As Johnson County considers raising starting salaries for deputies at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, local data shows that starting deputies in that department typically begin with higher salaries than officers in many other local police departments — but may experience less pay growth over time.
Driving the news: Following extensive discussion last week, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday opted to defer official approval of a pay increase proposal for Sheriff’s Office deputies for at least another week.
- The request for a pay boost comes as Sheriff Calvin Hayden says his department is facing “emergency” staffing levels, with 69 deputy vacancies as of Thursday.
Where pay stands now: As of now, starting deputy salaries at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office amounts to $49,939, with a maximum salary of $81,432.
- Under the plan proposed by county staff last week, starting deputy pay would be boosted from $49,939 to $55,120, based on a new hourly rate of $26.50.
- Deputies could also earn a maximum of about $91,300 under the plan.
How that compares: According to data presented by county staff last week, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office’s current minimum salary is higher than the starting pay in a number of local police departments, which Hayden has said his office is in frequent competition with when hiring new deputies.
- The Sheriff’s Office’s starting salary is higher than the starting pay at t the Shawnee Police Department, which begins officers at $45,478, the Olathe Police Department’s minimum rate of $47,000 and the Overland Park Police Department’s minimum of $47,214.
- Local police departments with higher minimum starting annual salaries than the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office include Kansas City, Kansas at $50,013 and Leawood at $53,040.
At the top end: However, the sheriff’s department’s current maximum salary of $81,432 per year is lower than the maximum salary at most of Johnson County’s local police departments.
- This includes, for instance, the Olathe Police Department’s annual maximum salary of $82,000 and Leawood’s annual maximum of $91,237.
Other sheriff departments: According to a recent job posting, deputies at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office begin at $23.07 per hour — which amounts to $55,492 annually for a 40-hour work week.
- In Wyandotte County, deputies typically start out at $3,519.16 per month, which amounts to $42,229 per year.
- The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office begins deputies at $48,880 per year, with a maximum salary of $80,568 per year.
Zooming out: In the wider region, data presented at last week’s commission meeting shows that other Midwest city police departments have higher starting salaries than the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office does.
- For example, police officers in Des Moines, Iowa start at $61,360 per year, with a maximum of $102,107 per year.
- The Omaha Police Department in Nebraska starts officers at $50,357 per year, with a maximum of $85,322 per year.
What happens next with Johnson County Sheriff’s Office pay
At next week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board is expected to officially consider a pay plan to raise the department’s minimum deputy salary up to $55,120, from $49,939.