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University of Alabama at Birmingham 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.
University of Alabama at Birmingham Police Department starts at $49,920 a year — about $24.00 an hour on a 2,080-hour year, before overtime. That is $16,765 below the median of the 2,288 agencies on this list, and $10,284 below the median for special jurisdiction agencies.
Cost of livingPrices in Alabama run about 11% below the national average, so this goes about as far as $56,202 would somewhere at average prices — $6,282 more than the headline figure. Most of that is rent, at 62 against a national average of 100, where goods are 96. 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.
What University of Alabama at Birmingham says about itself
UABPD is dedicated to promoting a safe environment for more than 21,000 students and over 26,000 employees. We are committed to serving the UAB community professionally, effectively and caringly. Our philosophy of community policing integrates crime prevention, problem resolution and community involvement in an unprecedented manner.
What University of Alabama at Birmingham does
UAB Police states its mission as protecting and serving the University and healthcare community with a commitment to excellence and integrity.
Shifts at University of Alabama at Birmingham
The patrol division is staffed by four Sergeants, four Corporals, and approximately 30-35 Patrol Officers. Officers respond to approximately 150,000 calls for service annually.
A four-sergeant patrol division covering a 24/7 campus and hospital runs a rotating pattern where your squad decides your days. BlueShifts holds the squad and lays out the year.
Where the figure comes from
Checked 13 August 2026. $24.00/hour / $49,920 annually at zero experience. Official UAB Police compensation structure lists Police Officer PS107N1 at $24. — open the source document
$24.00/hour / $49,920 annually at zero experience. Official UAB Police compensation structure lists Police Officer PS107N1 at $24.00/hour / $49,920 annually for zero experience. UAB’s FY2026 compensation pages remain current and separately publish FY2025-26 Police Department
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 University of Alabama at Birmingham 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 | $33,280 | $68,140 | $163,619 | 1549 |
| County | $35,000 | $63,565 | $132,263 | 516 |
| Special jurisdiction | $31,200 | $60,204 | $107,954 | 71 |
| State | $33,994 | $65,166 | $110,916 | 145 |
| 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 $5,400 more than the middle municipal agency and about $9,900 more than the middle county agency and about $13,300 more than the middle special jurisdiction agency and about $8,300 more than the middle state agency and about $45,300 more than the middle territory agency. University of Alabama at Birmingham starts at $49,920, so $10,284 below the special jurisdiction middle.
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How it ranks
Common questions
How much does a University of Alabama at Birmingham Police Department officer make?
University of Alabama at Birmingham Police Department starts a new officer on $49,920 a year, about $24.00 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 $24.00/hour / $49,920 annually at zero experience. Official UAB Police compensation structure lists Police Officer PS107N1 at $24..
Is that good pay for a police officer in Alabama?
It ranks #19 of 35 agencies we have verified in Alabama — 16 pay less, 18 pay more in the state — and #2,094 of 2,288 nationally. Against the national median it is $16,765 below, and against other special jurisdiction agencies $10,284 below.
What shifts do University of Alabama at Birmingham Police Department officers work?
The patrol division is staffed by four Sergeants, four Corporals, and approximately 30-35 Patrol Officers. Officers respond to approximately 150,000 calls for service annually. That is the agency's own published wording; the pattern is drawn on this page.
Compare with another department
Put University of Alabama at Birmingham 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 AL
| # | Agency | Level | Sworn # | Entry pay | Vs University | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoover Police Department | Municipal | 178 | $62,920 | +$13,000 | #1,390 |
| 2 | Madison Police Department | Municipal | 88 | $60,195 | +$10,275 | #1,550 |
| 3 | Birmingham Police Department | Municipal | 755 | $59,862 | +$9,942 | #1,588 |
| 4 | Auburn Police Department | Municipal | 131 | $58,798 | +$8,878 | #1,642 |
| 5 | Huntsville Police Department | Municipal | 432 | $58,614 | +$8,694 | #1,649 |
| 6 | Opelika Police Department | Municipal | 103 | $58,217 | +$8,297 | #1,663 |
| 7 | Shelby County Sheriff's Office | County | 147 | $57,408 | +$7,488 | #1,735 |
| 8 | Tuscaloosa Police Department | Municipal | 241 | $57,325 | +$7,405 | #1,740 |
| 9 | Alabama Highway Patrol | State | — | $56,726 | +$6,806 | #1,763 |
| 10 | Madison County Sheriff's Office | County | 184 | $55,390 | +$5,470 | #1,828 |
| 11 | Montgomery Police Department | Municipal | 259 | $55,168 | +$5,248 | #1,839 |
| 12 | Baldwin County Sheriff's Office | County | 174 | $53,768 | +$3,848 | #1,921 |
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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