Long Beach sits along the Pacific coast just south of Los Angeles and ranks as the seventh-largest city in California, with a population of over 450,000.1 The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) is the second-largest municipal police agency in Los Angeles County and provides law enforcement services to the city as well as contracted coverage for the Port of Long Beach, Long Beach Airport, Long Beach Transit, LA Metro, and Long Beach City College.2 The department is actively hiring entry-level and lateral officers. The steps to join the LBPD are outlined below.

Long Beach Police Officer Requirements

To apply for a police recruit position with the LBPD, candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:3

  • Be at least 20.5 years old
  • Be legally authorized to work in the US under federal law
  • Hold a valid driver’s license
  • Have a high school diploma or GED equivalent
  • Have no felony convictions and not be on court-ordered probation
  • Have vision correctable to 20/20
  • Have no physical or mental limitations that would prevent completion of any duty assignment

The application process begins with a written exam — either the California POST Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery (PELLETB), which the Civil Service Department administers at no cost, or the FrontLine National exam delivered through the National Testing Network. Candidates who pass move on to an orientation that includes a Physical Abilities Test consisting of an agility course, a timed 1.5-mile run, and an upper body and core strength assessment. Next are oral interviews — a Chief’s Oral Interview and a Background Assessment Interview — followed by polygraph and psychological screening, a full background investigation, selection, and a medical examination. Applicants selected at the end of that process are appointed as police recruits and enter the academy.4

For background on entering law enforcement in a big city like Long Beach, see 10 Steps to Becoming a Police Officer on our home page. Full application details are available on the Join LBPD recruitment page.

Long Beach Police Academy

Long Beach operates its own POST-certified training academy, and new recruits complete the California POST Regular Basic Course before being sworn in as officers.4 Training covers law, patrol procedures, driving, firearms, arrest and control techniques, communications, investigations, and report writing. Physical conditioning and scenario-based tactical exercises run throughout the program, and recruits must pass a series of written and skills evaluations to graduate. Performance is also evaluated on each recruit’s ability to accept coaching and work effectively under pressure. After graduation, new officers complete field training with a veteran LBPD officer and serve a one-year probationary period before reaching full sworn status.

Salary, Benefits, and Jobs Outlook

The LBPD publishes separate pay schedules for police recruits and laterals, both effective January 1, 2026.5 Police recruits earn $42.24 per hour while in the academy. On graduation and appointment to probationary police officer, pay rises to $46.94 per hour (approximately $97,972 annually), and officers progress to a top step of $61.03 per hour (approximately $127,378 annually). Newly hired recruits are eligible for a $15,000 sign-on incentive paid in three equal installments — at hire, at academy graduation, and at completion of the one-year probationary period.

Lateral applicants who hold a current California Basic POST Certificate are placed on an advanced step based on verified prior officer experience:5

Prior Officer Experience (with CA Basic POST Certificate)Starting Step
1.5 yearsStep 3
2.5 yearsStep 4
3.5 yearsStep 5
4.5 yearsStep 6

Laterals earn $52.23 to $61.03 per hour depending on step placement and qualify for a $30,000 sign-on incentive paid in three installments.5

LBPD officers are eligible for several additional pays, including an education differential of $1.60 per hour for an associate degree, $2.91 per hour for a bachelor’s, and $3.78 per hour for a master’s; $1.74 per hour for an Intermediate POST certificate; $1.20 per hour bilingual pay; and longevity pay beginning at $3.05 per hour after 10 years, rising to $4.58 after 15 years and $6.10 after 20 years. Special-assignment pays include $5.81 per hour for SWAT, $3.04 per hour for canine, $3.04 per hour for motorcycle duty, $3.49 per hour for dive team, and $8.72 per hour for field training officers.5

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, a deferred compensation program, paid vacation and sick leave, and paid parental leave after six months of service. Retirement is provided through CalPERS at 2.7% of final compensation per year of service, available at age 57 for entry-level hires. New hires may also qualify for up to $24,000 in childcare subsidies and up to $24,000 in housing subsidies during their first 24 months of service if they live in Long Beach.5

California employment of police and sheriff’s patrol officers is projected to grow 3.4% from 2022 to 2032, with approximately 5,180 new positions added each year on average, according to Projections Central.6 The mean annual wage for police and sheriff’s patrol officers in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area is $108,510, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates about 24,310 police and sheriff’s patrol officers work across the metro.7 For current LBPD openings, visit our jobs board.

Career Advancement at LBPD

All LBPD officers begin in patrol, where they respond to calls for service, conduct preliminary investigations, and build the case experience needed to move into specialty roles. After a few years on patrol, officers may apply for assignments such as detective work in the Investigations Bureau — including homicide, robbery, burglary, gang, and computer crimes details — SWAT, K-9, motorcycle and traffic enforcement, bike team, dive team, port security, and the Air Support Unit, which operates two Eurocopter AS350B2 helicopters supporting patrol, search and rescue, and tactical operations.8 The promotional ladder runs from Police Officer to Sergeant, Lieutenant, Commander, and Deputy Chief, with the Chief of Police leading the department. Detective assignments carry a $2.61 per hour skill pay, and detectives assigned to Homicide receive an additional $7.27 per hour Detective 2 pay.5

Cities and Police Departments Near Long Beach

Long Beach sits at the southern edge of Los Angeles County and is surrounded by a dense network of municipal agencies across the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area. Officers considering a California career can also explore opportunities with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Anaheim Police Department, the Huntington Beach Police Department, the Santa Ana Police Department, and the Torrance Police Department. For more information about police departments across the state, see our California page.

Additional Resources

LBPD Contact

1. US Census Bureau, QuickFacts, Long Beach city, California: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/longbeachcitycalifornia/PST045224
2. Long Beach Police Department, About the LBPD: https://www.longbeach.gov/police/about-the-lbpd/
3. Long Beach Police Department, Qualifications: https://www.longbeach.gov/police/about-the-lbpd/employment/join-lbpd/qualifications/
4. Long Beach Police Department, Police Recruit Hiring Process: https://www.longbeach.gov/police/about-the-lbpd/employment/join-lbpd/police-recruit/
5. Long Beach Police Department, Salary and Benefits: https://www.longbeach.gov/police/about-the-lbpd/employment/join-lbpd/salary-and-benefits/
6. Projections Central, Long-Term Occupational Projections, California, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, 2022-2032: https://projectionscentral.org/longterm
7. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0031080