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How to become a detective
the path and the pay in every force

You can't join the police as a detective. You earn it, usually after a few years in uniform. Here's what each force publishes about the path, the training, and what detectives are paid on top of salary.

Updated 10 October 2026 17 min read Sources checked 10 October 2026 Independent, not advice

The short answer

To become a detective in Australia you first join a force as a constable and work general duties, usually for 2 to 3 years. You then win a post in an investigative unit, complete detective training (typically the Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation and a designation course) and build a portfolio. Detectives earn extra allowances in most forces.

General duties first

2–3 years

Tas 2; Vic and QLD 3

National qualification

POL65125

Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation

Victoria COT 2

$19,217

Sergeant rate, in lieu of overtime

NSW special allowance

$2,456

on top of the detective scale

Contents +
  1. 1What a detective is
  2. 2How long it takes
  3. 3The path, step by step
  4. 4The national qualification
  5. 5NSW, Victoria and Queensland
  6. 6WA, SA, Tas, NT and AFP
  7. 7Trying investigation first
  8. 8Detective pay by force
  9. 9NSW detective pay scale
  10. 10Victoria's commuted overtime
  11. 11Allowances elsewhere
  12. 12Is it worth it?
  13. 13How to prepare
  14. 14What isn't published
  15. 15FAQs
  16. 16Sources

What is a detective in Australian policing?

A designation you earn, not a rank you join at.

A detective is a sworn police officer who has been trained and formally designated to investigate serious and complex crime. In Australia, "Detective" is a title added to your rank, such as Detective Senior Constable or Detective Sergeant, rather than a separate rank. Detectives usually work in plain clothes in Criminal Investigation Branches (CIBs) or specialist squads such as homicide, sexual crimes, fraud or drugs.

No Australian force recruits detectives straight off the street. Everyone joins as a recruit, graduates as a constable and works in uniform first. That frontline time teaches the basics investigators rely on: taking statements, managing scenes, arrests, briefs of evidence and giving evidence in court.

Entry point

Constable

every force recruits detectives internally

Typical wait

2–3 years

general duties before applying

Paid extra

7 of 8 forces

via a scale, allowance or commuted overtime

Investigators and detectives

Not every investigator is a designated detective. Some forces put officers into investigative units on a temporary basis or as "investigators" before designation. Victoria, for instance, pays a lower commuted overtime rate (COT 1) for temporary investigative assignments of up to 6 months.

How long does it take to become a detective?

Only some forces publish a minimum. Where they do, it's two or three years of general duties before you can apply, on top of the academy and probation. Add the time it takes to win a post and complete designation, and most people are looking at three to five years from joining.

Detective pathways by force

NSW Police

Minimum service before applying
Not published officially (an older document suggests 3 years)
Training and designation
Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation, then the Detective Designation Course
How sure we are
Secondary (PS News, 2020)

Victoria Police

Minimum service before applying
3 years of general duties to express interest
Training and designation
Detective Training School course and portfolio after winning a CIU or squad post
How sure we are
Official (minimum service); course detail secondary

QPS

Minimum service before applying
3 years of general duties before specialist roles
Training and designation
Detective Training section and a Detective Application Board
How sure we are
Official (search summaries)

WA Police

Minimum service before applying
Not published ('after frontline experience')
Training and designation
Detective Training School, Investigations and Intelligence Faculty
How sure we are
Official

SAPOL

Minimum service before applying
After probation and permanent appointment
Training and designation
A detective training course; prerequisites per course
How sure we are
Official (search summary)

Tasmania Police

Minimum service before applying
2 years of general duties
Training and designation
Detective Training course, CIB posting and a Detective Designation workbook
How sure we are
Official

NT Police

Minimum service before applying
Not published (12 months in general duties for transferees)
Training and designation
A Detective Development Pathway (search summary)
How sure we are
Official (limited)

AFP

Minimum service before applying
After probation and the workbook (usually 12 months), apply for investigative roles
Training and designation
Detective designation via the National Designation Panel; Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation at the AFP College
How sure we are
Official (search summaries)

Victoria's and Tasmania's minimums come from their official specialist pages. Queensland's 3 years applies to all specialist roles. NSW, WA and the NT don't publish a minimum for their own officers.

Competition matters as much as the minimum. Investigative posts are advertised internally and filled on merit, so the officers who get them have usually shown interest early: doing well on their briefs, volunteering for plain-clothes work and taking on temporary investigative placements.

The path to detective, step by step

The details differ by force, but the overall path looks similar everywhere. Here it is in order.

  1. 1

    Join and graduate

    Complete the academy and become a probationary constable. See our guide to becoming a police officer.

  2. 2

    Finish probation

    One to two years depending on the force. SA says you must be permanently appointed before applying for specialist courses.

  3. 3

    General duties

    Two to three years on the frontline in most forces that publish a rule. Build a record of good investigations and briefs.

  4. 4

    Investigative placement

    Apply for a CIB or squad position, or a temporary investigative role. In Tasmania you transfer to a CIB office; in Victoria you win a CIU or squad post.

  5. 5

    Detective training

    Complete the force's detective course, typically aligned to the Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation.

  6. 6

    Portfolio and designation

    Build evidence of investigative work over time (about 12 months in Tasmania's university-linked portfolio) and apply for designation.

The best preparation for detective work is excellent general duties work: clean briefs, sound statements and good judgement at scenes.

The national detective qualification

Most forces align detective training to the national Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation. The current version, POL65125, was released on 3 April 2025 and replaced POL65115, which itself replaced PUA60312. If you see the older codes on a force or university page, the page may be out of date.

Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation at a glance

Code

Detail
POL65125 Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation (released 3 April 2025)

Replaced

Detail
POL65115, which replaced PUA60312

Units

Detail
Six, including planning and conducting police investigations

Entry

Detail
A Diploma of Policing or equivalent, a policing degree from a university linked to the force, or 2 years' relevant full-time experience

Who delivers it

Detail
The forces' own training organisations; the AFP College lists the Advanced Diploma among its courses

Most recruits already finish with a Diploma of Policing (POL50124) in Victoria, the NT and the AFP, which meets the entry requirement. For further study, Charles Sturt University's Bachelor of Policing (Investigations) is open to designated detectives or officers working towards designation. Our police degree guide covers how university study fits in.

Becoming a detective in NSW, Victoria and Queensland

NSW Police Force

NSW doesn't publish its detective pathway on its recruiting site. According to a 2020 PS News report, officers first complete the Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation and then a revamped Detective Designation Course, after a 2018 review of investigative training backed by the Detectives Board. The program also covers proactive teams, rural crime and crash investigators. An older document suggests a 3-year service minimum, which we couldn't confirm is current.

Victoria Police

Victoria's specialist areas page says you need 3 years of general duties to express interest in a detective role, and specialist roles generally need 2 to 4 years. Some squads, such as Armed Crime, Arson and Explosives and Major Collision, only take officers who are already detectives. Missing Persons wants detective status plus experience in another detective role. After winning a post, officers complete a course at the Detective Training School and a portfolio, according to secondary sources.

Queensland Police Service

QPS officers do general duties for their first 3 years before applying for specialist vacancies, which are advertised internally. QPS describes a Detective Training section and a Detective Application Board, which assess detectives transferring from other forces who are appointed to a substantive plain-clothes position. QPS doesn't publish the course name or length for its own officers.

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Becoming a detective in WA, SA, Tasmania, the NT and the AFP

WA Police Force

WA's Detective Training School sits in the Academy's Investigations and Intelligence Faculty and runs the Professional Investigation Training and Development Program. WA's recruiting site says officers can become detectives after frontline experience, without giving a number of years. WA's agreement refers to Probationary Detectives, who receive the investigative skills allowance alongside designated detectives.

South Australia Police

SAPOL says you must finish probation and be permanently appointed before applying for promotion or specialist courses, with selection on merit and course prerequisites. SA Parliament's Hansard refers to a SAPOL detective training course. Nothing on CIB entry, designation or minimum years is published.

Tasmania Police

Tasmania publishes the clearest pathway. You need at least 2 years of general duties, then complete a Detective Training course at the Academy, transfer to a CIB office, and complete a Detective Designation workbook. The University of Tasmania's LAW476 Detective Portfolio unit lets officers in investigative areas gather evidence over 12 months towards designation.

NT Police

NT Police says officers can study for and apply to specialist areas, including Criminal Investigations, after frontline experience. Search summaries mention a Detective Development Pathway aligned to national qualifications. No course name or minimum service is published for new constables; the NT's transferee program requires at least a year in general duties before specialist positions.

Australian Federal Police

AFP investigations are a core career. After the 26-week course and probation, officers complete an on-the-job workbook (usually 12 months) and can then apply for advertised investigative roles. The AFP has its own detective designation guidelines, run through a National Designation Panel, and the AFP College offers the Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation.

Trying investigation before you commit, and moving forces as a detective

You don't have to jump straight into designation. Several forces have recognised in-between steps, where you work in an investigative area before becoming a detective, and the agreements pay for them.

Investigative steps short of designation

Victoria

In-between step
Temporary investigative unit assignments of up to 6 months
What the agreement pays
COT 1 commuted overtime: $7,078 a year (Constable and Senior Constable, Operational Readiness rate)

Tasmania

In-between step
Non-detectives attached to investigative areas
What the agreement pays
$3,183.90 a year

WA

In-between step
Probationary Detectives
What the agreement pays
The investigative skills allowance of $3,341 a year

NSW

In-between step
Plain-clothes duties outside the detective scale
What the agreement pays
Plain clothes allowance of $1,259 a year (not payable to detectives)

Queensland

In-between step
Plain clothes officers
What the agreement pays
Plain Clothes Allowance of 4% of Sergeant 3.1 pay

These placements are the best way to find out whether detective work suits you, and they give you the evidence of investigative work that designation panels want to see.

If you're already a detective and want to move interstate, expect a recognition process rather than an automatic transfer of the title. Queensland asks detectives from other forces who are appointed to a substantive plain-clothes position to apply to its Detective Training section for recognition of prior learning and then to its Detective Application Board. The AFP's National Designation and Rank Endorsement Panel considers lateral recruits who want to keep a state designation. NSW's Professional Mobility Program recognises rank up to Senior Constable; it doesn't say how designation is treated, so ask.

How much do detectives earn in Australia?

Detectives are paid their rank's salary plus extra money, but each force does it differently. NSW has a separate pay scale. Victoria pays commuted overtime. Most others pay a detective allowance. Here's what each agreement says.

Detective pay and allowances by force

NSW Police

What detectives get on top
Separate Detective pay scale, plus Detectives' special allowance of $2,456 a year
Where it comes from
Award cl 42 and Table 2b

Victoria Police

What detectives get on top
Commuted overtime (COT 2) in lieu of overtime and recall: $14,157 a year (Constable and Senior Constable) or $19,217 (Sergeant and Senior Sergeant), Operational Readiness rate
Where it comes from
EA cl 47.2, Sch B

QPS

What detectives get on top
Detective Allowance of 4.5% of Sergeant 3.1 pay: $5,317 a year from 1 July 2026 (QPS official CUA rate)
Where it comes from
Certified Agreement cl 29; QPS CUA schedule

WA Police

What detectives get on top
Investigative skills allowance of $3,341 a year
Where it comes from
Agreement cl 17.2

SAPOL

What detectives get on top
Detective Attraction and Retention Allowance of $10,682 a year (rate from 1 January 2024); CIB and other listed areas also get the 18.5% Flexible Shiftwork Allowance
Where it comes from
EA cl 25, cl 30, Sch 4

Tasmania Police

What detectives get on top
Detectives Allowance of $6,586.34 a year for designated detectives
Where it comes from
Award (CPI-indexed each March)

NT Police

What detectives get on top
Detectives Allowance of 5% of base salary (Senior Sergeant and below)
Where it comes from
Consent Agreement 2022

AFP

What detectives get on top
No detective allowance in the enterprise agreement; investigators on the Operations pattern get the 22% Core Composite like other operational staff
Where it comes from
EA 2024-2027

Rates are from each force's current agreement or award. SA's $10,682 is the last rate in the 2021 agreement (from 1 January 2024); any later increase isn't confirmed. Queensland's figure is QPS's official CPI Uplift Adjustment (CUA) rate from 1 July 2026.

Be careful comparing these numbers directly. An allowance paid on top of everything else (WA, Tasmania, the NT) isn't the same as a payment that replaces overtime (Victoria) or replaces shift penalties (SA's Flexible Shiftwork Allowance). Whether you end up better off depends on how much overtime and shift work you'd otherwise do.

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NSW detective pay scale

NSW is the only force with its own pay scale for detectives. These are the rates from 1 July 2026 under the Crown Employees (Police Officers) Award. The loaded column includes the 11.5% loading NSW pays as salary to non-commissioned officers.

NSW detective salaries (current award table)

Detective

Level
Level 1
Base salary
$92,422
With 11.5% loading
$111,124

Detective

Level
Level 2
Base salary
$93,993
With 11.5% loading
$112,875

Detective

Level
Level 3
Base salary
$103,399
With 11.5% loading
$123,363

Detective

Level
Level 4
Base salary
$109,661
With 11.5% loading
$130,345

Detective

Level
Level 5
Base salary
$115,928
With 11.5% loading
$137,333

Detective

Level
Level 6
Base salary
$119,058
With 11.5% loading
$140,823

Detective

Level
Level 7
Base salary
$125,281
With 11.5% loading
$147,761

Detective

Level
Level 8
Base salary
$127,704
With 11.5% loading
$150,463

Detective Sergeant

Level
Level 1
Base salary
$128,457
With 11.5% loading
$151,303

Detective Sergeant

Level
Level 2
Base salary
$133,154
With 11.5% loading
$156,540

Detective Sergeant

Level
Level 3
Base salary
$136,290
With 11.5% loading
$160,036

Detective Sergeant

Level
Level 4
Base salary
$139,426
With 11.5% loading
$163,533

Detective Sergeant

Level
Level 5
Base salary
$140,989
With 11.5% loading
$165,276

Detective Senior Sergeant

Level
Level 1
Base salary
$144,118
With 11.5% loading
$168,765

Detective Senior Sergeant

Level
Level 2
Base salary
$146,411
With 11.5% loading
$171,321

Detective Senior Sergeant

Level
Level 3
Base salary
$148,703
With 11.5% loading
$173,877

A Detective at Level 1 earns $111,124 with loading, rising to $150,463 at Level 8. For comparison, the top of the general duties Senior Constable scale is $139,688. According to the award data, detectives' scales have the Grade 3 Special Duties Allowance equivalent built in.

On top of the scale, NSW detectives get the Detectives' special allowance of $2,456 a year. The standard plain clothes allowance ($1,259 a year) is not payable to detectives or prosecutors. See the full NSW police salary guide for every rank.

Victoria: commuted overtime for detectives

Victoria doesn't pay a detective allowance. Instead, detectives up to Senior Sergeant are paid commuted overtime (COT 2), a fixed annual sum in place of overtime and recall payments. The rates below are the Operational Readiness rates from 1 June 2026.

Victoria Police detective payments (Enterprise Agreement 2025)

COT 2, Constable and Senior Constable

From 1 June 2026
$14,157
From 1 June 2027
$14,723
Who gets it
Detectives

COT 2, Sergeant and Senior Sergeant

From 1 June 2026
$19,217
From 1 June 2027
$19,986
Who gets it
Detectives

COT 1, Constable and Senior Constable

From 1 June 2026
$7,078
Who gets it
Temporary investigative assignments up to 6 months; Tactical Intelligence Officers

Civilian clothing allowance

From 1 June 2026
$3,786.50
Who gets it
Plain-clothes members, e.g. detectives (male rate; being equalised with the female rate by June 2027)

Lower non-Operational Readiness rates also exist. COT is paid instead of overtime and recall, not on top of it.

The key point is the trade-off. A Victorian detective sergeant receives $19,217 a year whether they work a lot of overtime or very little. In a quiet unit that's a generous extra; in a busy homicide or sexual offences squad, it may be less than ordinary overtime would have paid. Ask detectives in the unit you're targeting how much extra time they actually work.

Detective allowances in Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania and the NT

The other states pay a dedicated allowance. Some are flat dollar amounts and some are a percentage of salary. Where a percentage applies, we've calculated an example from the force's current pay table.

Detective allowances outside NSW and Victoria

Queensland

Detective allowance
4.5% of Sergeant 3.1 pay; $5,317 a year from 1 July 2026 (QPS official CUA rate)
Example
$5,317 a year, about $203.80 a fortnight (Sergeant 3.1 is $118,127)
Notes
Paid on all paid leave; replaces Award clothing allowances. Plain clothes officers get 4% instead.

WA

Detective allowance
$3,341 a year
Example
$3,341
Notes
Also paid to Probationary Detectives, Internal Affairs and surveillance. Civilian clothing allowance $1,299 for 5+ consecutive days in plain clothes.

SA

Detective allowance
$10,682 a year (from 1 January 2024)
Example
$10,682
Notes
In lieu of out-of-pocket and plain clothes allowances; not counted as salary for super or overtime. CIB is also in the 18.5% Flexible Shiftwork Allowance group.

Tasmania

Detective allowance
$6,586.34 a year (designated detectives)
Example
$6,586.34
Notes
CPI-indexed each March. Non-detectives attached to investigative areas get $3,183.90.

NT

Detective allowance
5% of base salary (Senior Sergeant and below)
Example
About $6,027 at the top of Senior Constable calc
Notes
Designated detectives only.

'calc' marks figures we calculated from the published percentage and the current pay table. The NT's underlying salaries are themselves calculated by us from its agreement. Queensland's figure is QPS's official CPI Uplift Adjustment rate.

SA's Flexible Shiftwork Allowance is worth understanding. It's 18.5% of base salary, paid to listed specialist and investigative areas including CIB, in place of shift and weekend penalties. At the top of Senior Constable ($117,542), 18.5% is about $21,745 a year by our calculation. It doesn't cover public holidays or overtime, which are paid separately.

Is becoming a detective worth it?

For many officers, yes, but it isn't simply a pay rise. You're swapping one kind of workload for another. Here's the honest trade-off.

Works in your favour

  • ✓Extra pay in seven of eight forces, through a scale, allowance or commuted overtime
  • ✓Ownership of complex investigations from start to finish
  • ✓More regular hours in many units than general duties rosters
  • ✓Access to squads such as homicide, sexual crimes, fraud and drugs
  • ✓A designation that's recognised, with process, by other forces

Watch out for

  • ✕Victoria's commuted overtime replaces paid overtime, which can cut pay in busy units
  • ✕SA's shiftwork allowance replaces shift and weekend penalties
  • ✕Heavy caseloads, court time and on-call duties
  • ✕Exposure to distressing material in many squads
  • ✕Competitive entry, with years of frontline work first

If you're still deciding whether to join at all, detective work is a fair reason to choose policing, but you'll spend your first years in uniform. Make sure you'd be happy doing general duties too. Our guide to specialist police units shows the other directions a career can take.

How to prepare for a detective career

You can start building towards detective work from your first day at the academy. Investigative units select officers who show they can handle detail, write well and work with victims and witnesses.

Things that help

  • ✓ Write excellent statements and briefs of evidence; supervisors notice.
  • ✓ Volunteer for plain-clothes and temporary investigative placements.
  • ✓ Ask CIB detectives at your station if you can assist on a case.
  • ✓ Build interview skills with victims, witnesses and suspects.
  • ✓ Keep a clean discipline record; integrity matters even more in investigation.
  • ✓ Consider study: a Diploma of Policing is often the entry point to the Advanced Diploma.

Before any of that, you need to get in. Start with our complete guide to becoming a police officer and the entrance exam guide.

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What isn't published (and who can confirm it)

Detective pathways are internal processes, so forces publish less about them than about recruitment. Here's what we couldn't confirm.

Open questions about detective careers

NSW's current minimum service and course names (our source is a 2020 news report)

Who can tell you
NSW Police Force, or the Police Association of NSW

Queensland's course name and length for its own officers

Who can tell you
QPS (internal); the Queensland Police Union

Minimum service in WA, SA and the NT

Who can tell you
Each force's education and training command

Whether SA's detective allowance has risen since January 2024

Who can tell you
SAPOL or the Police Association of SA

Queensland's detective allowance after the 2025 cost-of-living uplift

Who can tell you
QPS payroll or the Queensland Police Union
Pay Overtime and penalty rates Pay Police pay compared Hub Joining the police hub

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Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become a detective in Australia?

Usually three to five years from joining. You first complete the academy and probation, then spend time in general duties: Tasmania requires 2 years, and Victoria and Queensland 3 years, before you can apply for investigative roles. Designation then involves courses and a portfolio, which in Tasmania is built over about 12 months.

Can you join the police as a detective?

No. Every Australian force recruits detectives from its own sworn officers. You join as a recruit, graduate as a constable and work in uniform first. Experienced detectives transferring from another force may have their designation recognised: Queensland and the AFP both describe a recognition process for detectives from other services.

Do detectives get paid more in Australia?

Yes, in most forces. NSW detectives are on a separate pay scale plus a $2,456 special allowance. SA pays a $10,682 attraction and retention allowance, Tasmania $6,586.34, WA $3,341 and the NT 5% of base salary. Victoria pays detectives commuted overtime of $14,157 to $19,217 a year, but in place of overtime.

Do you need a degree to become a detective?

No force requires a degree. The standard qualification is the Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation (now POL65125), delivered by the forces themselves. Some universities offer further study: Charles Sturt University's Bachelor of Policing (Investigations) is for designated detectives or officers working towards designation, and Tasmanian officers can use a University of Tasmania detective portfolio unit.

What does a detective designation mean?

Designation is formal recognition that you're qualified to use the title Detective. It usually follows completing investigation training, working in an investigative unit and finishing a portfolio or workbook. Allowances such as Tasmania's and the NT's are paid to designated detectives, and some squads only accept officers who are already detectives.

What is the Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation?

It's the national vocational qualification for police investigators, released as POL65125 on 3 April 2025, replacing POL65115. It has six units, such as planning and conducting police investigations. Entry needs a Diploma of Policing or equivalent, a linked policing degree, or two years' relevant full-time experience. Forces deliver it to their own officers.

Is being a detective better than general duties?

It depends on what you want. Detectives usually work business hours more often, earn allowances and handle complex cases from start to finish. In exchange, some forces pay commuted overtime instead of real overtime, workloads can be heavy, and court and on-call demands are high. Many officers try a temporary investigative post first.

Can a detective transfer to another state?

Yes, but the designation doesn't always carry over automatically. Queensland asks detectives from other forces appointed to a plain-clothes position to apply for recognition of prior learning and to its Detective Application Board. The AFP has a National Designation and Rank Endorsement Panel for lateral recruits who want to keep a state designation.

Evidence

Sources and how we checked them

Every figure on this page comes from the sources below, read on 10 October 2026. Pay rates and rules change when new agreements are made, so check the source for the date you're reading this. Where we couldn't confirm something from an official source, the page says so instead of guessing. Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy.

  1. Crown Employees (Police Officers - 2024) Award, NSW Industrial Gazette Vol 397, 9 May 2025, pp 1238-1334
  2. NSW Police Force recruitment: Specialist roles
  3. PS News: NSW Police detective training changes (17 November 2020) — Secondary.
  4. Victoria Police (Police Officers, PSOs, Police Reservists and Police Recruits) Enterprise Agreement 2025, [2025] FWCA 1135, AE528554
  5. Victoria Police: Specialist areas
  6. Queensland Police Service Certified Agreement 2025 (QIRC CB/2025/116)
  7. Queensland Police Service: CPI Uplift Adjustment (CUA) FAQ and visual aids, Tranche 3 (official pay and allowance schedules)
  8. QPS Recruiting: Frequently asked questions (as summarised publicly)
  9. QPS Recruiting: Previous police experience (as summarised publicly)
  10. Western Australia Police Force Industrial Agreement 2024 (WAIRC, WES338)
  11. WA Government: WA Police Academy faculties
  12. Let's Join Forces (WA Police Force): Career possibilities
  13. South Australia Police Enterprise Agreement 2021 (approved, SAET ET-21-00375; scanned PDF read by the scanned copy)
  14. SAPOL: International applicants - frequently asked questions
  15. Police Award No. 2 of 2026 (Consolidated), TIC T15311 of 2026 (read via Wayback Machine copy 2026-05-20)
  16. Tasmania Police Recruitment: Specialist positions
  17. University of Tasmania: LAW476 Detective Portfolio — Search summary only.
  18. Northern Territory Police Force Consent Agreement 2022 (PAT-certified), NTPA copy
  19. NTPFES: Careers in the NT Police
  20. Australian Federal Police Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 (FWC AE526995, [2024] FWCA 4231)
  21. ACT Policing: Lateral program (detective designation) — Search summary only.
  22. training.gov.au: POL65125 Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation
  23. Charles Sturt University: Bachelor of Policing (Investigations) — Search summary only.

Related guides

Police pay in Australia 2026 → Every force's pay scale, rank by rank. Police overtime and penalty rates → How overtime works in every force, and why commuted overtime matters. Police promotion prep → Practice for promotion and selection processes once you're serving.

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General information, not advice. This guide explains published rules and rates. It doesn't consider your personal circumstances and isn't financial, legal, tax or credit advice. Confirm anything you rely on with your force, your police association, the ATO or a licensed professional.