If you’ve been trying to make sense of Ontario police salaries, you’re not alone. Whether you’re considering the career, comparing public-sector jobs, or simply curious where your tax dollars go, understanding how police pay works can feel surprisingly confusing. So let’s walk through the numbers in a way that actually feels human—not like reading a contract.
You can also explore more public-sector pay breakdowns at any time in our Public Sector Insights section on PublicPayPulse.
What’s the Starting Pay Like?
When someone joins a police service in Ontario, they usually begin somewhere between $60,000 and $75,000. That range shifts based on the service, whether you start as a cadet, and how quickly your pay steps move.
A few real examples give you a clearer sense of things:
- London Police Service: A 4th Class Constable earns $73,828 (July 2025).
- Lakeshore Regional Police: Cadet pay starts at $70,231.80.
Most services follow a predictable progression. You move through classifications until you hit “first class,” and each step comes with an automatic raise. If you like the idea of knowing exactly what your pay will look like in a year or two, this career offers that kind of structure.
How Does Pay Grow With Experience?
As the years go on, your earnings grow through a mix of step increases, seniority incentives, and negotiated wage bumps.
A good example is the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), whose 2023–2026 contract includes:
- +4.75% (Jan 1, 2023)
- +4.5% (Jan 1, 2024)
- +2.75% (Jan 1, 2025)
- +2.75% (Jan 1, 2026)
Because of those increases, a first-class constable is projected to earn $123,194 by 2026.
There’s also a long-service incentive called the Provincial Responsibility Incentive (PRI):
- 8+ years: +3%
- 17–22 years: +6%
- 23+ years: +9%
And tucked into all of this are “increments,” meaning you may receive accelerated increases based on performance. They’re not guaranteed, but they do exist.
What Officers Actually Make on Average
Across Ontario, most officers aren’t new recruits. That’s why the average salary looks higher than the starting range.
Recent data paints a pretty consistent picture:
- Indeed (Ontario-wide): about $86,973–$87,380
- Indeed (OPP-specific): $108,443
- Glassdoor (OPP constables in Toronto): $93,000–$112,000, averaging around $103,000
These numbers mostly reflect experienced constables—the people who make up the bulk of Ontario’s policing workforce.
If you’re trying to compare these earnings with other public-sector roles, you can explore more pay guides on PublicPayPulse’s Public Sector Insights page.
Salary Table: Ontario Police Officer Salaries (2025)
| Service Type | Role | 2025 Salary Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal (Toronto, Ottawa) | Recruit | $70,000–$78,000 | Big-city grids trend higher |
| First-Class Constable | $105,000–$115,000 | Toronto typically near top end | |
| Regional (Peel, York, Durham) | Recruit | $72,000–$80,000 | High-demand regions |
| First-Class Constable | $110,000–$118,000 | Consistently among highest in Ontario | |
| OPP | Recruit | Mid-$70,000s | Province-wide grid |
| First-Class Constable | ~$120,000+ | Includes incentive structure | |
| Sergeant (All Services) | — | $120,000–$135,000+ | Varies by region |
| Staff Sergeant | — | $135,000–$150,000+ | Leadership role |
Overtime, Premiums, and the Extras That Add Up
Base salary is only part of an officer’s earnings. Overtime, shift premiums, and specialized duties can boost income significantly.
Under the current OPP agreement:
- Shift premium: $0.98/hour for time worked between 4 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Court time, emergency call-ins, and special duty shifts can push an officer’s total earnings well beyond their base pay, sometimes by 10–30% depending on the service.
And then there’s the benefits package:
- OMERS defined-benefit pension
- Health and dental coverage
- Long-term disability insurance
- Mental health supports
These aren’t small perks. A defined-benefit pension alone has long-term value that’s hard to replicate in the private sector.
How Does This Compare to Other Public Sector Jobs?
Policing tends to land on the higher end of Ontario’s public-sector pay scale, especially after the first few years. Because arbitrators often try to “match” salaries across police services, municipal forces like Toronto, Peel, Halton, and Ottawa usually follow close to OPP wage levels.
It’s also worth noting that the most recent OPP deal delivered stronger annual increases than many other public-sector contracts. After years of wage restrictions under Bill 124, that mattered.
If you’re researching public-sector roles more broadly, you may find these useful:
Other salary breakdowns in the Public Sector Insights library
Our guide on how much nurses make in Ontario
Pros & Trade-Offs to Consider (for Someone Thinking of Joining)
Pros:
- Strong starting pay compared to most public-sector roles
- Predictable raises built into multi-year contracts
- Overtime opportunities that can add real income
- A stable, defined-benefit pension
Trade-Offs/Challenges:
- Shift work that rotates through nights, weekends, and holidays
- Emotional and physical stress that doesn’t show up on a pay stub
- Overtime can help financially but can also stretch you thin
- Raises are tied to contract cycles — you can’t negotiate individually
Key Takeaways
Starting pay for constables in Ontario is decent (~$60K–$75K), depending on the force.
Experienced constables in major forces (like the OPP) can comfortably cross $100,000+ in base pay, especially with incentives and overtime.
The current OPP contract (2023–2026) provides meaningful wage increases plus a structure for long-term growth.
Beyond base pay, officers benefit from pensions, shift premiums, and overtime, which all factor into their total compensation.
Final Thoughts
When you strip away the noise around police pay, what you’re left with is a steady career that offers predictable earnings and long-term security. But the salary grid doesn’t capture everything. It doesn’t include the long nights, the missed holidays, or the emotional weight officers carry home after a difficult shift.
If you’re exploring policing as a potential path, I hope the numbers give you a clearer, more grounded starting point. And if you’re here simply to understand how officers are paid, I hope this helped cut through some of the confusion.
For more public-sector pay breakdowns, you can explore the full library at PublicPayPulse.com/public-sector-insights.