Working for NZ Police

When you work for NZ Police, no two days are ever the same. As a police officer, you'll be responsible for responding to incidents in your area, interviewing witnesses and offenders, presenting evidence in court, working with victims of crime, providing advice and support to the community, and much more. You’ll never know what new challenges you'll face from one day to the next.

You'll learn valuable skills from day one, plus you’ll benefit from a great salary package, and have loads of career opportunities. What’s more, you’ll get the chance to make a real difference to the lives of others.

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, then joining NZ Police could be the career move you’ve been looking for.

Benefits of a job with NZ Police

NZ Police can offer you:

Amazing career progression opportunities

With over 30 different areas of policing, there is huge potential for professional development. Once you've completed two years as a probationary constable you can apply to work in other policing roles such as youth education, neighbourhood policing, the dive squad, search and rescue or the criminal investigation branch to name a few.

An exciting career

Working for NZ Police is both challenging and exciting. You’ll carry out your duties in a whole range of environments, from the office to the beat.  However it's important to realise that you won’t spend every minute pursuing offenders. You'll be required to complete important paperwork relating to the jobs and investigations you'll be involved in.

Great pay and benefits

You'll be paid while you complete training at the Royal NZ Police College. After graduating you'll earn a salary of $51,815, with an average remuneration of around $64,000 for the first year out of the college. Further pay increases will depend on your role, your shift patterns and promotion. The average salary for an officer working in their fourth year is around $60,000 with an average remuneration of around $74,000. Hence your pay is likely to increase along with your experience on the job. Remuneration includes salary, superannuation, life insurance and allowances.

Supportive team environment

You’ll enjoy working in a close-knit team, where your colleagues look out for you, and you for them. You’ll form bonds and friendships that'll last for life, with people who share your sense of responsibility, loyalty and pride.

The chance to make a difference

You’ll be responsible for preventing and solving crime, and helping people when they need it most. This is your chance to make a real difference in your own community, and to New Zealand as a whole.

Skills and fitness for life

As an officer in NZ Police, you’ll be encouraged to be your best. It’s a role that will keep both your mind and body active. And you’ll benefit from lots of ongoing training and development opportunities too.

Work/life balance

Balancing recreation, family life and work is achievable with flexible employment opportunities and rostered hours that offer more flexibility and time off than most other careers. All probationary constables and most police officers work on a rostered basis. There are typically three shifts; 6:30am to 3:30pm, 1:30pm to 11:30pm and 10:30pm to 6:30am. The length of the shifts is balanced by the fact that officers commonly get 3-4 days off rather than two. With good time management you actually get more time for recreation and whanau than most other careers.

Find out more about working for NZ Police

Watch real work stories from cops on the beat, hear police officers talk about their daily lives, or find out about the possible police careers you could embark on.