LAPD Pay Question

[Flanker]

I've been looking to apply with the LAPD. Their site says that starting pay for college grads is over 60K...how far will that get me in the LA area? Would I be living comfortably or paycheck to paycheck?


Thanks...

[SgtCHP]

I've been looking to apply with the LAPD. Their site says that starting pay for college grads is over 60K...how far will that get me in the LA area? Would I be living comfortably or paycheck to paycheck?


Thanks...

It all depends on you! If you are an 'I want" instead of an "I need" person, NO, it will not be enough. However, if you live within your means and needs, you will be fine. My wife and I live comfortably on about $60K a year - and we are both retired. There are nice communities surrounding the L.A. Metro area that are reasonable in residential costs and commute distances. Remember, that salary is not fixed in stone and will rise over the years. Being a LEO is not a millionaire making profession. It has long been slightly below median income. Promotion is the way to overcome financial lag.

[LA Copper]

The only time you'll make that 60k will be in the academy where you don't have the opportunity for overtime. Once you're on the street, overtime is a neccessity, whether you want it or not.

Between calls for service and near end of watch arrests and court, you're gonna have overtime so you can add at least 10K to your paycheck every year.

There are LOTS of us who came out to LA to get on the job from somewhere else. When I first came out from New England, we were only making around 34K, so 60K is quite an improvement!

You're probably not gonna be living in a big house in Beverly Hills your first couple of years but there are plenty of nice apartments and condos you can get into and live comfortably until you put some money away and are able to buy a house. There are 9700 of us on the job that do it already!

Like Sgt CHP said, just live within your means and don't overextend yourself and you'll be fine.

[stojanowski]

I was living in downtown Burbank, real nice area near everything and I shared a pretty big apartment and my rent was only 750. I was making 42,000 and was living comfortably. I don't know if you are looking for a house or just renting a place but 60k is nice