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University of Nebraska-Lincoln 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 Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department starts at $70,042 a year — about $33.67 an hour on a 2,080-hour year, before overtime. That is $1,652 above the median of the 1,681 agencies on this list, and $9,847 above the median for special jurisdiction agencies.
Cost of livingPrices in Nebraska run about 10% below the national average, so this goes about as far as $77,735 would somewhere at average prices — $7,693 more than the headline figure. Most of that is rent, at 75 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 isUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department reported 30 sworn officers and 28 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 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
UNL's commissioned police officers patrol University property, enforce state law, city ordinances and traffic rules, investigate crimes and crashes, gather evidence and make arrests.
Where the figure comes from
Checked 13 August 2026. $33.674/hour. Current official April 3, 2026 UNL Police Officer recruitment publishes a minimum — open the source document
Opening April 3, 2026; open until filled. $33.674/hour. Current official April 3, 2026 UNL Police Officer recruitment publishes a minimum salary of $33.674/hour. Prior law-enforcement experience is preferred, not required, and the selected officer must successfully complete the approved Basic Training Academy.
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 Nebraska-Lincoln 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 Nebraska-Lincoln starts at $70,042, so $9,847 above the special jurisdiction middle.
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How it ranks
Common questions
How much does a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department officer make?
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department starts a new officer on $70,042 a year, about $33.67 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 $33.674/hour. Current official April 3, 2026 UNL Police Officer recruitment publishes a minimum.
Is that good pay for a police officer in Nebraska?
It ranks #6 of 17 agencies we have verified in Nebraska — 11 pay less, 5 pay more in the state — and #766 of 1,681 nationally. Against the national median it is $1,652 above, and against other special jurisdiction agencies $9,847 above.
Compare with another department
Put University of Nebraska-Lincoln 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 NE
| # | Agency | Level | Sworn # | Entry pay | Vs University | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln Police Department | Municipal | 351 | $74,568 | +$4,526 | #574 |
| 2 | Sarpy County Sheriff's Office | County | 114 | $73,861 | +$3,819 | #600 |
| 3 | La Vista Police Department | Municipal | 42 | $73,653 | +$3,611 | #605 |
| 4 | Lancaster County Sheriff's Office | County | 86 | $72,280 | +$2,238 | #653 |
| 5 | Nebraska State Patrol | State | 410 | $70,195 | +$153 | #760 |
| 7 | Papillion Police Department | Municipal | 48 | $69,086 | −$956 | #809 |
| 8 | Douglas County Sheriff's Office | County | 155 | $68,744 | −$1,298 | #827 |
| 9 | Grand Island Police Department | Municipal | 89 | $67,621 | −$2,421 | #886 |
| 10 | Columbus Police Department | Municipal | 37 | $65,340 | −$4,702 | #1,003 |
| 11 | Hall County Sheriff's Office | County | 34 | $61,027 | −$9,015 | #1,191 |
| 12 | Nebraska Game and Parks Commission — Law Enforcement Division | State | — | $58,947 | −$11,095 | #1,288 |
| 13 | Adams County Sheriff's Office | County | 19 | $57,824 | −$12,218 | #1,336 |
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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