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University of South Florida 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 South Florida Police Department starts at $58,000 a year — about $27.88 an hour on a 2,080-hour year, before overtime. That is $8,685 below the median of the 2,288 agencies on this list, and $2,204 below the median for special jurisdiction agencies.
Cost of livingPrices in Florida run about 3% above the national average, so this is worth roughly $56,085 somewhere at average prices — $1,915 less than the headline figure. Most of that is rent, at 122 against a national average of 100, where goods are 98. 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 South Florida Police Department reported 19 sworn officers and 6 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 South Florida says about itself
The University of South Florida Police Department (USFPD) is a full-service law enforcement agency dedicated to providing a safe environment for and in partnership with the community. We remain committed to assist with personal and professional development of department members, and to the principle of being community minded and service driven.
What University of South Florida does
USFPD states its officers are state law-enforcement officers with authority to enforce Florida criminal and traffic laws and provide a full range of police services.
Where the figure comes from
Checked 13 August 2026. $58,000 starting salary. Official USF University Police Law Enforcement Officer employment page — open the source document
$58,000 starting salary. Official USF University Police Law Enforcement Officer employment page lists a $58,000 starting salary. The official page remains active in the current 2026 site.
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 South Florida 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 South Florida starts at $58,000, so $2,204 below the special jurisdiction middle.
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How it ranks
Common questions
How much does a University of South Florida Police Department officer make?
University of South Florida Police Department starts a new officer on $58,000 a year, about $27.88 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 $58,000 starting salary. Official USF University Police Law Enforcement Officer employment page.
Is that good pay for a police officer in Florida?
It ranks #177 of 303 agencies we have verified in Florida — 126 pay less, 176 pay more in the state — and #1,678 of 2,288 nationally. Against the national median it is $8,685 below, and against other special jurisdiction agencies $2,204 below.
Compare with another department
Put University of South Florida 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 FL
| # | Agency | Level | Sworn # | Entry pay | Vs University | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boca Raton Police Services Department | Municipal | 195 | $91,007 | +$33,007 | #244 |
| 2 | Fort Lauderdale Police Department | Municipal | 565 | $81,723 | +$23,723 | #433 |
| 3 | Plantation Police Department | Municipal | 164 | $81,000 | +$23,000 | #459 |
| 4 | Hillsboro Beach Police Department | Municipal | 15 | $80,954 | +$22,954 | #461 |
| 5 | Pinecrest Police Department | Municipal | 47 | $80,912 | +$22,912 | #464 |
| 6 | Sunny Isles Beach Police Department | Municipal | 65 | $80,000 | +$22,000 | #496 |
| 7 | Indian Creek Village Public Safety Department | Municipal | 10 | $79,850 | +$21,850 | #500 |
| 8 | Sunrise Police Department | Municipal | 190 | $79,071 | +$21,071 | #520 |
| 9 | Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office | County | 1,720 | $78,828 | +$20,828 | #526 |
| 10 | Aventura Police Department | Municipal | 91 | $78,556 | +$20,556 | #536 |
| 11 | Longboat Key Police Department | Municipal | 19 | $78,430 | +$20,430 | #543 |
| 12 | Manalapan Police Department | Municipal | 13 | $78,280 | +$20,280 | #549 |
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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