K9 Police Officer Salary
K-9 officers, or "K9 cops", are police officers who work with highly trained law enforcement dogs. K9 police officers typically earn about the same amount as other officers, however, in some instances they do earn a slightly higher pay rate in order to compensate them for the extra time required to care for and train their canine companion.
According to recent report from SimplyHired.com, as of May 2011 K-9 officers made about $58,000 a year on average. In another report, provided by Indeed.com, average salary levels for 2010 were about $56,000 a year. The Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, reports that the average pay for police (including K9 officers) and sheriff's patrol officers in 2010 was $55,620 a year. Based on these figures and a few others, its estimated that on average K-9 officers make between $55,000 and $60,000 a year on average.
K-9 police officers may earn as little as $32,000 a year (as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for officers in the lowest 10th percentile). However, the same report indcates that officers in the 90th percentile of all officer can make as much as $85,000 a year.
The annual pay a K-9 officer receives may also differ based on sector. In 2010 officers who worked for the state on average earned $58,200 a year. Those working at the city or local level earned $55,710 a year. And federal officers earned $51,590 a year. However, its important to know that state and local officer only make more than federal officer because they're usually forced to work overtime in order to compensate for sporatic staff shortages.
As is the case in most divisions, K-9 officers can qualify for performance based promotions that will entitle them to higher compensation. The more a K-9 officer shines on the job, the faster they'll rise in the ranks and achieve promotions.
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