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University of Missouri 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 Missouri Police Department starts at $60,008 a year — about $28.85 an hour on a 2,080-hour year, before overtime. That is $8,382 below the median of the 1,681 agencies on this list, and $187 below the median for special jurisdiction agencies.
Cost of livingPrices in Missouri run about 9% below the national average, so this goes about as far as $66,076 would somewhere at average prices — $6,068 more than the headline figure. Most of that is rent, at 70 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.
How big the department isUniversity of Missouri Police Department reported 41 sworn officers and 25 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.
What University of Missouri says about itself
As the primary law enforcement response agency for Mizzou, we are responsible for the safety and security of nearly 45,000 students, faculty, staff, and visitors that are on our campus each day. MUPD supports the university's values and mission through positive relationships with the university community, and we are committed to working with them to maintain an environment that is not only safe and free of crime but also supports an ideal learning environment.
What University of Missouri does
The University of Missouri Police Department is the primary law enforcement response agency for the Mizzou campus in Columbia, responsible for the safety of nearly 45,000 students, faculty, staff and visitors on campus each day. It is accredited by both IACLEA and CALEA and runs as a full-service, 24-hour operation with authorization for 50 commissioned police officers, eight security officers, 13 communications officers, two administrative staff and an emergency manager, alongside between 15 and 50 part-time campus safety officers depending on the season. It works through four divisions — Patrol, Special Assignments, Special Events and Staff Services, and Support Services — each under an assistant chief, with patrol covering day, evening and night shifts. Officers hold primary jurisdiction on university property and secondary jurisdiction across Boone County, and the university runs its own Law Enforcement Training Institute academy.
Shifts at University of Missouri
Patrol Operations is composed of three rotating patrol shifts - day, evening and midnight - in a 24/7 operation authorized for 50 commissioned police officers.
Rotating through days, evenings and midnights resets your body clock every few weeks, and campus event duty lands on top. BlueShifts keeps the whole rotation on one calendar.
Where the figure comes from
Checked 14 August 2026. University of Missouri official Police Officer Trainee posting — $26.45/hour during training, $28.85/hour on certification, University Title Police Officer Trainee, grade GGS-007 — open the source document
$26.45/hour during academy training, rising to $28.85/hour ($60,008 annualised at 2,080 hours) upon POST certification. University of Missouri Police Officer Trainee posting, grade GGS-007. Class: Police Officer — the rate on POST certification | Post-academy: yes, $28.85 an hour on certification against $26.45 an hour during training.
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 University of Missouri 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. University of Missouri starts at $60,008, so $187 below the special jurisdiction middle.
How it ranks
Common questions
How much does a University of Missouri Police Department officer make?
University of Missouri Police Department starts a new officer on $60,008 a year, about $28.85 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 University of Missouri official Police Officer Trainee posting — $26.45/hour during training, $28.85/hour on certification, University Title Police Officer Trainee, grade GGS-007.
Is that good pay for a police officer in Missouri?
It ranks #15 of 27 agencies we have verified in Missouri — 12 pay less, 14 pay more in the state — and #1,237 of 1,681 nationally. Against the national median it is $8,382 below, and against other special jurisdiction agencies $187 below.
What shifts do University of Missouri Police Department officers work?
Patrol Operations is composed of three rotating patrol shifts - day, evening and midnight - in a 24/7 operation authorized for 50 commissioned police officers. That is the agency's own published wording; the pattern is drawn on this page.
Compare with another department
Put University of Missouri 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 MO
| # | Agency | Level | Sworn # | Entry pay | Vs University | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Creve Coeur Police Department | Municipal | 47 | $71,329 | +$11,321 | #707 |
| 2 | Liberty Police Department | Municipal | 47 | $70,000 | +$9,992 | #772 |
| 3 | Kansas City Missouri Police Department | Municipal | 1,119 | $68,928 | +$8,920 | #819 |
| 4 | O'Fallon Police Department | Municipal | 118 | $67,454 | +$7,446 | #898 |
| 5 | Brentwood Police Department | Municipal | 31 | $67,418 | +$7,410 | #900 |
| 6 | St. Charles County Police Department | County | 35 | $66,060 | +$6,052 | #962 |
| 7 | Missouri State Highway Patrol | State | 1,134 | $65,400 | +$5,392 | #998 |
| 8 | Riverside Police Department | Municipal | 25 | $65,000 | +$4,992 | #1,022 |
| 9 | Ferguson Police Department | Municipal | 47 | $64,316 | +$4,308 | #1,052 |
| 10 | Gladstone Police Department | Municipal | 31 | $63,560 | +$3,552 | #1,077 |
| 11 | Ballwin Police Department | Municipal | 45 | $63,508 | +$3,500 | #1,081 |
| 12 | St. Louis County Police Department | County | 843 | $63,003 | +$2,995 | #1,110 |
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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