Join the Dayton Police Department
Honor through service, service with honor
If you are pursuing a career that offers meaningful work, a chance to make a difference in your community, the excitement of responding to a broad range of unique and challenging experiences, and the opportunity to forge lifelong friendships, the Dayton Police Department is looking for you.
Benefits
Paid training, opportunities for specialization and advancement are just a few of the benefits which make the Dayton Police Department a great choice for anyone seeking a career in law enforcement.
Compensation Rates for 2025 & 2026 are as Follows:
| Year | Appointment | 12 months | 24 months | 36 months | 48 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35.96 per hour $1,438.40 Weekly $74,788.16 Annually | $37.04 per hour $1,481.60 Weekly $77,047.48 Annually | $38.13 per hour $1,525.20 Weekly $79,306.81 Annually | $39.26 per hour $1,570.40 Weekly $81,658.34 Annually | $40.56 per hour $1,622.40 Weekly $84,355.70 Annually |
| 2026 | $37.22 per hour $1,488.80 Weekly $77,411.27 Annually | $38.34 per hour $1,533.60 Weekly $79,749.84 Annually | $39.47 per hour $1,578.80 Weekly $82,088.40 Annually | $40.64 per hour $1,625.60 Weekly $84,522.42 Annually | $41.98 per hour $1,679.20 Weekly $87,314.38 Annually |
Aetna Health Insurance
- Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) options: $1,500 [single plan] or $3,000 [family plan] provided annually by the City of Dayton
- Prescription coverage
- Vision and Dental Insurance
- Eye exams and glasses/contacts
- Dental contains orthodontic coverage
Life Insurance
- Group life insurance in amount of $20,000
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment in amount of $20,000
- Also available to family members
Working Hours
- Patrol Officers work four 10-hour shifts, with three days off per week
- 12 paid vacation days per year
- 15 paid sick days per year
- 12 paid holidays per year
Seniority/Longevity Incentives
- Yearly bonus of up to 2% of base pay
- Additional vacation days added every 4 years of service, up to 96 additional vacation hours
- Up to $400 yearly for physical fitness incentive
Educational Incentive
- $550 – $1350 for officers for post-secondary education degree
Paid Court Attendance
- Get paid a minimum of four hours day off premium pay
Overtime Opportunities
- Earn 1.5x your base pay for every hour worked over 40 per week. Take advantage of this opportunity to increase your income while making a difference.
Compensatory Time Option
- Earn compensatory time off in lieu of any overtime pay. May accumulate up to 176 earned hours of compensatory time.
Night Shift Differential Pay
- Earn an extra $.65 cents per hour
Additionally, the following benefits and gear are provided:
- Full duty belt and duty rig holders
- Asp Baton, OC, Radio and Taser
- Earn 8% above regular rate of pay on FTO Assignment
- Accrue 8 hours of vacation per month carry over 240 hours per year
- Parental Leave Pay
- Military Leave Pay
- On duty Glock handgun with red dot
- Optional off duty Glock handgun
- Patrol Rifle (Must be certified by DPD Academy)
- First three summer uniforms and three winter uniform shirts.
- Uniform Allowance of $1,475 per year.
- Outer ballistic carrier vest (Replaced every 5 years)
Career Advancement
At the Dayton Police Department, officers have many opportunities to specialize and develop within a chosen career path, and there are plenty of chances to promote into a supervisory position.
Specialized Units
While entry level officers are assigned to patrol duty, the Dayton Police Department maintains a broad range of specialized units that will allow you to tailor your career to a specific area of interest:
- SWAT*
- Forensic Services Unit
- Bomb Squad*
- Recruitment and Community Engagement
- Hostage Negotiation Team*
- Canine Handler
- Bike Patrol*
- Motorcycle Unit
- Traffic Services Unit
- Strategic Response Unit
- SUAS (Small Unmanned Aircraft System)
- Special Investigations/Detective Bureau
- Homicide
- Financial Crimes
- Major Case Unit
- Special Victims Unit
*Not full time units. Duties are done concurrently to regular assignments.
Promotions
Several options are available for those interested in advancing through the ranks. The ranks of Sergeant and Lieutenant are attained by way of a competitive Civil Service promotional examination. Persons in these positions are covered by a Bargaining Unit contract. The ranks above Lieutenant are made by appointment, and are not part of the collective bargaining process.
Officers and Detectives are eligible to take the Sergeant’s exam after five years of consecutive accredited service as a sworn Dayton Police Officer. Those with an Associate, Bachelor or Post Graduate degree will receive additional percentage points on promotional examinations. Our rank structure is:
- Chief of Police
- Assistant Chief of Police
- Major
- Lieutenant
- Sergeant
- Officer/Detective
2025 – 2026 Sergeant and Lieutenant Pay Scales
- Sergeant: $94,497.31 – $101,274.18
- Lieutenant: $105,219.84 – $117,453.23.
Academy Training
All Dayton Police Officers start their careers at the Dayton Police Academy, which provides extensive and comprehensive training. The academy operates as a structured training environment where recruits report daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Training encompasses a wide range of essential topics and skills, including Ohio Revised Code statutes, firearms proficiency, pursuit driving, physical control techniques, and more. Selected recruits will attend the academy and receive a starting pay rate of $26.68 per hour, plus health, dental, and vision benefits during the training period. Upon successfully completing the State of Ohio’s required training curriculum, recruits will be sworn in as Dayton Police Officers and receive the starting officer salary and benefits.
Hiring Process
The Dayton Police Department is seeking a wide range of applicants to reflect the diversity of the city’s citizenry. The police hiring process is multi-faceted and intensive, consisting of the following steps:
Candidates who successfully pass each of these phases may be recommended for hire.
Qualifications
AGE: Must be at least 20 years of age at time application is filed. Must be at least 21 years old on or before the day of completion of the Dayton Police Academy. Must not have reached one’s 69th birthday by the date of original appointment to the position of Dayton Police Officer.
EDUCATION: Must be a high school graduate or possess a GED.
LICENSE: Must possess a valid driver’s license at the time of appointment and maintain as a term and condition of continued employment.
CHARACTER: Must be able to pass an extensive background investigation including criminal history, driving record, credit history, drug use, employment history, military service record, educational transcripts, and a polygraph test conducted by the Dayton Police Department.
PHYSICAL: Final appointment is contingent upon the applicant passing a job-related medical examination which includes a drug screen and cardiovascular and pulmonary fitness testing. Vision without correction must be a minimum of 20/100 in each eye. Corrected vision must be 20/40 in each eye. Must not be color-blind.
Failure to meet designated standards will result in elimination from appointment to the Police service.
Immediate Disqualifiers
- Any felony conviction
- Any first degree misdemeanor conviction
- Sexually oriented offender status
- Suspended driver’s license at time of background interview
- Dishonorable discharge from military service
- Domestic violence conviction
- Active Temporary Protective Order or Civil Protection Order
Drug history involving:
- Use, possession, sale, distribution of any “controlled substance” or “dangerous drug”, as defined by Ohio law, three (3) years or less from the date of written examination
Any conviction for a crime involving any of the following:
- Use of L.E.A.D.S. information in the commission of the offense
- Theft, identity theft, fraud or forgery
- Physical harm or threat of physical harm against a person
- Impersonation of a Law Enforcement Officer
- Use/misuse of computer or computer system
Possible Disqualifiers
The following is a list of behaviors/histories that may also disqualify an applicant, but the final decision will be made after completion of the background investigation:
- Lesser degree misdemeanor conviction
- Poor driving record
- Poor work history
- Arrest history
- Previous warrants
- Non-support of Dependents
- Less than honorable discharge from military service
- Any behavior which demonstrates a lack of respect toward the law, or law enforcement officers
- History of Deceptive Behavior
Qualifications and disqualifiers are listed for informational purposes only. Official job postings as authored by the Civil Service Board, Civil Service rules and regulations, and Dayton Police Department policies and procedures are the authorized sources regarding who may be hired and/or retained for service with the Dayton Police Department.
