Salary and Benefits

Salaries

Police Officer Annual Salary: $55,757.52 - $80,130.96* 

Per Hour: $25.53 - $36.69

Police Corporal Annual Salary: $65,476.32- $96,336.24*

Hour: $29.98 - $44.11

Police Sergeant Annual Salary: $75,828.48- $111,580.56*

Per Hour: $34.72 - $51.09

Police Lieutenant Annual Salary: $89,827.92- $134,730.96*

Per Hour: $41.13 - $61.69

The rank of Corporal is awarded after five years of service with the Fayetteville Police Department, successful completion of six hours of college English, and receiving a Law Enforcement Officer's Intermediate Certificate.

* These salaries include statutory and premium holiday pay.

In June of 2019, the Fayetteville Police Department developed a Lateral Transfer Pay Program to aid in recruiting the most qualified candidates for employment.

To be eligible for consideration for this program, applicants must:

• Hold a valid law enforcement certificate as defined by the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training (CLEST),
• Comply with the Civil Service Commission Rules and Regulations,
• Meet all standards for police officer applicants, and
• Complete all parts of the hiring process.

Newly hired officers who have completed a state-certified police academy and/or hold a valid Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certificate recognized by the State of Arkansas will receive one step raise upon hire (Step B).

Additional steps in the Fayetteville Police Department pay plan will be given on the two-tiered matrix shown below.  An officer who comes from a law enforcement agency with a service population and sworn strength of 50% or more of the Fayetteville Police Department will receive one step for every two years of law enforcement experience (Tier 1).  An officer who comes from a law enforcement agency with a service population and sworn strength of less than 50% of the Fayetteville Police Department will receive one step for every three years of law enforcement experience (Tier 2).  Step E will be the maximum entry-level step a newly hired officer can receive based on these criteria.

Tier 1 - 50% Population and Sworn Strength of Fayetteville City and PD

Tier 2 - 50% Less than Population and Sworn Strength of Fayetteville City and PD

*These salaries include statutory and premium holiday pay

Beyond Step B, the following types of law enforcement experience are not eligible for additional lateral transfer steps: deputies and/or jailers who are employed in a jail/prison setting; full-time officers from a university police department with a campus population/enrollment less than 20,000 students; volunteer, reserve, or part-time officers/deputies; military police officers; federal employees; wildlife officers; probation and parole officers; and state agencies without uniformed police patrol enforcement responsibilities.

Fayetteville Police Department Incentive Pay

Shift Differential Pay for Night Shift

• $1.50

Longevity Pay

Spread throughout the year per paycheck:

• >5 years: $250
• >10 years: $500
• >15 Years: $1,000
• >20 Years: $2,000
• >25 Years: $3,000

Education Pay

• 3 percent for 60 credits
• 6 percent for Bachelors
• 7 percent for Masters

Specialized Assignment Pay

2 percent for each special assignment up to 8 percent of salary:

• Emergency Response Team (ERT)
• Peer Support Team
• Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT)
• Bilingual
• Active FTO
• Accident Recon
• Drug Recognition Expert
• Honor Guard

Sign-on Awards Package

Certified Law Enforcement Officers

$10,000 Hiring Incentive

• $2,000 upon hire
• $4,000 upon completion of the Field Training Officer Program
• $4,000 upon completion of 18-month probationary period

Non-Certified Law Enforcement Officers

$5,000 Hiring Incentive

• $1,000 upon completion of the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy
• $2,000 upon completion of the Field Training Officer Program
• $2,000 upon completion of 18-month probationary period

Lateral Transfer Starting Pay

50 percent Population and Sworn Strength or Higher

• Certified: $58,465.68
• 2 years of service: $61,173.84
• 4 years of service: $63,882.00
• 6 years of service: $66,590.16

Less than 50 percent Population and Sworn Strength

• Certified: $58,465.68 
• 3 years of service: $61,173.84 
• 6 years of service: $63,882.00 
• 9 years of service: $66,590.16

The Fayetteville Police Department offers certificate pay to officers who hold General, Intermediate, Advanced, and Senior certificates. 

Sworn personnel receive $25.00 per certificate per month. For example if you earned a General and Intermediate Certificates, you would receive $50.00 in certificate pay per month for a total of $600.00 a year. The yearly total is divided up over the 26 pay periods in a year. 

For more information regarding law enforcement certificate achievement, please see the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training Specifications (S-15)

Benefits Package

Insurance

Our insurance products are through Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delta Dental and Standard Life. Employees choose between a Traditional PPO Medical Plan and a High Deductible Health Plan featuring a Health Savings Account with a generous employer contribution. Both plans include the following features:

• Dental Coverage
• Preventive, Restorative and Orthodontic
• Prescription Drug Card
• Wellness Benefits
• Vision Insurance (optional)
• Individual or Family Term Life Insurance (optional)
• Cancer Insurance (optional)
• Individual or Family Accidental Death and Dismemberment Coverage (optional)

Medical and dental coverage becomes effective the first of the month following 30 days from your date of hire. Life insurance, accidental death & dismemberment and long-term disability policies are provided by the city.

In July 2021 Fayetteville Police Department adopted sign-on awards pay based for new law enforcement officers. Award amounts are determined by whether the officer is certified or non-certified. Sign-on awards for new officers require a three-year commitment to the Fayetteville Police Department.

 Certified law enforcement officers are eligible for a $10,000 sign-on award, payable in three installments:

• $2,000 paid after the officer is hired
• $4,000 paid after completion of the Field Training Officer program
• $4,000 paid after completion of the 18-month probationary period

 Non-certified law enforcement officers are eligible for a $5,000 sign-on award, payable in three installments:

• $1,000 paid after graduating the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy
• $2,000 paid after completion of the Field Training Officer program
• $2,000 paid after completion of the 18-month probationary period

Additional Benefits and Perks

Vacation and Sick Leave

Police officers accrue 15 days of vacation for the first 19 years of service. Sick leave accrues at the rate of 12 days per year for the first year, and 20 days per year afterwards. Sick leave can be used for yourself, your spouse, or children living in your home.

Additional Benefits

• All uniforms and equipment are provided
• Compensation time
• Credit union
• Direct deposit
• Employee assistance program
• Exercise / fitness facility
• Overtime
• Personal holiday
• Certificate pay
• Wellness initiatives including yoga in the park, weight-loss competitions, walking and biking programs, cooking demos, CPR classes, monthly activities and a wellness fair.

Retirement Plans

The city participates in the state mandated pension plan, LOPFI, and has elected Benefit Program II. You are required to participate in the plan upon hire, and contribute 8.5% of your gross pay. It is mandatory that 1.45% of your salary is contributed to the U.S. Medicare System. Retirement benefits depend upon length of service, age at retirement, and final average pay.

With LOPFI Benefit Program II, Fayetteville Police Officers have an increased multiplier, which results in a higher retirement benefit. Police officers are eligible for retirement at 28 years of service at any age, at least age 55 with 20 years of service, and at least age 60 with 5 years of service.

After one year of service, you will also be eligible to participate in the city’s 457 or 401a retirement plans.

For more information you can visit the LOPFI home page.