Police officers increase in pay

Police officers are set to get a bump in their pay with the $3,500 retention bonus hitting officers’ accounts this month.

The one-off retention payment is payable to all sworn staff, up to and including Chief Superintendent, who are employed on 1 January 2026.

Officers will also receive a further 4 per cent increase or adjustment to the national midpoint salary, whichever is higher, from this month.

This follows a 4 per cent salary increase in 2025 and a $2,500 retention bonus in 2025 as part of an interim two-year agreement – and the largest pay rise in 30 years.

This comes as latest police data showing officers leaving the force has begun to fall. In 2025-26, resignations and retirements fell to 109, down from 228 the year before – a drop of 52 per cent. In 2023-24 it was 254 and in 2022-23 it was 263 as we inherited a staffing crisis that we have now started to turn around.

The previous Liberal Government’s unfair pay deal saw officers leave the force in droves, whereas our investments in police, including the largest pay rise in 30 years, has seen that turn around with more officers staying on.

It also follows more than 3000 applications to SAPOL in the past financial year as well as 264 sworn in officers – which is the best recruitment numbers in years.

As part of the interim agreement, the State Government also committed to a range of reforms including an extended hours roster, travel and on-call allowances, regional incentives, and the abolition of junior cadet rates.

Quotes

Attributable to Blair Boyer

The State Government is committed to building South Australia’s police force and supporting those officers who put their lives on the line to keep the South Australian community safe.

We want young people to consider policing as a career of choice and these incentives are a way of doing that.

We want the very best applicants joining South Australia Police and to have the framework in place to support them during their careers.

These decreasing trends in retirements and resignations continue to show that our investments are working.

This government is a government that supports law enforcement and community safety and by supporting our officers we hope to see even more join the force.