681 nationally. Against the national median it is $794 below, and against other municipal agencies $3,668 below.

Compare with another department

Put Elkhorn 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.

Compare Elkhorn

The agencies either side of it

Other agencies in WI

Go
#AgencyLevelSworn #Entry payVs ElkhornNational
1Menomonee Falls Police DepartmentMunicipal59$82,618+$15,022#339
2Fitchburg Police DepartmentMunicipal50$78,790+$11,194#432
3Brookfield Police DepartmentMunicipal80$78,666+$11,070#438
4Cedarburg Police DepartmentMunicipal24$77,561+$9,965#469
5Stoughton Police DepartmentMunicipal23$76,378+$8,782#498
6Waukesha County Sheriff's OfficeCounty158$76,128+$8,532#505
7River Falls Police DepartmentMunicipal27$75,525+$7,929#535
8Grafton Police DepartmentMunicipal22$75,102+$7,506#555
9Dodge County Sheriff's OfficeCounty64$75,088+$7,492#556
10St. Croix County Sheriff's OfficeCounty98$74,695+$7,099#568
11Kenosha Police DepartmentMunicipal231$74,640+$7,044#572
12Glendale Police DepartmentMunicipal39$74,040+$6,444#592

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