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Polk County Sheriff's Office 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.
Polk County Sheriff's Office starts at $70,491 a year — about $33.89 an hour on a 2,080-hour year, before overtime. That is $2,101 above the median of the 1,681 agencies on this list, and $5,117 above the median for county agencies.
Cost of livingPrices in rural Wisconsin run about 10% below the national average, so this goes about as far as $78,693 would somewhere at average prices — $8,202 more than the headline figure. Most of that is rent, at 63 against a national average of 100, where goods are 94. Based on price levels for the non-metropolitan part of this state, because this agency is outside every 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 isPolk County Sheriff's Office reported 34 sworn officers and 52 civilian staff to the FBI for 2025.No rate is shown: this agency does not police a single population the FBI publishes a figure for. 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 Polk County
Polk County Sheriff's Office is the law enforcement agency for Wisconsin's westernmost county, working from the Justice Center at Balsam Lake. The county runs to the St. Croix Wild and Scenic Riverway on its western boundary and is dense with lakes and rivers, so waterways are a routine part of the work. The office states its mission as providing professional, ethical and respectful law enforcement, holding that the best way to achieve a safe environment is a cooperative partnership with the community, and pledges to serve with integrity, honour and courage. Alongside patrol it runs the county jail, which offers video visitation, and alcohol education programmes.
Where the figure comes from
Checked 8 August 2026. Wisconsin Department of Justice WILENET official employment posting — — open the source document
2026 recruitment; application deadline 22 June 2026; salary minimum $33.89
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.
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How this level compares
Where Polk County 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. Polk County starts at $70,491, so $5,117 above the county middle.
How it ranks
Common questions
How much does a Polk County Sheriff's Office officer make?
Polk County Sheriff's Office starts a new officer on $70,491 a year, about $33.89 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 Wisconsin Department of Justice WILENET official employment posting —.
Is that good pay for a police officer in Wisconsin?
It ranks #22 of 74 agencies we have verified in Wisconsin — 52 pay less, 21 pay more in the state — and #745 of 1,681 nationally. Against the national median it is $2,101 above, and against other county agencies $5,117 above.
Compare with another department
Put Polk County Sheriff's Office 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 WI
| # | Agency | Level | Sworn # | Entry pay | Vs Polk | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menomonee Falls Police Department | Municipal | 59 | $82,618 | +$12,126 | #339 |
| 2 | Fitchburg Police Department | Municipal | 50 | $78,790 | +$8,299 | #432 |
| 3 | Brookfield Police Department | Municipal | 80 | $78,666 | +$8,174 | #438 |
| 4 | Cedarburg Police Department | Municipal | 24 | $77,561 | +$7,070 | #469 |
| 5 | Stoughton Police Department | Municipal | 23 | $76,378 | +$5,886 | #498 |
| 6 | Waukesha County Sheriff's Office | County | 158 | $76,128 | +$5,637 | #505 |
| 7 | River Falls Police Department | Municipal | 27 | $75,525 | +$5,034 | #535 |
| 8 | Grafton Police Department | Municipal | 22 | $75,102 | +$4,611 | #555 |
| 9 | Dodge County Sheriff's Office | County | 64 | $75,088 | +$4,597 | #556 |
| 10 | St. Croix County Sheriff's Office | County | 98 | $74,695 | +$4,204 | #568 |
| 11 | Kenosha Police Department | Municipal | 231 | $74,640 | +$4,149 | #572 |
| 12 | Glendale Police Department | Municipal | 39 | $74,040 | +$3,549 | #592 |
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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