Entry Level Police Officer

Salary : $108,386.40 - $129,186.72 Annually

Location : Auburn, WA

Job Type : Full-Time

Department : Police

Division : Police

Opening Date : 01 / 07 / 2026

Closing Date : Continuous

FLSA : Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit : POL

Position Details

IMPORTANT APPLICATION REQUIREMENT : You must have received an invitation / email notification from City of Auburn Human Resources to submit your application. Applications will only be accepted from candidates who have successfully passed both the Law Enforcement Officer Written Exam and Physical Ability Test through Public Safety Testing (PST) and have requested their scores be sent to the City of Auburn. If you do not follow this process, your application will not be reviewed.

IF YOU HAVE NOT COMPLETED THIS STEP YET , start here :

JOIN TEAM APD!

$5,000 HIRING BONUS & TAKE HOME CAR PROGRAM

As of January 2026, the approximate wait time from PST test scores / application to oral board interview is 8-12 weeks.

The Auburn Police Department (APD) is seeking motivated, service-driven individuals to join our team as Entry Level Police Officers. This is an opportunity to serve a continuously growing community within a modern, well-resourced police department that values professionalism, trust, integrity, and officer wellness . Our community is policed by professional officers who are not afraid to bravely stand up to danger and adversity. Officers serve with a noble purpose and make decisions based on trust and honesty. All employees of the APD are committed to providing exceptional customer service to the citizens we serve.

As a Police Officer at APD, you will perform meaningful, challenging work that directly impacts community safety and quality of life. Team APD supports its officers with competitive compensation and benefits, wellness resources, specialty assignments, and clear pathways for career advancement . The department is comprised of 150 staff to include : Chief of Police, Assistant Chief, Five (5) Commanders, 13 Sergeants, 108 Officers / Detectives, 16 Non-Commissioned staff, a Crime Analyst, Public Information Officer, Wellness Program Designer, and three (3) Administrative Assistants.

This is a full-time position represented by the Police Officers Guild with a current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) effective 1 / 1 / 25 - 12 / 31 / 27. The salary listed on the announcement is the base salary, and the salary upon hire will be $9,032.20 per month . Officers also have opportunities to receive additional compensation and pay incentives based multiple factors, as outlined in the CBA. These include longevity pay starting after five (5) years of service, bilingual pay after completing field training and proving proficiency through a bilingual exam, and education pay for police-related Associate or Bachelor (or higher) degrees. Many specialty assignment s also come with premium pay, starting at 2% of the straight-time hourly base rate . Officers may have multiple specialty assignments, but at no time will an officer receive more than 10% premium pay from these assignments.

Primary Duties

As a member of APD, you will perform general police work involving the protection of life and property, enforcement of laws and ordinances, maintenance of order, and prevention and investigation of crimes. This work involves a substantial element of personal danger and employees must be able to act without direct supervision and exercise independent discretion in emergencies. All officers are responsible for recognizing the social importance of police functions, for tactful and courteous treatment of the public, and for conscientious and efficient performance of duties under little direct supervision.

In this role, you will :

• Respond to emergency and non-emergency calls for service
• Patrolling assigned areas to deter crime and provide a visible public safety presence
• Investigate crimes, collect evidence, interview witnesses, and make arrests when warranted
• Prepare thorough, accurate reports, logs, and documentation
• Handle domestic disputes, juvenile matters, and incidents involving individuals in crisis
• Pursue suspects on foot and in vehicles, safely performing physically demanding tasks
• Use appropriate levels of force to protect life and property
• Provide first aid and life-saving assistance
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing in all settings
• Maintain professionalism while managing stressful, hostile, or emotionally charged situations

This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list. Please view the class specification for a full list of job responsibilities.

Minimum Qualifications

To move forward in our process, you must :

If coming from out of state, you will be required to obtain a WA State driver's license within 30 days

If selected to move forward, you must :

If hired, you must :

AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFIERS

To see a list of APD's automatic disqualifiers,

Additional Information

Why Choose the City of Auburn?

COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION

Team Auburn values a wide range of perspectives and life experiences and believes our strength comes from the diversity of people and ideas. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals who will help us foster a workplace built on respect, collaboration, and service to the community.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO)

The City of Auburn is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer. No person is lawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY OF AUBURN We primarily communicate via e-mail during the recruitment process. E-mails from auburnwa.gov and / or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk e-mail folders.

Please visit our Employee Benefits webpage for details :

01

Have you tested with Public Safety Testing (PST) and had your scores sent to Auburn?

DO NOT APPLY if you have not tested with PST. Your application will not be reviewed.

02

Are you a United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient?

03

Are you at least 20-1 / 2 years of age as required per the job announcement?

04

Other than Public Safety Testing, I learned about this job opportunity from :

Please check all that apply.

05

If you were referred by a current Auburn Police Officer, please list their name here.

Required Question