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City of Dayton
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Dayton Police Department

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. 

Professional law enforcement experience is a valuable resume builder and can make you a more competitive candidate with other employers—especially when combined with a college degree, whether in government-related fields or the private sector.

Many Dayton officers choose to build a long-term career here, while others use the training and experience gained to advance into future opportunities both inside and outside of law enforcement.

Applications are open now at:

www.joindaytonpd.com

Compensation rates for 2026 are as follows:

Base  academy training pay hourly  $27.75 + health insurance, Dental, Vision

The following pay scale reflects the base salary for a sworn police officer after graduating from the Dayton Police Academy. It does not include additional compensation such as overtime, education incentives, fitness incentives, longevity pay, night differential, or other supplemental pay.

Starting pay Officer :  $37.22 - $77,411.27 annually

12 Months Officer: $38.34 - $79,749.84 annually

24 Months Officer: $39.47 - $82,088.40 annually

36 Months Officer: $40.64 - $84,522.42 annually

48 Months Officer: $41.98 - $87,314.38 annually 

2025 – 2026 Sergeant and Lieutenant Pay Scales

  • Sergeant: $94,497.31 – $101,274.18
  • Lieutenant: $105,219.84 – $117,453.23.

  ALL SWORN DAYTON POLICE PERSONNEL RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS:

Vacation Time
Earn 8 hours of vacation per month of service. (96 hours per year)
Supplement Longevity Vacation:
4 years: 32 additional hours annually + 96 earned = 128 hours
8 years: 40 additional hours annually + 96 earned = 136 hours
12 years: 64 additional hours annually + 96 earned = 160 hours
16 years: 80 additional hours annually + 96 earned = 176 hours
20 years: 96 additional hours annually + 96 earned = 192 hours


For example: You earn 96 hours per year at 8 hours per month of vacation time. At your 4th year of service, you will receive additional 32 hours supplement vacation totaling 128 hours

Compensatory Time (Comp Time)
Earn up to 176 hours of comp time, which can be used like a secondary vacation bank. Officers can choose to bank overtime or court attendance hours for additional time off or receive payouts.

 Sick Leave
Earn 10 hours of sick leave per month, with a maximum bank of 1,120 hours.

Holiday Pay

12 paid holidays days per year

Other benefits include:

  • 6 Weeks of paid parental leave
  • 12 Weeks FMLA leave
  • Up to 240 hours Military leave pay 
  • Paid training with hotel stay pay and daily meal pay if travel is required and approved. 
  • Additional 8% of base pay as an FTO (Field Training Officer) 

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
  • Additional life insurance policies available

Working Hours:

  • Patrol Officers work four 10-hour shifts, with three days off per week
  • Officers are eligible for citywide shift bid each 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:

  • Day off premium

Overtime Opportunities

Compensatory Time Option

Night Shift Differential Pay

Ohio Police & Fire Pension Plan with D.R.O.P. Option 15 years vested, or 25 years at age 52 for full pension. 

Equipment and Gear Provided:

  • Two Glock handguns
  • Full duty belt and duty rig holders
  • Asp Baton, OC, Radio, and Taser
  • Ballistic vest (Replacement vest every 5 years)

First three summer uniforms and three winter uniform shirts

Uniform Allowance

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*
  • SUAS (Small Unmanned Aircraft System)
  • Forensic Services Unit
  • Bomb Squad*
  • Recruitment and Community Engagement 
  • Hostage Negotiation Team*
  • Canine Handler
  • Bike Patrol*
  • Motorcycle Unit
  • Traffic Services Unit
  • Strategic Response Unit
  • 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

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.

Must be eligible to work in the United States.

EDUCATION: Must be a high school graduate or possess a GED.

Individuals with college degrees will receive a yearly bonus. 

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.