Salary & Benefits

Income

Sworn members of the Columbus Police Department under the rank of the captain are represented in collective bargaining by the Columbus Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 72.

Monthly Salary

The police officer salary range is $3,537 to $4,903 per month in eight annual pay steps. After field training, officers are placed on step two.

The pay plan for investigators and police officers for October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018. Pay rates quoted are monthly rates.

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
$3,537
$3,706
$3,883
$4,069
$4,263
$4,467
$4,681
$4,903

The pay plan for sergeants for October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018. Pay rates quoted are monthly rates.

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
$4,316
$4,513
$4,719
$4,935
$5,161
$5,397
$5,644
$5,902


Benefits

  • A shift differential of $0.50 per hour is paid for hours worked between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am.
  • All uniforms and equipment are provided at no cost to the employee. In addition, an equipment and uniform allowance of $48 per month is accumulated in a personal account for approved purchases.
  • If required to carry a pager, police officers receive three hours of extra pay per day.
  • Overtime is paid at the rate of one and one half times the regular hourly rate. Holiday hours and vacation hours are counted as time worked for the purpose of calculating overtime.
  • Police officers receive $25 per month for an associate degree, $65 per month for a bachelor's degree, and $90 per month for a master's degree. Police officers receive 80% reimbursement of tuition, books, and fees, up to $500 annually, for preapproved college course work.
  • There are ten paid holidays.
  • There is a minimum emergency call-back benefit of two hours overtime when called in to work on a regular day off. Any time an officer is called in to duty when not normally scheduled, the overtime rate applies.

Leave

  • Sick leave is earned at the rate of eight hours for each full month of service, with a maximum accumulation of 1,040 hours. Unused sick leave is paid at 50% upon retirement at 55 years of age with 20 years of service. If death occurs, the full amount of sick leave is paid to your beneficiary. Sick leave may also be used to care for a family member.
  • Police officers may take compensatory time in lieu of overtime and build up to 280 hours. Compensatory time is earned at time and one half. Once annually, officers may sell back to the City up to 50 hours of compensatory time.
  • Up to 36 working hours are provided for compassionate leave.
  • Vacation is provided at the rate of 80 hours per year after the first year of employment, 120 hours per year after six years of employment, and 160 hours per year after 15 years of employment.

Insurance

The City of Columbus provide life insurance policies for all police officers, as follows:

  • Life Insurance equal to one and one quarter of their annual wages.
  • Additional term life coverage is available at a very low cost.
  • Personal medical insurance is provided at $48.80 per month to the employee. Family coverage is provided at $292.80 per month.
  • Individual dental insurance is provided at no cost and family dental as well as vision insurance is available.
  • Disability insurance is provided at no cost.

Programs

  • A matching contribution program provides the police officer with pension benefits at retirement. Vested pension funds may be transferred should you leave city employment.
  • Police officers are served by a credit union that offers preferred rates on savings and loans. Convenient payroll deduction is available.
  • Police officers may elect to deduct pretax dollars for the following programs:
    • A deferred compensation program to save extra funds for retirement.
    • An unreimbursed medical account to pay for medical expenses that are not covered by the health plan.
    • For day care expenses for dependent children.