San Francisco is home to over 820,000 residents and is the fourth-largest city in California.1 The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) employs approximately 1,912 sworn officers, including academy recruits, to protect and serve the city’s residents and visitors.2 Men and women interested in joining the SFPD will find information on the application, selection, and training process below.

San Francisco Police Officer Requirements

To qualify for a position with the San Francisco Police Department, candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Be at least 20 years of age at the time of the written exam, and at least 21 by the time of appointment
  • Be legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law
  • Hold a valid driver’s license throughout the selection process; a California driver’s license is required before appointment
  • Possess a high school diploma, GED, California High School Equivalency Certificate, or an associate’s degree or higher from an accredited US college or university
  • Have no felony convictions, including convictions that have been expunged
  • Have no domestic violence convictions
  • Have no misdemeanor conviction that carries a penalty prohibiting the ownership, possession, or control of a firearm
  • Not be restricted from employment with the City and County of San Francisco

Candidates begin the process by submitting an application with the City and County of San Francisco. Qualified applicants then complete a written exam–either the FrontLine National Law Enforcement Examination administered by the National Testing Network (NTN) or the California POST PELLETB–followed by a Physical Ability Test (PAT). Those who pass both exams advance to an oral interview. Candidates who score high enough are placed on an eligibility list, from which the department selects finalists to undergo a background investigation before attending the academy.

For more information about becoming a law enforcement officer in a big city, see 10 Steps to Becoming a Police Officer on the how-to-become-a-police-officer.com home page. Interested applicants can find current recruitment information and apply on the SFPD recruitment website.

SFPD Police Academy

All SFPD recruits complete basic training at the SFPD Regional Training Center Basic Academy. The academy runs 34 weeks on a schedule of four 10-hour days per week and is non-residential. Recruits attend an orientation session the week before instruction begins. Training covers military drills, first aid and basic life support, ethics, firearms proficiency, physical training and defensive tactics, criminal law and the criminal justice system, report writing, emergency vehicle operations and control, crisis intervention, active shooter response, and simulation and scenario-based exercises, among other topics.

Salary, Benefits, and Jobs Outlook

Entry-level SFPD officers begin earning $119,262 per year on the first day of the academy.3 With step increases, pay reaches up to $178,394 per year after seven years of service and up to $198,102 per year after 25 years; these figures include POST, retention, and uniform pay.3

Officers receive 10 paid vacation days per year during the first five years of service, 15 days per year during the following 10 years, and 20 days per year after 15 years of service, along with four floating holidays and 13 paid sick days per year with an annual sick leave buyout.3 Additional pay differentials include 6.25% for night shifts and 5% specialty pay for Bomb Squad, K-9, and SWAT assignments. Medical, dental, and vision coverage is provided for officers, spouses, and dependents. Officers are enrolled in a defined-benefit pension plan that pays 3% of final compensation per year of service, with retirement available at age 58 and a maximum benefit of 90% of final compensation; longevity pay begins after five years of service.3

In California, employment of police and sheriff’s patrol officers is projected to grow 3.4% between 2022 and 2032, generating approximately 5,180 job openings per year on average.4 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 7,860 police and sheriff’s patrol officers work in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metropolitan area, earning a mean annual wage of $128,430.5 The number of officers the SFPD hires in any given year depends on the city’s public safety budget and annual retirements. Find open San Francisco police officer positions on our jobs board.

Career Advancement at SFPD

All SFPD officers begin their careers in the Field Operations Bureau, assigned to one of the department’s 10 district patrol stations. After gaining patrol experience, officers may pursue specialty unit assignments in areas such as Homicide, Investigations, the SWAT Team, K-9, Mounted Patrol, and Crisis Intervention, among others. Officers advance through the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain through competitive examinations administered by the City’s Department of Human Resources; exam openings are announced through official department notices and the city’s careers portal. The Chief of Police makes all final selection appointments from the promotional eligibility list.

Cities and Police Departments Near San Francisco

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 7,860 police and sheriff’s patrol officers are employed in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metropolitan area.5 Officers seeking opportunities elsewhere in the Bay Area can explore openings with the Berkeley Police Department, the Daly City Police Department, the Oakland Police Department, the San Mateo Police Department, and the San Rafael Police Department. For more information about police departments across the state, see our California page.

Additional Resources

SFPD Contact

References:
1. US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates, San Francisco city, California: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanfranciscocitycalifornia/PST045224
2. San Francisco Police Department, Sworn Demographics Report: https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/your-sfpd/published-reports/demographics
3. San Francisco Police Department Recruitment, Pay and Benefits: https://www.joinsfpd.com/entry-level-program
4. Projections Central, Long-Term Occupational Projections, California: https://projectionscentral.org/longterm
5. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0041860