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Washington 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.
Washington County Sheriff's Office starts at $51,266 a year — about $24.65 an hour on a 2,080-hour year, before overtime. That is $15,419 below the median of the 2,288 agencies on this list, and $12,294 below the median for county agencies.
Cost of livingPrices in Florida run about 3% above the national average, so this is worth roughly $49,574 somewhere at average prices — $1,692 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 isWashington County Sheriff's Office reported 43 sworn officers and 18 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 Washington County says about itself
The Washington County Sheriff's Department is committed to not only protecting, but also serving the citizens of Washington County with professionalism, integrity, and transparency. A part of that commitment is to provide you with the most up to date, accurate information possible. We pride ourselves on our commitment to you. We continually search for ways to advance our agency's ability to meet the needs of those we serve and protect and believe that, in this digital age, it is vital that technological needs not be overlooked. Transparency is the key to building trust and strengthening relationships between our agency and citizens.
What Washington County does
The Washington County Sheriff's Office serves Washington County in the Florida panhandle from Chipley, and its remit is wider than law enforcement alone: it includes the county jail, Washington County E911 and Washington County EMS, so the same elected office runs policing, dispatch and the ambulance service. Chipley, the county seat, has its own police department with its own mission.
Where the figure comes from
Checked 31 August 2026. Entry minimum salary, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Agency Profile Report, Sheriff's Office Salary 2025. — open the source document
Their source is effective 1 January 2025.
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 Washington 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 | $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. Washington County starts at $51,266, so $12,299 below the county middle.
How it ranks
Common questions
How much does a Washington County Sheriff's Office officer make?
Washington County Sheriff's Office starts a new officer on $51,266 a year, about $24.65 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 Entry minimum salary, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Agency Profile Report, Sheriff's Office Salary 2025..
Is that good pay for a police officer in Florida?
It ranks #239 of 303 agencies we have verified in Florida — 64 pay less, 238 pay more in the state — and #2,023 of 2,288 nationally. Against the national median it is $15,419 below, and against other county agencies $12,294 below.
Compare with another department
Put Washington 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 FL
| # | Agency | Level | Sworn # | Entry pay | Vs Washington | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boca Raton Police Services Department | Municipal | 195 | $91,007 | +$39,741 | #244 |
| 2 | Fort Lauderdale Police Department | Municipal | 565 | $81,723 | +$30,457 | #433 |
| 3 | Plantation Police Department | Municipal | 164 | $81,000 | +$29,734 | #459 |
| 4 | Hillsboro Beach Police Department | Municipal | 15 | $80,954 | +$29,688 | #461 |
| 5 | Pinecrest Police Department | Municipal | 47 | $80,912 | +$29,646 | #464 |
| 6 | Sunny Isles Beach Police Department | Municipal | 65 | $80,000 | +$28,734 | #496 |
| 7 | Indian Creek Village Public Safety Department | Municipal | 10 | $79,850 | +$28,584 | #500 |
| 8 | Sunrise Police Department | Municipal | 190 | $79,071 | +$27,805 | #520 |
| 9 | Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office | County | 1,720 | $78,828 | +$27,562 | #526 |
| 10 | Aventura Police Department | Municipal | 91 | $78,556 | +$27,290 | #536 |
| 11 | Longboat Key Police Department | Municipal | 19 | $78,430 | +$27,164 | #543 |
| 12 | Manalapan Police Department | Municipal | 13 | $78,280 | +$27,014 | #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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