Police officers play a crucial role in maintaining public order and ensuring citizen safety, and European governments allocate significant resources each year to support law enforcement. In 2022, public spending on safety and order in the EU accounted for 1.7% of GDP. But how well are police officers compensated for their vital work?
An analysis by Euronews Next, using data from Eurostat’s Salary Calculator, offers an in-depth look at police salaries across Europe. In 2023, the salary of a police officer aged 35 with over 10 years of experience, a lower tertiary education, and working a 36-hour week varied widely across the continent. In Denmark, the highest-paying country, officers earned €5,761 per month. On the other end of the spectrum, Bulgaria paid just €699 per month.
In addition to Denmark, several other countries paid over €4,000 per month. Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium all had salaries around €4,200, followed by the Netherlands (€3,881) and Ireland (€3,576). In France, a similar officer earned €3,395, while in Italy, the salary was €2,537. Among the EU’s largest economies, Spanish police officers earned the least at €2,271 per month.
Across five EU nations—Hungary, Poland, Romania, Croatia, and Bulgaria—officers earned less than €1,250 per month. Of these, Bulgarian officers had the lowest salary at €699.
In terms of gender pay disparities, police forces across Europe still show a significant gap. While some countries report unreliable data, Luxembourg stands out as the only nation where female police officers earn more than their male counterparts. In most EU countries, male officers earn at least 10% more than their female colleagues.
As of 2022, women made up about 20% of the police workforce in the EU. The salary of police inspectors and detectives is notably higher than that of regular officers. In 2023, these roles paid anywhere from €1,316 in Bulgaria to €6,351 in Denmark. Ireland (€5,451), Germany (€5,300), and Luxembourg (€5,243) also offered salaries above €5,000. Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium had salaries exceeding €4,000 for these positions.
However, in some countries, such as Bulgaria, Latvia, Croatia, Lithuania, Romania, Poland, and Hungary, police inspectors and detectives earned below €2,000 per month. Among the EU’s largest economies, Germany stood out with salaries of over €5,000, in contrast to France (€3,763), Italy (€2,878), and Spain (€2,456).
