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Police pay in Nebraska
Entry pay in Nebraska runs from $54,080 to $74,568 a year. Verified at 17 agencies, each figure taken from that employer's own published document and dated on its page.
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.
The middle Nebraska agency starts officers on $67,621, below the national middle of $68,390 — 19th of the 50 states we can rank.
How Nebraska compares
Every figure below is a starting salary — what an agency pays an officer in their first year, before overtime. Each one is the middle agency of its group: half pay more, half pay less.
| Agencies compared | Middle NE agency | Middle US agency | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All agencies | $67,621 | $68,390 | −1% |
| City departments | $69,086 | $71,302 | −3% |
| Sheriff's offices | $61,027 | $65,374 | −7% |
| State agencies | $58,947 | $65,166 | −10% |
The best-paid agency in Nebraska starts officers on 1.4 times what the lowest-paid one does — $74,568 against $54,080. Overall, Nebraska ranks 19th of the 50 states we can rank.
By level
Municipal6 agencies
Lowest$54,454
Middle$69,086
Highest$74,568
Across 6 city departments in Nebraska.
Sheriff7 agencies
Lowest$54,080
Middle$61,027
Highest$73,861
Across 7 sheriff's offices in Nebraska.
State3 agencies
Lowest$55,578
Middle$58,947
Highest$70,195
Across 3 state agencies in Nebraska.
Special jurisdiction1 agency
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department$70,042
Only one verified here, so we name it rather than give a middle figure.
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Every Nebraska agency we have verified
| # | Agency | Level | Entry pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln Police Department | Municipal | $74,568 |
| 2 | Sarpy County Sheriff's Office | County | $73,861 |
| 3 | La Vista Police Department | Municipal | $73,653 |
| 4 | Lancaster County Sheriff's Office | County | $72,280 |
| 5 | Nebraska State Patrol | State | $70,195 |
| 6 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department | Special jurisdiction | $70,042 |
| 7 | Papillion Police Department | Municipal | $69,086 |
| 8 | Douglas County Sheriff's Office | County | $68,744 |
| 9 | Grand Island Police Department | Municipal | $67,621 |
| 10 | Columbus Police Department | Municipal | $65,340 |
| 11 | Hall County Sheriff's Office | County | $61,027 |
| 12 | Nebraska Game and Parks Commission — Law Enforcement Division | State | $58,947 |
| 13 | Adams County Sheriff's Office | County | $57,824 |
| 14 | Madison County Sheriff's Office | County | $57,391 |
| 15 | Nebraska State Fire Marshal — Deputy Fire Marshals | State | $55,578 |
| 16 | Alliance Police Department | Municipal | $54,454 |
| 17 | Chase County Sheriff's Office | County | $54,080 |
Across the state line
What the middle agency starts on in the states Nebraska borders.
Also: Every agency we have verified The statistics Municipal departments Sheriff's offices
Figures checked between 8 August 2026 and 15 August 2026. Entry-level base salary only — overtime, bonuses, education incentives, shift differentials, locality pay and lateral rates are excluded, so most officers earn more than the figure shown. Where an agency publishes both an academy rate and a post-academy rate, the post-academy rate is used. A missing agency has not been checked, not found to pay less.
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