ENTRY-LEVEL SALARIES FOR SELECT CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSIONS

Topic:
BAIL; CORRECTIONS; LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS; PAROLE; PROBATION; STATE OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES; STATE POLICE; STATISTICAL INFORMATION; WAGES;
Location:
WAGES;

OLR Research Report


March 1, 2005		2005-R-0223
ENTRY-LEVEL SALARIES FOR SELECT CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSIONS

By: Steve DiLella, Legislative Fellow

You asked for the starting salaries of certain professions in the criminal justice system.

STATE SALARIES

The annual starting salaries for the various groups are as follows:

1. probation officers, $ 55,684;

2. parole officers, $ 49,350

3. bail commissioners, $ 48,080;

4. state police officers, $ 34,142 while training and $ 42,810 thereafter; and

5. corrections officers, $ 31,495 while training and $ 34,994 thereafter.

LOCAL SALARIES

Based on a review of 39 local police departments, entry-level salaries for local police officers range from a low of $ 33,301 in Old Saybrook to a high of $ 48,483 in Avon. The average salary of these officers is $ 40,870 and the median salary (the pay that is in the middle of all the towns and cities) is $ 39,790 (see Tables 1 and 2 and Chart 1).

State marshals and members of the Board of Pardons and Parole do not get annual salaries. The former are independent contractors and their pay is based on services performed. Certain duties, such as serving a subpoena, have a flat fee. In performing other duties, such as recovering money after a court judgment, the marshals receive a percentage of the funds collected. The latter receives $ 110 for each day spent performing their duties. If an individual spends 250 days in a year performing such duties, that person receives $ 27,500.

Table 1: Entry-Level Salary for Police Officers (Alphabetical)

*Town*	*Starting Salary*	*Town*	*Starting Salary*
Avon	$ 48,483	New Milford	$ 37,611
Bridgeport	$ 37,964	Newington	$ 45,318
Clinton	$ 38,262	Newtown	$ 40,298
Colchester	$ 36,504	Norwalk	$ 47,297
Danbury	$ 41,634	Norwich	$ 39,060
East Hartford	$ 45,267	Old Saybrook	$ 33,301
East Lyme	$ 38,000	Plainfield	$ 39,000
Eastern Connecticut State University	$ 39,101	Plainville	$ 42,553
Fairfield	$ 43,631	Putnam	$ 38,667
Greenwich	$ 47,095	South Windsor	$ 45,882
Groton City	$ 40,415	Stamford	$ 47,042
Groton Long Point	$ 38,343	Stonington	$ 37,556
Groton Town	$ 38,830	University of Connecticut	$ 39,101
Hartford	$ 35,243	Waterbury	$ 44,000
Manchester	$ 39,544	Waterford	$ 39,536
Mansfield	$ 39,790	West Hartford	$ 45,474
Montville	$ 40,126	Willimantic	$ 39,000
New Britain	$ 42,171	Windsor	$ 40,101
New Haven	$ 34,113	Windsor Locks	$ 47,654
New London	$ 40,953

Table 2: Entry-Level Salary for Police Officers

(By rank highest to lowest)

*Town*	*Starting Salary*	*Town*	*Starting Salary*
1. Avon	$ 48,483	21. Manchester	$ 39,544
2. Windsor Locks	$ 47,654	22. Waterford	$ 39,536
3. Norwalk	$ 47,297	23. Eastern Connecticut State University	$ 39,101
4. Greenwich	$ 47,095	23. (tie) University of Connecticut	$ 39,101
5. Stamford	$ 47,042	25. Norwich	$ 39,060
6. South Windsor	$ 45,882	26. Plainfield	$ 39,000
7. West Hartford	$ 45,474	26. (tie) Willimantic	$ 39,000
8. Newington	$ 45,318	28. Groton Town	$ 38,830
9. East Hartford	$ 45,267	29. Putnam	$ 38,667
10. Waterbury	$ 44,000	30. Groton Long Point	$ 38,343
11. Fairfield	$ 43,631	31. Clinton	$ 38,262
12. Plainville	$ 42,553	32. East Lyme	$ 38,000
13. New Britain	$ 42,171	33. Bridgeport	$ 37,964
14. Danbury	$ 41,634	34. New Milford	$ 37,611
15. New London	$ 40,953	35. Stonington	$ 37,556
16. Groton City	$ 40,415	36. Colchester	$ 36,504
17. Newtown	$ 40,298	37. Hartford	$ 35,243
18. Montville	$ 40,126	38. New Haven	$ 34,113
19. Windsor	$ 40,101	39. Old Saybrook	$ 33,301
20. Mansfield	$ 39,790

CHART 1: ENTRY-LEVEL SALARIES FOR LOCAL POLICE OFFICERS

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