Careers after policing
where your experience transfers, and what it pays

Most officers who leave go into work that uses the same core skills: gathering evidence, interviewing, judging risk, writing for a decision-maker and staying calm when others aren't. The labels change; the work often doesn't.

There's no official national count of where ex-police end up, so we don't rank these by popularity. What we can do is show what each occupation pays using government data, and what it takes to get in.

The question isn't 'what can a cop do?' It's 'which employer pays for judgement under pressure, evidence and people skills?'

The honest answer is that almost every common post-police occupation has a lower median wage than policing. Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) puts police median full-time earnings at $2,560 a week, about $133,120 a year on our arithmetic. The table compares that with the occupations former officers most often move into.

Police

ANZSCO

4413

Median full-time weekly

$2,560

Annualised (× 52)

$133,120 ^calc

Employed

70,100

vs police

Benchmark

Fire and emergency workers

ANZSCO

4412

Median full-time weekly

$2,473

Annualised (× 52)

$128,600 ^calc

Employed

19,900

vs police

−$87 a week

Occupational and environmental health professionals

ANZSCO

2513

Median full-time weekly

$2,284

Annualised (× 52)

$118,770 ^calc

Employed

n/a

vs police

−$276 a week

Intelligence and policy analysts

ANZSCO

2244

Median full-time weekly

$2,173

Annualised (× 52)

$113,000 ^calc

Employed

n/a

vs police

−$387 a week

Vocational education teachers

ANZSCO

2422

Median full-time weekly

$2,128

Annualised (× 52)

$110,660 ^calc

Employed

n/a

vs police

−$432 a week

Prison officers

ANZSCO

4421

Median full-time weekly

$2,080

Annualised (× 52)

$108,160 ^calc

Employed

19,800

vs police

−$480 a week

Inspectors and regulatory officers

ANZSCO

5995

Median full-time weekly

$1,862

Annualised (× 52)

$96,820 ^calc

Employed

44,800

vs police

−$698 a week

Security officers and guards

ANZSCO

4422

Median full-time weekly

$1,818

Annualised (× 52)

$94,540 ^calc

Employed

66,800

vs police

−$742 a week

Occupation	ANZSCO	Median full-time weekly	Annualised (× 52)	Employed	vs police
Police	4413	$2,560	$133,120 calc	70,100	Benchmark
Fire and emergency workers	4412	$2,473	$128,600 calc	19,900	−$87 a week
Occupational and environmental health professionals	2513	$2,284	$118,770 calc	n/a	−$276 a week
Intelligence and policy analysts	2244	$2,173	$113,000 calc	n/a	−$387 a week
Vocational education teachers	2422	$2,128	$110,660 calc	n/a	−$432 a week
Prison officers	4421	$2,080	$108,160 calc	19,800	−$480 a week
Inspectors and regulatory officers	5995	$1,862	$96,820 calc	44,800	−$698 a week
Security officers and guards	4422	$1,818	$94,540 calc	66,800	−$742 a week

Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, median full-time weekly earnings (ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025). Annualised figures are calculated by us (weekly × 52) and exclude super. 'n/a' means we didn't capture an employment figure. JSA has stopped updating these ANZSCO profiles.

Two cautions. First, medians hide wide ranges: a senior fraud investigator in a bank or a regional emergency management director can out-earn a senior constable, while an entry-level security guard earns well below. Second, police pay includes shift loadings, allowances and overtime that civilian day jobs usually don't, so the drop in take-home pay can feel bigger than the base salary suggests.

For comparison, here's the top of the senior constable scale in each force, from our pay data. That's the figure many experienced officers are weighing a job offer against.

NSW Police

Senior constable top of scale

$139,688

Per week (÷ 52)

$2,686

Victoria Police

Senior constable top of scale

$118,945

Per week (÷ 52)

$2,287

QPS

Senior constable top of scale

$118,127

Per week (÷ 52)

$2,272

WA Police

Senior constable top of scale

$124,558

Per week (÷ 52)

$2,395

SAPOL

Senior constable top of scale

$117,542

Per week (÷ 52)

$2,260

Tasmania Police

Senior constable top of scale

$107,420

Per week (÷ 52)

$2,066

NT Police

Senior constable top of scale

$120,539 ^calc

Per week (÷ 52)

$2,318

AFP

Senior constable top of scale

$111,861 ^calc

Per week (÷ 52)

$2,151

Force	Senior constable top of scale	Per week (÷ 52)
NSW Police	$139,688	$2,686
Victoria Police	$118,945	$2,287
QPS	$118,127	$2,272
WA Police	$124,558	$2,395
SAPOL	$117,542	$2,260
Tasmania Police	$107,420	$2,066
NT Police	$120,539 calc	$2,318
AFP	$111,861 calc	$2,151

From our force pay files. Base or composite salary as each force defines it; excludes overtime and most allowances. 'calc' means calculated by us from the agreement rule.

Free tool

Compare a job offer with your police take-home pay

Put in your current police salary and allowances, then the offer, and see the real fortnightly difference after tax and super.

Open the calculator →

Civilian recruiters often don't know what a brief of evidence or a section 9 statement is. Your job on a resume and in an interview is to translate. The skill is the same; the words aren't.

Prepared briefs of evidence

How a civilian employer reads it

Wrote evidence-based reports that met a legal standard of proof and survived independent scrutiny

Conducted interviews and took statements

How a civilian employer reads it

Ran structured investigative interviews, including with uncooperative and vulnerable people

Executed search warrants and planned operations

How a civilian employer reads it

Planned and led high-risk operations under legal authority, with risk assessments and briefings

Managed a watch or a team as sergeant

How a civilian employer reads it

Supervised a 24/7 team: rosters, performance, welfare, complaints and quality control

Gave evidence in court

How a civilian employer reads it

Presented findings to tribunals and courts under cross-examination

Handled critical incidents

How a civilian employer reads it

Made time-critical decisions with incomplete information and coordinated multiple agencies

Worked with exhibits and property

How a civilian employer reads it

Maintained chain of custody and records to an auditable standard

What you did	How a civilian employer reads it
Prepared briefs of evidence	Wrote evidence-based reports that met a legal standard of proof and survived independent scrutiny
Conducted interviews and took statements	Ran structured investigative interviews, including with uncooperative and vulnerable people
Executed search warrants and planned operations	Planned and led high-risk operations under legal authority, with risk assessments and briefings
Managed a watch or a team as sergeant	Supervised a 24/7 team: rosters, performance, welfare, complaints and quality control
Gave evidence in court	Presented findings to tribunals and courts under cross-examination
Handled critical incidents	Made time-critical decisions with incomplete information and coordinated multiple agencies
Worked with exhibits and property	Maintained chain of custody and records to an auditable standard

Government jobs use selection criteria. Address them one by one with short STAR examples (situation, task, action, result) and numbers where you have them: how many investigations, how many staff, what changed because of your work. Our AI mock interview was built for recruit interviews, but the behavioural question practice works for any STAR-style panel.

Australian police training is mapped to the national Police Training Package (POL). The qualifications below are listed on training.gov.au, the national register. Which ones you hold depends on your force and the year you trained.

Diploma of Policing

Code

POL50124

Notes

Current version; replaces POL50118. Victoria Police awards it at the end of probation, according to our Victoria data.

Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation

Code

POL65115

Notes

Detective-level training; POL65125 has been approved to replace it.

Certificate IV in Government Investigations

Code

PSP40416

Notes

The standard qualification for investigators in government agencies; police experience may count towards it through RPL.

Certificate IV in Training and Assessment

Code

TAE40122

Notes

Entry qualification for VET trainers and assessors; replaces TAE40116.

Qualification	Code	Notes
Diploma of Policing	POL50124	Current version; replaces POL50118. Victoria Police awards it at the end of probation, according to our Victoria data.
Advanced Diploma of Police Investigation	POL65115	Detective-level training; POL65125 has been approved to replace it.
Certificate IV in Government Investigations	PSP40416	The standard qualification for investigators in government agencies; police experience may count towards it through RPL.
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment	TAE40122	Entry qualification for VET trainers and assessors; replaces TAE40116.

Some forces build in university study too. Tasmania Police recruits, for example, complete 15 of the 24 units of a UTAS Bachelor of Social Science (Police Studies) during training, according to our Tasmania data. If you studied through your force, ask the university what's left to finish the degree.

Investigation is the most direct transfer. Government agencies, regulators, insurers, banks and large employers all run investigations, and they value people who know how to gather admissible evidence and write it up properly.

Government and regulatory investigators

Tax, welfare, fisheries, environment, consumer affairs, workplace safety and integrity agencies all employ investigators. Many ask for the Certificate IV in Government Investigations (PSP40416) or will train you towards it. Your police investigation history often counts towards it.

Fraud, insurance and workplace investigations

Banks and insurers run fraud teams; employers commission workplace investigations into bullying and misconduct. Workplace investigation is a different discipline from criminal investigation: procedural fairness and the civil standard of proof replace caution and the criminal standard, so expect a learning curve.

Intelligence analysis

JSA groups intelligence officers with policy analysts (ANZSCO 2244). That group's median is $2,173 a week. Intelligence work suits officers who've worked in analysis units or as detectives, and many roles need a security clearance.

Security and private investigation are licensed in every state and territory, and you'll need a licence before you can work. Your police service doesn't licence you automatically. In Victoria the regulator is Victoria Police's Licensing and Regulation Division; in NSW it's the Security Licensing and Enforcement Directorate, with applications through Service NSW.

Victoria Police lists the eligibility rules for a private security individual licence. Applicants must be at least 18, have work rights in Australia, pass a national police check, be a fit and proper person, complete training for the activities they'll do, and not have an indictable conviction in the past 10 years or bankruptcy in the past 5.

Frontline guarding pays well below policing. The better-paid end is security management, corporate risk and specialist investigations, where an officer's judgement and contacts matter more. Some training providers advertise shortened "assessment only" pathways for people with recent law enforcement experience; ask the regulator whether a pathway is approved before you pay for it.

Regulators need people who can inspect, gather evidence, write findings and take enforcement action. That covers liquor and gaming, transport, building, environment, fair trading, workplace safety and many more. Large companies employ compliance staff for the same reasons.

Regulatory roles are often in the public service, which can mean familiar conditions: public sector super, flexible hours and structured pay scales. They're also spread across regional areas, which suits officers who don't want to move to a capital city.

The figures above are from JSA's inspectors and regulatory officers profile (ANZSCO 5995). Corporate compliance managers and risk specialists sit in different occupation codes and can earn more, but we don't have a single comparable median for them.

Corrections is the most familiar environment for many officers: custody, conflict, reports, a uniform and shift work. It also pays less on average. JSA shows a prison officer median of $2,080 a week, $480 below the police median, with 19,800 employed nationally.

1. 1

   Apply and meet entry standards

   Example: NSW

   Corrective Services NSW, for example, lists age 18+, a driver licence, citizenship or residency, medical standards and reasonable fitness.

2. 2

   Primary training

   12 weeks

   In NSW, 12 weeks of face-to-face training at the Corrective Services Academy.

3. 3

   On-the-job assessment

   Up to 12 months

   Work-based learning for up to 12 months (24 for casuals) to complete the CSC30122 Certificate III in Correctional Practice (Adult Custodial).

Each state runs its own corrections service with its own process, so check the agency where you want to work. Community corrections (supervising people on orders in the community) is another option that uses case management and risk assessment skills without the custodial setting.

Officers who've worked in emergency management, major events, planning or command often move into emergency management with state agencies, councils, universities and large companies. The work is planning, exercising, coordinating and recovering, more than responding.

Emergency management, fire and rescue

Closest JSA occupation

Fire and emergency workers (4412)

Median a week

$2,473

Workplace health and safety

Closest JSA occupation

Occupational and environmental health professionals (2513)

Median a week

$2,284

Field	Closest JSA occupation	Median a week
Emergency management, fire and rescue	Fire and emergency workers (4412)	$2,473
Workplace health and safety	Occupational and environmental health professionals (2513)	$2,284

JSA has no separate median for 'emergency management officer'; the fire and emergency workers group is the closest available.

Workplace health and safety is a good fit for officers with investigation and risk assessment experience, but most WHS adviser roles expect a WHS qualification. It's one of the few fields here where the median gets close to policing.

Emergency management rewards the officer who wrote the plan, not just the one who ran the scene.

VET trainer and assessor

To deliver or assess nationally recognised training in a TAFE or registered training organisation, the standard entry qualification is the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122). Former officers teach security, first aid, investigations, compliance and public safety courses. Police academies also employ civilian and sworn instructors.

JSA shows a vocational education teacher median of $2,128 a week. That's below the police median, but VET teaching rarely involves nights or weekends.

School teaching

Teaching in a school needs an accredited initial teacher education qualification and registration with your state's teacher regulator. If you already have a degree, that usually means a two-year Master of Teaching. State education departments offer career-changer support: NSW lists teacher education scholarships open to career changers, including a rural stream.

Not everyone wants a clean break. Several forces have ways back in, or ways to stay involved on different terms.

Victoria Police reservist

What we found

Retired officers with at least 2 years' prior service (Australia, NZ or UK) can return as frontline support officers. Current full-time rate: $86,188.

Source

Victoria Police EA 2025; ABC News

NSW reappointment

What we found

Former NSWPF officers with 3+ years' service who left less than 3 years ago can apply; 12-month probation.

Source

NSW Police Force

Tasmania re-engagement

What we found

Re-Engagement Training Program for ex-Tasmania Police officers who left less than 2 years ago; NCO rank recognised.

Source

Tasmania Police

NT reappointment

What we found

Retired members may be reappointed at a rank not above their last, but not at 67 or older.

Source

Police Administration Act (NT)

Option	What we found	Source
Victoria Police reservist	Retired officers with at least 2 years' prior service (Australia, NZ or UK) can return as frontline support officers. Current full-time rate: $86,188.	Victoria Police EA 2025; ABC News
NSW reappointment	Former NSWPF officers with 3+ years' service who left less than 3 years ago can apply; 12-month probation.	NSW Police Force
Tasmania re-engagement	Re-Engagement Training Program for ex-Tasmania Police officers who left less than 2 years ago; NCO rank recognised.	Tasmania Police
NT reappointment	Retired members may be reappointed at a rank not above their last, but not at 67 or older.	Police Administration Act (NT)

Every force also employs unsworn staff in intelligence, forensics, training, prosecutions support, communications and policy. Those roles sit under public service pay scales rather than police agreements. Our guide to resigning from the police covers rejoining rules for each force in more detail.

The officers who make the smoothest move start planning a year out, while they still have a salary. Here's a simple sequence.

1. 1

   12 months out: take stock

   Records and money

   Get your training records and USI transcript, work out what your super does if you leave (see our police super guide) and price the pay gap.

2. 2

   9 months out: pick two paths

   Research

   Choose two target fields from this guide. Talk to former colleagues who've made the move and read real job ads for the selection criteria.

3. 3

   6 months out: fill the gaps

   Qualifications

   Start any licence or qualification you need (security licence, TAE40122, WHS). Use leave, not resignation, to study if you can.

4. 4

   3 months out: apply

   Applications

   Rewrite your resume in civilian language, apply, and negotiate. Ask about salary packaging, super and leave as well as base pay.

5. 5

   Resign on your terms

   Exit

   Give the notice your force requires and check your leave payout. Our resignation guide covers both.

If you're leaving because of an injury or illness, read the TPD and income protection guide before you resign: resigning can affect what you can claim.