Careers

APD Recruiting

We are looking for qualified men and women to join our team and help build a safer Austin. If you have a desire to protect and a heart to serve the Austin community, you’re in the right place. As an Austin police officer you’ll be working in a large, diverse city with a growing population and many career opportunities.

The Austin Police Department is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and will employ positive business and personnel practices designed to ensure equal employment opportunities to all applicants. The Austin Police Department is committed to being a reflection of the community in which we live and work. We acknowledge racism and challenge discrimination and oppression. We are committed to anti-racism principles in all areas of our work. We believe change is possible, and that our organization and the Austin community will grow stronger as discrimination, oppression and racism are eliminated. At APD, anti-racism is not just a policy, it is a set of principles we measure every aspect of our work against. Diversity, equity and inclusion is everyone's responsibility within the APD family. If you share these values and are committed to furthering the same principles, we encourage you to join our agency.

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying for a sworn position, you’ll find the Apply Now button at the top of each page of our website. Be sure you’ve read through the Hiring Process page for information on minimum requirements and how the application process works. If you'd like to be a member of our civilian support staff, please see below.

IMPORTANT: We contact all applicants via email throughout the hiring process. It is recommended that you add iCIMS to your approved/safe sender list to ensure that our emails are properly delivered to your inbox and not marked as spam. Not taking this step may result in you missing important updates regarding your application. 

Follow us on social media @JoinAPD for class announcements.

Regular Police Academy

  • Application Status: Open 
  • Academy Start Dates: September 2023 and February 2024 (Apply Now!)

Requirements: No experience required. See Minimum Requirements here.

Transitional Officer Program

  • Application Status: Open
  • Academy Start Dates: September 2023 (Apply Now!)

Requirements: At least 3 years of current, active law enforcement experience. Visit the Academy page of our website for more details.

Internships

Application Status: Please check back regularly for information about our Fall 2023 Internship Program. 

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Training building entrance

ACADEMY AND FIELD TRAINING

Each police cadet must attend and graduate from either the Regular Academy or Transitional Officer Program. Cadets are required to perform classroom academics, physical training, and skills proficiency while attending the police academy.

Graduates will be placed into a Field Training Program before being assigned to patrol. Visit the Academy page to learn more about each academy and how best to prepare.

Female officer

HIRING PROCESS

All applicants must submit an online application along with a PDF copy of a current Experian credit report. Our department hires in cycles, which means that the application is only available when we are currently hiring for an academy class.

Prospective applicants who missed the hiring window are encouraged to submit a Contact Form to receive email updates on upcoming hiring cycles. Visit the Hiring Process page for more information about the entire process.

3 officers and patrol car on downtown bridge

PAY AND BENEFITS

The Austin Police Department offers a competitive salary and retirement structure, great health benefits, and a slew of other incentives such as paid time off and department-issued uniforms and equipment.

Read about all of our benefits.

femail officer and patrol car

CAREER PATHS

After graduating the police academy, your opportunities for career advancement are limitless.

We offer assignments in over 50 specialized units as well as opportunities to promote up the chain of command. Visit our Career Paths page to read about available career opportunities and to learn more about our rank structure. 

Forensic staff member taking fingerprints

CIVILIAN SUPPORT STAFF

Working for the Austin Police Department does not always require wearing a badge. We have more than 500 civilians in a variety of support roles in our organization. You can answer 911 calls, dispatch police officers, work as a fingerprint or property crimes technician or even as a crime scene unit. We also have a number of administrative and technical roles throughout the department. Be part of a civilian team that supports the hard work of Austin Police officers in a rewarding career where what you do every day, behind the scene, helps make a difference for the citizens of Austin. You can find a list of current openings here.