With a population of over 489,000, Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska.1 Positioned at the crossroads of the Midwest on the Missouri River, Omaha anchors a metro area of more than one million residents across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. The Omaha Police Department (OPD) is the largest law enforcement agency in the state, with an authorized strength of 906 sworn officers.2 OPD accepts both entry-level and lateral applicants. Men and women who want to join the Omaha Police Department will find information on the application, selection, and training process below.

Omaha Police Officer Requirements

To join the OPD, candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:

  • Be a US citizen on or before graduation from the training academy
  • Be at least 21 years of age on or before graduation from the training academy
  • Possess a valid driver’s license throughout the application process
  • Have graduated from high school or earned a GED
  • Be able to read and comprehend English at an 11th-grade level
  • Have no felony convictions or convictions for any offense punishable by a year or more of imprisonment
  • Have no misdemeanor domestic violence convictions that would disqualify firearm possession under federal law
  • Have no driving-under-the-influence convictions within the two years preceding admission to the academy
  • Be physically and mentally fit to perform the duties of a police officer, as determined by examination

The OPD hiring process begins with an online application through the City of Omaha Human Resources Department. Candidates who qualify advance to a physical ability test and a written examination. Top-performing applicants move on to a background investigation and an interview with the Chief of Police. Those who are successful at this stage may receive a conditional offer of employment, contingent on passing a medical examination, drug screen, and psychological evaluation. Candidates who clear every step are offered a final position in the Omaha Police Academy. Lateral applicants — officers already certified by the State of Nebraska, another state, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs — follow a streamlined process.

For more information about becoming a law enforcement officer in a big city like Omaha, check out 10 Steps to Becoming a Police Officer on our home page. For full details on each step and to apply, visit the Join OPD recruitment site.

Omaha Police Academy

New Omaha police recruits train at the Omaha Police Academy, held at the Omaha Public Safety Training Center. The academy runs Monday through Friday during daytime hours and covers 22 to 23 weeks of classroom and skills instruction.2 Coursework includes the state-mandated basic curriculum of 459 hours set by the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center, along with an additional 301 hours of advanced training tailored to metropolitan policing. Topics include criminal law, report writing, patrol tactics, criminal investigations, firearms, and defensive tactics, along with substantial physical fitness work. After graduating from the academy, recruits spend 15 weeks in field training alongside a veteran officer before moving to solo patrol assignments.2

Salary, Benefits, and Jobs Outlook

Under the current Omaha Police Officers Association contract, OPD officers are the highest-paid municipal law enforcement officers in Nebraska.3 Base pay advances through a nine-step schedule, with one step added for each completed year of service until an officer reaches top step after eight years. The contract eliminated the probationary training wage that previously applied to first-year personnel, so new recruits earn the full entry-level salary from their first day. The 2026 base pay schedule, effective December 21, 2025, is shown below.4

Service TimeAnnual Base SalaryMonthly Base
Initial hire (academy graduation)$79,580.80$6,631.73
After 1 year of service$84,323.20$7,026.93
After 2 years of service$89,086.40$7,423.87
After 3 years of service$92,476.80$7,706.40
After 4 years of service$96,408.00$8,034.00
After 5 years of service$98,342.40$8,195.20
After 6 years of service$101,920.00$8,493.33
After 7 years of service$106,537.60$8,878.13
After 8 years of service (top step)$110,260.80$9,188.40

Officers also earn overtime, bilingual pay, college incentive pay, and premium pay for certain specialty assignments. Benefits include medical and dental benefit options, life insurance, a pension-funded retirement plan, retiree healthcare, generous vacation, sick, and military leave, and 13 paid holidays. Under the Nebraska First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act, officers and their legal dependents also qualify for 100% free resident tuition, after financial aid, for associate or baccalaureate programs at the University of Nebraska, the Nebraska State College system, and Nebraska community colleges.2

In Nebraska, employment of police and sheriff’s patrol officers is projected to grow 5% from 2022 to 2032, with approximately 240 new positions added each year on average, according to Projections Central.5 The number of officers hired by OPD in any given year is also affected by retirements, attrition, and the city’s public safety budget.

Find open Omaha police officer listings on our jobs board.

Career Advancement at OPD

All Omaha police officers begin their careers on patrol. After completing the probationary period and gaining patrol experience, officers may apply for specialty assignments such as Criminal Investigations, Gang Unit, K-9, SWAT, Traffic, and School Resource duties. Promotion to the supervisory ranks is competitive and requires a combination of time in rank, successful performance on civil service examinations, and command-level assessment.

Under the 2026 pay plan, Sergeants earn $110,760 to $123,281 per year across a seven-step schedule, Lieutenants earn $126,588 to $138,008 across six steps, and Captains earn $145,038 to $166,150 across five steps, with step placement driven by years of service at time of promotion.4 The Chief of Police and Deputy Chief positions are appointed from the department’s command ranks.

Cities and Police Departments Near Omaha

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA metropolitan area employs approximately 1,650 police and sheriff’s patrol officers, who earn a mean annual wage of $81,570.6 Law enforcement professionals in the region can also explore opportunities with the Council Bluffs Police Department, the Bellevue Police Department, the Papillion Police Department, the La Vista Police Department, the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. For more information about police departments across the state, see our Nebraska page.

Additional Resources

Omaha Police Department Contact

1. US Census Bureau, QuickFacts, Omaha city, Nebraska: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/omahacitynebraska/PST045224
2. Join OPD, the Omaha Police Department’s recruitment site: https://www.joinopd.com/
3. City of Omaha, “Police Staffing Plan Guarantees Highest Wages in Nebraska,” March 2025: https://www.cityofomaha.org/latest-news/1172-police-staffing-plan-guarantees-highest-wages-in-nebraska
4. City of Omaha Human Resources, 2026 Police Bargaining Pay Plan, effective December 21, 2025: https://hr.cityofomaha.org/wp-content/uploads/Police-Barg-Pay-Plan-2026.pdf
5. Projections Central, Long-Term Occupational Projections, Nebraska: https://projectionscentral.org/longterm
6. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA: https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0036540