Police Captain Jobs

Police Captain jobs are open across municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies, at levels from patrol supervisor to precinct commander, with specializations in community policing, criminal investigations, and emergency management. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

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Overview

Open roles222+
Top stateCalifornia
Top employerWellSpan Health
Top citySan Francisco, CA
Work type80% On-site
Top industryEducation

Showing 5 of 222+ Police Captain jobs

Police Records Technician
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New 3h ago
Police Records Technician
City of Wilmington, NC
Wilmington, North Carolina
Administrative & Office Support
Business Operations
Data Analytics
$22.99 - $29.31/hr
High school diploma or GED
501-1,000

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Police Academy Instructor
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New 4h ago
Police Academy Instructor
The University of Texas System
Austin, Texas
Business Strategy
Compliance & Risk
Consulting & Professional Services
Hybrid
Master's degree
201-500

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University Police Communications & Security Specialist 1
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New 5h ago
University Police Communications & Security Specialist 1
SUNY Brockport
Brockport, New York
Business Operations
Human Resources (HR) — Generalist
Recruiting & Talent Acquisition

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Co-Responder Clinician - Denver Police Department
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New 7h ago
Co-Responder Clinician - Denver Police Department
City and County of Denver
Denver, Colorado
Healthcare Administration
Mental & Behavioral Health
Social Work & Counseling
$35.21 - $54.57/hr
Master's degree in social work
10,000+

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Police Records Technician
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New 9h ago
Police Records Technician
City of Round Rock, TX
Round Rock, Texas
Compliance & Legal
Legal Counsel
Paralegal & Legal Support
$43k - $51k/yr
High school diploma or GED

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See All 222+ Police Captain Jobs

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Police Captain Job Market

Who's Hiring

WellSpan Health8 open roles
City and County of San Francisco5 open roles
City of Dallas4 open roles

Top Industries Hiring

  • Education
  • Science & Research
  • Government & Public Sector
  • Healthcare & Medical Services

What Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in police captain jobs.

  • Minimum of 10 years of sworn law enforcement experience, including supervisory roles
  • Current or recent peace officer certification from the relevant state POST commission
  • Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, public administration, or a closely related field
  • Demonstrated experience managing budgets, personnel evaluations, and department-level policy
  • Completion of a recognized command leadership program such as an FBI National Academy or state command college
  • Proficiency with records management systems, crime analysis platforms, and incident reporting software

Tips for Your Police Captain Job Search

Tailor your resume to command-level metrics

Police captain candidates are expected to show results, not just duties. Quantify the size of units you supervised, reductions in response times you led, or budget allocations you managed. Hiring panels look for evidence of organizational impact, not patrol-level activity logs.

Get your command certifications in order

Many agencies require completion of a state command college, FBI National Academy, or similar executive leadership program before considering captain candidates. Confirm which credential your target agencies prefer and list it prominently above your work history.

Apply early to roles that fit

Migrate Mate lists police captain openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match your rank, specialization, and jurisdiction type and apply directly to each listing without sorting through unrelated postings.

Target postings by jurisdiction size and type

A captain role in a 20-officer rural department carries different expectations than one in a major metro precinct. Filter your search by agency size and type, then align your cover letter to the specific command challenges that jurisdiction actually faces.

Prepare for the assessment center format

Most captain promotions and lateral hires use an assessment center, not a traditional interview. Practice in-basket exercises, oral board simulations, and leaderless group discussions. Reviewing past assessment center scenarios from your state's POST standards office gives you a concrete preview of what to expect.

Negotiate total compensation, not just base pay

Law enforcement compensation packages include pension tier, take-home vehicle policy, uniform allowance, shift differential, and longevity pay. Know the full package for each agency before your final interview so you can negotiate from an informed position rather than focusing on base salary alone.

Police Captain Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions

Which companies are hiring the most police captains?

WellSpan Health, City and County of San Francisco, and City of Dallas are hiring the most police captains right now, with openings concentrated in California, Texas, and Pennsylvania, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Availability shifts frequently as civil service exam cycles open and close, so checking current listings regularly gives you the most accurate picture.

How many police captain jobs are remote?

About 20% of police captain openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the operational nature of most command-level law enforcement roles. The sub-areas most likely to offer remote or hybrid arrangements include policy development, training coordination, and administrative command positions within larger agencies that separate operational and administrative functions.

How do you become a police captain?

You typically start by completing a law enforcement academy, earning your peace officer certification, and spending years in patrol and investigative assignments before promoting to sergeant and then lieutenant. At the captain level, most agencies require a college degree, a command leadership credential, and a strong internal record of supervisory performance before you're eligible to test or apply for the rank.

Can you get hired as a police captain without prior command experience?

Direct appointment without prior supervisory experience is rare, but lateral transfers from other agencies occasionally allow experienced lieutenants to test for captain if their command hours and certifications align with the new agency's minimum requirements. Some smaller departments have promoted from sergeant to captain when filling urgent vacancies, so your eligibility depends heavily on the specific agency's civil service rules and current staffing needs.

What does the police captain interview process look like?

Most agencies use a structured oral board as the first stage, followed by an assessment center that includes scenario-based exercises such as in-basket reviews, role plays with simulated subordinates, and community stakeholder meetings. Finalists typically face a chief's interview or public safety commission review before a conditional offer is made, and a background reinvestigation and medical exam follow before the appointment is confirmed.

Where can I find and apply to police captain jobs?

You can find and apply to police captain jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from agencies across the United States. Find roles that match your rank, specialization, and jurisdiction type, then apply directly to each listing from the same place without having to track postings across multiple civil service portals.

See All 222+ Police Captain Jobs

Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Police Captain Jobs