Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota, with a population of over 428,000.1 Known for its lakes, park system, and role as the economic anchor of the Twin Cities metro, Minneapolis is actively rebuilding its police force after several years of steep attrition. The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) currently employs approximately 600 sworn officers and is hiring both recruits and lateral transfers to work toward the city charter’s minimum staffing level of 731.2,3 Information on qualifications, training, and the hiring process is outlined below.

Minneapolis Police Officer Requirements

To be considered for a Recruit Police Officer position with the Minneapolis Police Department, candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:

  • Completion of a two- or four-year law enforcement or criminal justice degree through a Professional Peace Officer Education program, and passing the Minnesota POST Licensing Exam or an approved equivalent
  • Be authorized to work in the United States
  • Hold Minnesota POST certification within 60 days of the academy start date
  • Hold a Minnesota State Police Officer License
  • Maintain a valid driver’s license
  • Have no felony conviction
  • Pass the MPD background investigation
  • Pass a pre-hire drug and alcohol screening, medical examination with work simulation testing, and psychological evaluation

Applicants submit materials through the City of Minneapolis online portal during an open posting window. Qualified candidates are invited to test with the National Testing Network, then move into the background investigation and a department interview, followed by pre-employment medical, psychological, and fitness assessments before a final offer is extended. Experienced officers from other agencies should apply separately through the Lateral Police Officer pathway, which has its own orientation and field training track.

For more information about becoming a law enforcement officer in a major city like Minneapolis, see 10 Steps to Becoming a Police Officer on our home page. To apply, visit the MPD Recruits and Laterals page.

Minneapolis Police Academy

New recruits train at the Minneapolis Police Academy for 14 to 16 weeks on a Monday-through-Friday schedule.4 The curriculum combines physical conditioning with classroom and scenario-based instruction in patrol operations, emergency vehicle operations, defensive tactics, medical response, mental illness and crisis intervention, crime scene response and investigations, report writing, department computer systems, community relations, procedural justice, and ethics.4 After graduating and earning Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) licensure, new officers complete six months of field training, working one-on-one with a training officer and rotating assignments each month, before moving into regular patrol duty.4

Salary, Benefits, and Jobs Outlook

Candidates hired through the Police Cadet pathway — a paid, pre-sworn track for applicants still completing their degree or POST licensure — earn $69,742 per year while in training. Once sworn in as police officers, pay for Minneapolis officers ranges from $86,588 to $112,166 per year, with placement on the scale determined by prior full-time law enforcement experience for laterals.5 The Police Officers’ Federation of Minneapolis Labor Agreement governs step progressions, shift differential, longevity pay, and job-related expense reimbursements for sworn personnel.6

Benefits include medical and dental benefit options, vacation, sick leave, paid holidays, and up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees. Reimbursement is provided for health club membership, uniforms, and equipment. Retirement is administered through the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA), with optional participation in deferred compensation plans through the Minnesota State Retirement System.5,6

Minnesota employment of police and sheriff’s patrol officers is projected to grow 5% from 2022 to 2032, with approximately 880 new positions added each year on average.7 Hiring volume at MPD in any given year is also affected by retirements, attrition, and the City’s public safety budget, which in 2026 funds up to 731 sworn positions.2

Find open Minneapolis police officer listings on our jobs board.

Career Advancement at MPD

All new Minneapolis officers begin in patrol and typically spend at least two years there before becoming eligible for specialty assignments. After five years of continuous service, officers can sit for the sergeant’s promotional examination, the entry point into the MPD supervisory ranks. Promotion beyond sergeant progresses through lieutenant and captain, with command staff positions such as inspector, deputy chief, and chief appointed from the department’s senior ranks.

Specialty assignments available once patrol and eligibility requirements are met include investigations, SWAT, K-9, bomb squad, traffic, crisis negotiation, and community engagement, among others.

Cities and Police Departments Near Minneapolis

Beyond MPD, law enforcement candidates in the region can pursue careers with the Saint Paul Police Department, the Bloomington Police Department, the Brooklyn Park Police Department, the Brooklyn Center Police Department, and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, as well as numerous smaller suburban and rural agencies across the Twin Cities metro. For more information about police departments across the state, see our Minnesota page.

Additional Resources

Minneapolis Police Department Contact

1. US Census Bureau, QuickFacts, Minneapolis city, Minnesota: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/minneapoliscityminnesota/PST045224
2. Meet Minneapolis, Policing and Community Safety Initiatives: https://www.minneapolis.org/safety-updates/future-of-public-safety/
3. City of Minneapolis News, MPD tops 600 sworn personnel: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/news/2025/june/sworn-personnel/
4. Minneapolis Police Academy, City of Minneapolis: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/jobs/police-jobs/minneapolis-police-academy/
5. City of Minneapolis Job Opportunities, Police Officer (Recruit) and Police Officer Lateral postings: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/minneapolismn
6. Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis Labor Agreement, City of Minneapolis: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/hr/labor-agreements/police-officers-federation/
7. O*NET OnLine, Minnesota Employment Trends 33-3051.00 Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers (Projections Central 2022-2032): https://www.onetonline.org/link/localtrends/33-3051.00?st=MN