Law Enforcement Careers in Indiana

According to statistics from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, incidents of violent crime dropped slightly in Indiana between 2018 and 2019, falling from 25,009 incidents in 2018 to 24,996 in 2019. Law enforcement officers continue to hold the line to keep the people of Indiana safe, and to intervene and investigate when crimes do occur to ensure victims are vindicated and justice is done.

Careers in law enforcement in Indiana are available through state, county, and city agencies. Applicants interested in getting a career started with any one of these agencies should have clean criminal background, and a strong moral character. Though a high school education meets minimum requirements in most cases, incentive pay and promotions are available to recruits with college degrees in criminal justice or police science.

Indiana State Troopers

There are more than 1,300 state troopers working for the Indiana State Police, one of the premier state police agencies in the nation.

Candidates for these jobs must submit an application and pass a variety of written, physical, and medical tests. Successful candidates must also have a high school diploma or GED equivalent and a relatively clean background.

Indiana Sheriff’s Departments

Both in the major metro areas of Indiana and in outlying rural areas beyond the jurisdiction of municipal police departments, sheriff’s offices handle law enforcement duties and public safety matters. A clean background free of serious criminal offenses and a high school diploma or GED are the standard minimum requirements to become a sheriff’s deputy with any one of Indiana’s many county sheriff’s offices.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office

The law enforcement branch of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was merged with the Indianapolis Police Department in 2007. Today, the Sheriff’s Office consists of 428 sworn deputies and 327 civilian personnel and is divided into seven divisions: Jail, Criminal, Judicial Enforcement, Administrative, Reserve, Communications, and Homeland Security.

Candidates here must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.

Allen County Sheriff’s Department

The Allen County Sheriff’s Department consists of more than 350 employees, 125 of whom are sworn police officers. Deputy sheriffs here work out of a number of specialized units that are designed to help fulfill the mission of keeping the citizens of Allen County safe.

Deputy sheriff candidates must have a high school diploma or GED.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office is home to more than 270 sworn deputies and three divisions: Administration, Confinement, and Operations.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED and either 60 college credit hours, two years of work experience, or military experience.

Municipal Police Departments in Indiana

Many jobs in law enforcement through Indiana police departments come with exciting opportunities to work in specialized units like K-9, bomb squad, and search and rescue.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department

With 1,700 sworn officers, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is one of the largest employers of police officers in Indiana. Merged with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department’s law enforcement division, officers in the Indianapolis PD provide coverage for the entire county. Officers work in six districts in a variety of special units throughout the region. Education requirements include a GED or high school diploma.

Fort Wayne Police Department

The 460 sworn officers of the Fort Wayne Police Department are called to serve the more than 251,000 citizens of Fort Wayne. Applicants must have at least a high school diploma or GED, and additional schooling is preferred.

Evansville Police Department

The Evansville Police Department is home to 286 sworn officers and three divisions: Administrative Division, Patrol Division, and Criminal Investigation Division. In addition to uniformed patrol, the Patrol Division consists of specialized teams like K-9, traffic enforcement, bomb squad, crisis negotiation, and more.

Police officer candidates with the Evansville Police Department must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent and at least one of the following: 30 semester hours of post-secondary education with a 2.0 GPA or better or two years of military service.

South Bend Police Department

A career as a police officer with the South Bend Police Department begins with a successful application. Candidates must provide a high school diploma or GED upon application and complete a variety of tests and exams.

Hammond Police Department

The 211 officers of the Hammond Police Department are committed to providing the citizens of Hammond with a safe place to live and work. Candidates must have either a high school diploma or GED.

Indiana Law Enforcement Salaries

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average salary for law enforcement officers in Indiana was $61,850 as of May 2021.

The following police/sheriff’s department salary data was sourced from May 2021 BLS stats (early career = 25th percentile, senior/late career = 90th percentile).

Police Officer Salaries

Salary incentives are commonplace for police officers in Indiana. Just a few of the perks offered by many of Indiana’s municipal police departments include shift incentives, education incentives, and yearly salary increases.

Bloomington Police Department

The starting salary for a Bloomington police officer is $62,040.

Evansville Police Department

The starting salary for probationary police officers with the Evansville Police Department is $50,630. Police officers here get annual salary increases.

College degrees here earn officers additional yearly stipends.

Fort Wayne Police Department

Early career officers with the Fort Wayne Police Department earn a salary of about $61,190.

Additional salary increases include longevity and education bonuses and shift bonuses.

Indianapolis Police Department

Early career officers with the Indianapolis Police Department earn about $57,120.

South Bend Police Department

The South Bend Police Department’s early career officers earn about $51,990. Additional shift incentives are available.

Sheriff’s Deputy Salaries

Aa nice variety of promotional opportunities allows Indiana’s sheriff’s deputies to enjoy consistent salary increases.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office

The average, starting salary for sheriff’s deputies in Lake County is about $47,420.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office

The minimum salary for sheriff’s deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office is about $57,120, and the maximum salary is about $82,920.

Additional salary increases may be achieved with promotion to Deputy II, Deputy III, and Deputy Master.

State Trooper and State Police Salaries

Early career state troopers with the Indiana State Police earn about $50,630. Senior-level officers here earn about $80,820.

Additional salary increases may be the result of promotion to corporal, sergeant, first sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel.

2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for police and sheriff’s patrol officers. Job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2022

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