A Supplemental Report
A Supplemental Report on the State's Law Enforcement Salary Schedule (Salary Schedule C) for the 2026-2027 Biennium
December 2024
Summary
This supplemental report serves as an update to A Report on the State’s Law Enforcement Salary Schedule (Salary Schedule C) for the 2026-2027 Biennium (SAO Report No. 25-703, November 2024). That report provided an analysis of the maximum base pay comparison for law enforcement positions paid in accordance with Salary Schedule C to the seven largest local law enforcement departments in the state as of June 2024. It also included recommendations for adjustments to salary steps within Salary Schedule C in accordance with that analysis.
However, just prior to the release of the previous report, the City of Fort Worth and the City of Austin approved new police contracts that included substantial increases in base pay, which were not included in our previous analysis. Additionally, two other law enforcement departments included in the scope of our study implemented increases in base pay subsequent to our June 2024 survey. Those increases in base pay are also included in this updated analysis.
As a result of the updated analysis, the cost to align Salary Schedule C with the updated market average has increased. Consequently, larger adjustments to the pay steps in Salary Schedule C may be needed to maintain its competitiveness with the updated average maximum base pay of the seven largest local law enforcement departments in the state.
The updated maximum base pay comparison and revised cost recommendations are presented in the attachment. Please note that this supplemental report does not include any updates on supplemental pay, which covers additional compensation for qualifications such as education, certifications, or bilingual skills.