Police recruit pay while training
every Australian force compared

Every force publishes a recruit or trainee rate, but they don't publish it the same way. Most give an annual salary. Queensland gives a rule (a percentage plus an allowance), so the figure is our calculation. NSW gives a weekly rate for a 16-week Academy session, so we show it annualised for comparison only. You'll never be paid that annualised figure in NSW.

NT Police

Recruit pay

$74,619

Academy length

30 weeks (32 in one NTPFES FAQ)

First-year constable (base)

$87,005

Status

Published rate

WA Police

Recruit pay

$74,309

Academy length

28 weeks

First-year constable (base)

$94,651

Status

Published rate

SAPOL

Recruit pay

$71,872

Academy length

9 to 11 months (6 in a 2019 release)

First-year constable (base)

$83,398

Status

Published rate

NSW Police

Recruit pay

$1,360 a week ($70,720 annualised)

Academy length

16 weeks online (unpaid) + 16 weeks at Goulburn

First-year constable (base)

$92,576

Status

Annualised by us from the weekly rate; paid for the 16-week Academy session only

AFP

Recruit pay

$69,698

Academy length

26 weeks

First-year constable (base)

$72,317

Status

Published rate

Tasmania Police

Recruit pay

$61,801

Academy length

28 weeks

First-year constable (base)

$73,518

Status

Published rate

Victoria Police

Recruit pay

$61,187

Academy length

25 weeks

First-year constable (base)

$84,060

Status

Published rate

QPS

Recruit pay

$59,728

Academy length

About 8 months (32 to 36 weeks quoted)

First-year constable (base)

$78,505

Status

Calculated by us from the published rule

Force	Recruit pay	Academy length	First-year constable (base)	Status
NT Police	$74,619	30 weeks (32 in one NTPFES FAQ)	$87,005	Published rate
WA Police	$74,309	28 weeks	$94,651	Published rate
SAPOL	$71,872	9 to 11 months (6 in a 2019 release)	$83,398	Published rate
NSW Police	$1,360 a week ($70,720 annualised)	16 weeks online (unpaid) + 16 weeks at Goulburn	$92,576	Annualised by us from the weekly rate; paid for the 16-week Academy session only
AFP	$69,698	26 weeks	$72,317	Published rate
Tasmania Police	$61,801	28 weeks	$73,518	Published rate
Victoria Police	$61,187	25 weeks	$84,060	Published rate
QPS	$59,728	About 8 months (32 to 36 weeks quoted)	$78,505	Calculated by us from the published rule

Rates from each force's agreement or recruiting page, read 9 October 2026. First-year constable is the headline base rate from our pay data; some forces add a loading or allowance on top.

The spread is wide: the top rate is about 25% higher than the bottom one. But the annual rate is only part of the story. Course length decides how long you'll be on it, accommodation can cost nothing or several hundred dollars a fortnight, and some forces switch you to full constable pay part-way through. Each of those is covered below, and each force's academy guide goes into the detail.

There are five ways Australian forces pay recruits. Knowing which one applies helps you read the offer letter and spot when a recruiting page is out of date.

NSW Police

How recruit pay is set (from our data)

No annual recruit salary. Stage 1 of the ADAP (16 weeks online) is unpaid; during the 16-week Academy session students are employed as temporary administrative staff on $1,360 a week plus super and allowances (rate from March 2024).

Victoria Police

How recruit pay is set (from our data)

Recruit rate from 1 Jun 2026 (Schedule A), paid until sworn in at the end of week 12; $63,023 from 1 Jun 2027.

QPS

How recruit pay is set (from our data)

70% of First Year Constable (Constable 1.1) base from 1 Jul 2026 ($78,505 = $54,954) plus the $183/fortnight recruit training allowance (about $4,774 a year). Derived by us; the recruiting site quotes conflicting totals of about $53,700 and about $60,000.

WA Police

How recruit pay is set (from our data)

Recruit-in-Training rate from 1 Jul 2026, paid during the 28-week Academy course.

SAPOL

How recruit pay is set (from our data)

Cadet rate (domestic recruits at the Academy) from 1 Jan 2026. Interstate and international transition recruits are paid as Probationary Constable ($83,398) during training.

Tasmania Police

How recruit pay is set (from our data)

Trainee Constable annual salary from FFPPOOA 1 Dec 2025, paid during the 28-week recruit course. Rises to $63,655 from Dec 2026.

NT Police

How recruit pay is set (from our data)

Recruit Constable base for the first 4 months of training ($79,095 from 4 months to graduation), as published by NTPFES in October 2026. Allowances are not paid during training.

AFP

How recruit pay is set (from our data)

Band 2.3 base from 9 Dec 2025 while at the AFP College (police recruits, national and ACT). No composite during training. PSO recruits start at Band 2.1 ($64,754).

Force	How recruit pay is set (from our data)
NSW Police	No annual recruit salary. Stage 1 of the ADAP (16 weeks online) is unpaid; during the 16-week Academy session students are employed as temporary administrative staff on $1,360 a week plus super and allowances (rate from March 2024).
Victoria Police	Recruit rate from 1 Jun 2026 (Schedule A), paid until sworn in at the end of week 12; $63,023 from 1 Jun 2027.
QPS	70% of First Year Constable (Constable 1.1) base from 1 Jul 2026 ($78,505 = $54,954) plus the $183/fortnight recruit training allowance (about $4,774 a year). Derived by us; the recruiting site quotes conflicting totals of about $53,700 and about $60,000.
WA Police	Recruit-in-Training rate from 1 Jul 2026, paid during the 28-week Academy course.
SAPOL	Cadet rate (domestic recruits at the Academy) from 1 Jan 2026. Interstate and international transition recruits are paid as Probationary Constable ($83,398) during training.
Tasmania Police	Trainee Constable annual salary from FFPPOOA 1 Dec 2025, paid during the 28-week recruit course. Rises to $63,655 from Dec 2026.
NT Police	Recruit Constable base for the first 4 months of training ($79,095 from 4 months to graduation), as published by NTPFES in October 2026. Allowances are not paid during training.
AFP	Band 2.3 base from 9 Dec 2025 while at the AFP College (police recruits, national and ACT). No composite during training. PSO recruits start at Band 2.1 ($64,754).

Text from our force data files, which cite the agreement or recruiting page in the sources below.

A fixed recruit rate

WA (Recruit-in-Training), SA (Cadet), Tasmania (Trainee Constable) and the AFP (Band 2.3) each have a single training rate in their agreement or on their careers site. It applies for the whole course, and it moves with each pay deal. Tasmania's rate, for example, is $61,801 now and rises to $63,655 from December 2026 under the 2026 award.

A stepped rate

The NT pays $74,619 for the first four months and $79,095 from four months until graduation. Victoria swaps the recruit rate ($61,187) for Constable point 1 ($84,060) when you're sworn in at the end of week 12, so most of a Victorian recruit's course is spent on constable pay.

A percentage of constable pay

Queensland pays 70% of the First Year Constable base plus a recruit training allowance of $183 a fortnight. On the 1 July 2026 base of $78,505, our calculation is $54,954 plus about $4,774, or roughly $59,728. The recruiting site quotes about $53,700 in one place and about $60,000 in another, so treat any single figure with care.

Temporary employment while studying

NSW doesn't employ recruits as police until they attest. During the Academy session you're a temporary administrative employee on $1,360 a week; before that, in Session 1, you're an unpaid university student. The NSW section explains the conflict in the published figures.

In Victoria you're sworn in at week 12, so most of the course is paid at constable rates, not recruit rates.

Annual rates flatter short courses and hide the value of long ones. What matters for your budget is the gross pay you'll receive between your first day and graduation. We've calculated it from each force's rate and course length. These are our estimates, before tax, and they'll be off by a pay or two depending on start dates.

NSW

Paid training period

16 paid weeks (Session 2) after 16 unpaid weeks

How we calculated it

$1,360 x 16

Gross earned (approx.)

$21,760

Victoria

Paid training period

12 weeks as a recruit, then 13 weeks sworn

How we calculated it

Recruit rate to week 12, then Constable point 1

Gross earned (approx.)

$35,135

Queensland

Paid training period

About 8 months

How we calculated it

8/12 of the calculated annual rate

Gross earned (approx.)

≈$39,819

WA

Paid training period

28 weeks

How we calculated it

Recruit-in-Training rate x 28/52

Gross earned (approx.)

$40,013

SA

Paid training period

9 to 11 months (current SAPOL page)

How we calculated it

9/12 to 11/12 of the cadet annual rate

Gross earned (approx.)

≈$53,904 to $65,883

Tasmania

Paid training period

28 weeks

How we calculated it

Trainee Constable rate x 28/52

Gross earned (approx.)

$33,277

NT

Paid training period

30 weeks

How we calculated it

4 months at the first rate, then the second rate

Gross earned (approx.)

$44,140

AFP

Paid training period

26 weeks

How we calculated it

Band 2.3 x 26/52

Gross earned (approx.)

$34,849

Force	Paid training period	How we calculated it	Gross earned (approx.)
NSW	16 paid weeks (Session 2) after 16 unpaid weeks	$1,360 x 16	$21,760
Victoria	12 weeks as a recruit, then 13 weeks sworn	Recruit rate to week 12, then Constable point 1	$35,135
Queensland	About 8 months	8/12 of the calculated annual rate	≈$39,819
WA	28 weeks	Recruit-in-Training rate x 28/52	$40,013
SA	9 to 11 months (current SAPOL page)	9/12 to 11/12 of the cadet annual rate	≈$53,904 to $65,883
Tasmania	28 weeks	Trainee Constable rate x 28/52	$33,277
NT	30 weeks	4 months at the first rate, then the second rate	$44,140
AFP	26 weeks	Band 2.3 x 26/52	$34,849

Weekly pay = annual rate / 52. Queensland and SA publish their course length in months (and give conflicting lengths), so those totals are rougher. NT uses the 30-week figure; NTPFES also quotes 32 weeks.

Two things jump out. First, NSW recruits earn the least before attesting, because only half of the pre-attestation training is paid. Second, Victoria's early swearing-in means a Victorian recruit earns more over the course than the recruit rate suggests. Queensland (about eight months) and SA (nine to eleven months on SAPOL's current training page) run the longest courses, so their totals add up even on moderate rates. SAPOL's 2019 announcement cut the academy to six months from mid-2020, so ask SAPOL which length applies to your intake.

Recruit pay is ordinary salary. Your force withholds PAYG tax from each pay at the resident rates, plus the 2% Medicare levy, and the low income tax offset reduces the tax for lower earners. The table shows a regular fortnight if the rate ran all year, which is how withholding treats it, using 2026-27 ATO rates for a resident with no HELP debt.

NSW Police

Annual rate

$70,720

Gross a fortnight

$2,720

Take-home a fortnight

$2,214

Tax + Medicare

18.6%

Victoria Police

Annual rate

$61,187

Gross a fortnight

$2,353

Take-home a fortnight

$1,968

Tax + Medicare

16.4%

QPS

Annual rate

$59,728

Gross a fortnight

$2,297

Take-home a fortnight

$1,931

Tax + Medicare

16%

WA Police

Annual rate

$74,309

Gross a fortnight

$2,858

Take-home a fortnight

$2,308

Tax + Medicare

19.2%

SAPOL

Annual rate

$71,872

Gross a fortnight

$2,764

Take-home a fortnight

$2,244

Tax + Medicare

18.8%

Tasmania Police

Annual rate

$61,801

Gross a fortnight

$2,377

Take-home a fortnight

$1,984

Tax + Medicare

16.5%

NT Police

Annual rate

$74,619

Gross a fortnight

$2,870

Take-home a fortnight

$2,316

Tax + Medicare

19.3%

AFP

Annual rate

$69,698

Gross a fortnight

$2,681

Take-home a fortnight

$2,187

Tax + Medicare

18.4%

Force	Annual rate	Gross a fortnight	Take-home a fortnight	Tax + Medicare
NSW Police	$70,720	$2,720	$2,214	18.6%
Victoria Police	$61,187	$2,353	$1,968	16.4%
QPS	$59,728	$2,297	$1,931	16%
WA Police	$74,309	$2,858	$2,308	19.2%
SAPOL	$71,872	$2,764	$2,244	18.8%
Tasmania Police	$61,801	$2,377	$1,984	16.5%
NT Police	$74,619	$2,870	$2,316	19.3%
AFP	$69,698	$2,681	$2,187	18.4%

Calculated by us with our tax engine: resident rates, LITO and Medicare levy, no HELP, no salary sacrifice. NSW shows the weekly rate annualised. Your payslip may differ by a few dollars.

A WA recruit, for example, would take home about $2,308 a fortnight on the Recruit-in-Training rate. That's before any board or travel costs, which in WA are nil for regional recruits living on site.

Part-year income means a refund is likely

Tax is assessed on your income for the whole financial year (1 July to 30 June), not each pay. If you start the academy mid-year after months of study, part-time work or no work, your annual income is lower than the annualised rate, and you'll often get a refund when you lodge. The reverse happens if you earned well earlier in the year: withholding can then fall short.

HELP debts

If you have a HELP debt, the compulsory repayment is based on your annual repayment income. For 2026-27 it starts above $69,528. Most recruit rates sit below or near that line, but first-year constable pay sits well above it, so repayments usually start in your first sworn year. Tick the HELP box on your tax file number declaration so withholding covers it.

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NSW is the only force where you study for months without pay. The Associate Degree in Applied Policing (ADAP) with Western Sydney University starts with Session 1: 16 weeks of online study, unpaid. Session 2 is 16 weeks full-time at the Goulburn Academy, where you're employed as temporary administrative staff on $1,360 a week plus super and allowances, with free accommodation and meals.

Tax in NSW: a worked example

Withholding on $1,360 a week is worked out as if you earned it all year ($70,720), leaving about $1,107 a week. But if the $21,760 session pay is your only income that financial year, the tax on it is $0 after the tax-free threshold and low income tax offset. So a recruit with little other income should get most or all of the withheld tax back at tax time.

Course fees and HECS-HELP

The ADAP fee isn't settled in the sources. Our NSW data recorded a Commonwealth-supported student contribution of about $9,112 a year; Western Sydney University's course page showed an indicative annual fee from $11,885 when we checked on 9 October 2026; and an older report quoted a full-fee total under FEE-HELP.

Check the fee with WSU before you enrol. Citizens can defer it with a HELP loan. Once you attest as a Probationary Constable on $92,576 (including the 11.5% loading), the compulsory HELP repayment would be about $3,457 for the year at 2026-27 thresholds, by our calculation. Our NSW Police Academy guide covers the course in full.

Recruits are employees from the first paid day, so pay runs through the normal payroll. Police payrolls work in fortnights: WA's recruiting site says salary and super are paid fortnightly during academy training, and Queensland's training allowance, Victoria's live-in charge and Tasmania's board are all set per fortnight. Your first pay can land a week or two after you start, so arrive with a buffer.

What recruits usually don't get

The large allowances that lift sworn pay are tied to rosters and postings, so recruits mostly miss out. Our data shows this force by force.

NT

What isn't paid during training

Allowances are not paid during training, including the 23% Consolidated Allowance and 5% General Policing Allowance

Source

NTPFES Constable page

AFP

What isn't paid during training

The 22% Core Composite appears not to be paid at the College (careers table shows n/a; not confirmed)

Source

AFP careers and EA

WA

What isn't paid during training

Shift allowances are not paid to Recruits-in-Training except under cl 11.19

Source

WA Police Force Industrial Agreement 2024

Tasmania

What isn't paid during training

Overtime is not payable to academy-accommodated trainees

Source

Police Award No. 2 of 2026

Queensland

What isn't paid during training

The 21% Operational Shift Allowance is for officers in operational shift positions, which recruits at the academy aren't in (our reading)

Source

QPS Certified Agreement 2025

Force	What isn't paid during training	Source
NT	Allowances are not paid during training, including the 23% Consolidated Allowance and 5% General Policing Allowance	NTPFES Constable page
AFP	The 22% Core Composite appears not to be paid at the College (careers table shows n/a; not confirmed)	AFP careers and EA
WA	Shift allowances are not paid to Recruits-in-Training except under cl 11.19	WA Police Force Industrial Agreement 2024
Tasmania	Overtime is not payable to academy-accommodated trainees	Police Award No. 2 of 2026
Queensland	The 21% Operational Shift Allowance is for officers in operational shift positions, which recruits at the academy aren't in (our reading)	QPS Certified Agreement 2025

Where a force isn't listed, our sources don't say either way.

Leave while training

Recruits accrue leave in at least some forces. Victoria's agreement, for example, gives 5.107 hours of recreation leave per completed week of initial training (cl 132.1). Ask your force how leave accrued at the academy can be taken, because recruit courses rarely allow time off outside scheduled breaks.

Super is paid on recruit salary in every force, and it's worth more than many applicants realise. On the AFP's $69,698 recruit rate, the 15.4% employer contribution is about $10,733 a year on top of salary.

NSW Police

Employer super

12%

Note

12% employer contribution for officers in accumulation super (reported; the pre-1988 and SASS schemes differ). Officers also pay 1.8% of salary towards the death and disability scheme.

Victoria Police

Employer super

See note

Note

Police and PSOs are in the ESSS Police Superannuation defined benefit scheme, so the benefit depends on years of service and salary rather than a % contribution.

QPS

Employer super

18%

Note

Queensland police receive 18% employer super with no compulsory member contribution.

WA Police

Employer super

12%

Note

WA Police contributes 12% (the Superannuation Guarantee), and shift loadings attract super. GESB is the default fund unless you choose another.

SAPOL

Employer super

See note

Note

SA officers receive at least the 12% Superannuation Guarantee through Super SA; older members may be in the closed Police Superannuation Scheme.

Tasmania Police

Employer super

12%

Note

Tasmania pays the 12% Superannuation Guarantee into your chosen fund; the default fund is CareSuper (Tasmanian Treasury, April 2026). The old state defined benefit scheme closed in 1999.

NT Police

Employer super

See note

Note

NT officers receive at least the 12% Superannuation Guarantee; super for new recruits isn't confirmed.

AFP

Employer super

15.4%

Note

AFP employees receive 15.4% employer super (PSSap or their chosen fund).

Force	Employer super	Note
NSW Police	12%	12% employer contribution for officers in accumulation super (reported; the pre-1988 and SASS schemes differ). Officers also pay 1.8% of salary towards the death and disability scheme.
Victoria Police	See note	Police and PSOs are in the ESSS Police Superannuation defined benefit scheme, so the benefit depends on years of service and salary rather than a % contribution.
QPS	18%	Queensland police receive 18% employer super with no compulsory member contribution.
WA Police	12%	WA Police contributes 12% (the Superannuation Guarantee), and shift loadings attract super. GESB is the default fund unless you choose another.
SAPOL	See note	SA officers receive at least the 12% Superannuation Guarantee through Super SA; older members may be in the closed Police Superannuation Scheme.
Tasmania Police	12%	Tasmania pays the 12% Superannuation Guarantee into your chosen fund; the default fund is CareSuper (Tasmanian Treasury, April 2026). The old state defined benefit scheme closed in 1999.
NT Police	See note	NT officers receive at least the 12% Superannuation Guarantee; super for new recruits isn't confirmed.
AFP	15.4%	AFP employees receive 15.4% employer super (PSSap or their chosen fund).

From our calculator profiles. 'See note' means the rate is the Superannuation Guarantee minimum or a defined benefit scheme rather than a single published percentage.

Victoria is different: police and PSOs join the ESSS Police Superannuation defined benefit scheme, so the benefit depends on service and salary. Queensland's 18% employer contribution is the highest of the states. Each force's force profile explains its super scheme.

A higher recruit rate can be wiped out by board and travel. These are the costs our data records for each force.

NSW

Accommodation

Free accommodation and meals at Goulburn during the Academy session

Other costs or support

ADAP fees: about $9,112 a year in our data, from $11,885 a year on WSU's page (HELP loans for citizens). Application costs: medical $555.50, swim $10, first aid from $79

Victoria

Accommodation

Optional live-in if you live 40+ km away: $529.50 a fortnight including meals

Other costs or support

Medical paid by the applicant

Queensland

Accommodation

Free accommodation, plus breakfast and dinner Monday to Friday, for approved live-in recruits (recruiting site extracts)

Other costs or support

No fees for training or pre-selection tests; uniform issued free

WA

Accommodation

Free on-site accommodation for regional recruits (2025-26 Budget)

Other costs or support

Metro recruits commute to Joondalup

SA

Accommodation

On-site rooms may be available to approved applicants, subject to availability (cadet job ad)

Other costs or support

Country and interstate recruits get a $4,531.28 cost-of-living allowance on starting

Tasmania

Accommodation

Optional board: $225 a fortnight for room and all meals

Other costs or support

Living in is not compulsory

NT

Accommodation

Barracks or departmental accommodation, or the housing allowance

Other costs or support

Housing allowance figure applies to members providing their own housing

AFP

Accommodation

Free ensuite single room and main meals; can ask to live off-site

Other costs or support

Mobile phone and laptop provided; travel to and from the College paid

Force	Accommodation	Other costs or support
NSW	Free accommodation and meals at Goulburn during the Academy session	ADAP fees: about $9,112 a year in our data, from $11,885 a year on WSU's page (HELP loans for citizens). Application costs: medical $555.50, swim $10, first aid from $79
Victoria	Optional live-in if you live 40+ km away: $529.50 a fortnight including meals	Medical paid by the applicant
Queensland	Free accommodation, plus breakfast and dinner Monday to Friday, for approved live-in recruits (recruiting site extracts)	No fees for training or pre-selection tests; uniform issued free
WA	Free on-site accommodation for regional recruits (2025-26 Budget)	Metro recruits commute to Joondalup
SA	On-site rooms may be available to approved applicants, subject to availability (cadet job ad)	Country and interstate recruits get a $4,531.28 cost-of-living allowance on starting
Tasmania	Optional board: $225 a fortnight for room and all meals	Living in is not compulsory
NT	Barracks or departmental accommodation, or the housing allowance	Housing allowance figure applies to members providing their own housing
AFP	Free ensuite single room and main meals; can ask to live off-site	Mobile phone and laptop provided; travel to and from the College paid

From each force's data file and recruiting pages, read 9 October 2026.

Victoria's live-in board adds up to about $6,619 over a 25-week course, by our calculation, and Tasmania's to about $3,150 over 28 weeks. Against that, NSW, Queensland and the AFP charge nothing for a room. Budget for travel home at weekends, laundry, food outside included meals, and fitness gear, none of which any force covers.

Recruit pay is temporary. The day you're sworn in or attest, you move to first-year constable pay, and in most forces the rise is large before any shift allowance is added.

NSW Police

Recruit pay

$70,720

First-year constable (base)

$92,576

Rise

n/a (weekly rate)

Victoria Police

Recruit pay

$61,187

First-year constable (base)

$84,060

Rise

+37.4%

QPS

Recruit pay

$59,728

First-year constable (base)

$78,505

Rise

+31.4%

WA Police

Recruit pay

$74,309

First-year constable (base)

$94,651

Rise

+27.4%

SAPOL

Recruit pay

$71,872

First-year constable (base)

$83,398

Rise

+16%

Tasmania Police

Recruit pay

$61,801

First-year constable (base)

$73,518

Rise

+19%

NT Police

Recruit pay

$74,619

First-year constable (base)

$87,005

Rise

+16.6%

AFP

Recruit pay

$69,698

First-year constable (base)

$72,317

Rise

+3.8%

Force	Recruit pay	First-year constable (base)	Rise
NSW Police	$70,720	$92,576	n/a (weekly rate)
Victoria Police	$61,187	$84,060	+37.4%
QPS	$59,728	$78,505	+31.4%
WA Police	$74,309	$94,651	+27.4%
SAPOL	$71,872	$83,398	+16%
Tasmania Police	$61,801	$73,518	+19%
NT Police	$74,619	$87,005	+16.6%
AFP	$69,698	$72,317	+3.8%

First-year constable is the headline figure in our pay data: NSW includes the 11.5% loading; Victoria includes the 13% commuted penalty; Queensland, NT and AFP figures exclude OSA, Consolidated Allowance and composite.

Allowances widen the gap again. A Queensland First Year Constable on an operational roster adds the 21% OSA; an NT Constable adds the 23% Consolidated Allowance and 5% GPA; a new AFP constable gets the 22% Core Composite and a $3,500 Use of Force allowance. Our national police pay guide and highest-paid force comparison show the full picture.

If you're already a police officer elsewhere, or you already work for the force, you'll usually be paid more than a new recruit while you train.

1. 1

   Queensland PACE

   20 weeks

   Current or recent frontline police do a 20-week course and are paid more than mainstream recruits from day one. A $20,000 relocation incentive applies to interstate and overseas police.

2. 2

   SA transition course

   15 weeks

   Interstate and international transition recruits are paid as Probationary Constable ($83,398) throughout a 15-week course, with up to $10,000 relocation reimbursement for interstate officers.

3. 3

   NSW Professional Mobility Program

   12 weeks

   Serving Australian and NZ police do a 12-week program at Goulburn, paid from the start, with rank recognised up to Senior Constable.

4. 4

   WA transitional course

   13 weeks

   Interstate and international officers do a 13-week paid course at Joondalup, then 6 months' probation.

5. 5

   Existing employees

   Pay protected

   Queensland civilian staff keep their current pay point in training. AFP employees keep their current band and pay point during recruit training.

Victoria recognises prior service for Australian, NZ and UK police but doesn't publish the starting increment, and Tasmania's 12-week Accelerated Training Program pays according to prior service. Each force's joining guide has the full rules.

Recruit pay is enough to live on in most forces, especially where accommodation is free, but the months before and during the academy can still be tight. A simple plan helps.

If you're still choosing a force, recruit pay shouldn't be the deciding factor: it lasts months, while first-year pay, allowances, super and where you'll be posted last for years. The quiz below weighs those things.

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Answer a few questions about pay, fitness, location and remote service to see which Australian forces fit, with links to each academy guide.

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