Careers

Police officer on motorcycle

Employment Opportunities

Police officers

University of Illinois Police officers enjoy a unique law enforcement experience with opportunities for advancement in a vibrant community.

We are not currently accepting applications for new police officers. We anticipate reopening the application in spring 2025.

If you want to stay informed of when our testing process is open, you can join our mailing list to find out when we are accepting applications and receive other useful information about UIPD.

Experienced police officers can learn more about transferring to UIPD.

UIPD officers are fully-sworn and enjoy a unique experience.

Police officer in uniform poses for a picture with Illini football players lined up on the field sideline in the background.

Our mission is to maintain a safe community environment where education, research and public service can flourish. Our values of justice, respect and integrity have their foundation in the community-based ideals of public safety.

Our officers are fully-sworn, and the University of Illinois Police Department is a 24-hour operation. The department is accredited through the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, and we offer all the traditional police services like patrol, emergency response, investigations and crime prevention. We also offer some additional services uniquely tailored to meet the needs of our campus community.

The University of Illinois Police Department maintains high expectations of its sworn and non-sworn staff and is recognized as one of the premier university police departments in the country. Its officers boast a unique law enforcement experience as well as unique challenges, working with a diverse student and staff population and members of the Champaign-Urbana community.

UIPD takes pride in being a leader in community-based, progressive approaches toward law enforcement. The department supports its officers and encourages them to introduce creative and innovative ways to promote public safety, engage the community and be a leader on campus.

There are great opportunities at UIPD.

The University of Illinois Police Department has a number of highly specialized units that work in different capacities throughout the community. These units are opportunities to build expertise in a certain area and diversify your work as a law enforcement official. Some of those opportunities include:

  • Patrol
  • Investigations
  • K9 Unit
  • Community Outreach and Support
  • Behavioral Health
  • Explosive Ordnance Disposal
  • Bicycle Unit
  • ATV Unit
  • Crime Scene Investigations
  • Street Crimes Task Force
  • METRO Unit (SWAT)

You can hear from some of the officers in these units.

UIPD officers are well compensated for their work.

As university employees, police officers at UIPD receive a competitive salary and a strong benefits package, including:

Salary

  • $72,738 base pay for new officers
  • $79,144 after the first year
  • $91,250 with four years of service
  • As much as $10,000 to $15,000 annually in overtime
  • Additional seniority step increases

Including overtime, an officer with four years’ experience at UIPD can earn more than $100,000.

Benefits

  • Flexible work schedule with 3-4 days off per week
  • Additional paid time off
  • Health, life, dental and vision plans for you and your dependents
  • Pension through State Universities Retirement System
  • Supplementary tax-deferred retirement plans

Tuition waiver

Employees receive a 100% tuition waiver for themselves at any state school in Illinois, a great benefit for those looking to continue their education. Employees with seven years of service receive a 50% tuition waiver for their children at any state university, making UIPD the perfect choice for young families.

Sign me up.