City PD - $52,000 Base Salary......crazy to be thinking about going to FHP??

[Unregistered]

I have to be honest, I do like the freedom that FHP has to offer and I'm a traffic guy at heart (THI, Motors, DRE). The FHP salary ...in my case....would go up with college and DRE certification which puts me at a little over $40,000. I have done the the math and with a decent amount of SOAR each week and/or hireback / OT work I will easily be over my current $52,000 base salary. I am also aware that SOAR is pensionable.

THAT BEING SAID.....I know that at the PD my base will be around $65,000 in 8 years. So WOULD I BE CRAZY to leave my current PD for FHP at this point??

I know I will get a variety of answers here. There are troopers I know that say they bring in $78,000 - $85,000 a year with off-duty work ....and many say it's not a lot of of off-duty.

Thanks for any help!

[Unregistered]

You're going to a ton of negative answers here. There will probably be negative answers posted before I even finish this response.

You've got to be happy at work. If you think working for FHP would make you happier than you are now, then that's a big deal. Some of the happiest troopers I have met made the jump from a local agency and haven't looked back. I also know quite a few people that have left FHP to work for a local department and then came back because they missed that Patrol. There are also other things to take into consideration. OT is available with FHP and a lot of local agencies don't allow it (at least in the areas I have worked). The take home car saves a lot of money (some city PD's have them and some don't). The state health insurance is much less than most local agencies. As you mentioned there is Soar, Hireback, and off duty available.

Whatever you decide to do I hope it works out for you. Best of luck and be safe.

[Unregistered]

You're going to a ton of negative answers here. There will probably be negative answers posted before I even finish this response.

You've got to be happy at work. If you think working for FHP would make you happier than you are now, then that's a big deal. Some of the happiest troopers I have met made the jump from a local agency and haven't looked back. I also know quite a few people that have left FHP to work for a local department and then came back because they missed that Patrol. There are also other things to take into consideration. OT is available with FHP and a lot of local agencies don't allow it (at least in the areas I have worked). The take home car saves a lot of money (some city PD's have them and some don't). The state health insurance is much less than most local agencies. As you mentioned there is Soar, Hireback, and off duty available.

Whatever you decide to do I hope it works out for you. Best of luck and be safe.

Thank you for the time you took to post this and your answer. Yea I expect to get some negative answers here. Like you, I have also heard of several city officers that left for FHP and are very happy and have heard of many troopers who came back to FHP after having left for a city/county.

[Unregistered]

With the newest raise I’m bringing home approximately $2700 a month take home. That’s base salary with a few things here and there. Plus or minus monthly things like uniform allowance which can put you over $3000 a month if it’s that time of the year. With soar and incidental I’ll usually bring home $3500 a month. I don’t work off duty either. I love the freedom, I love the job. There’s things I absolutely hate, but isn’t there with all professions? You’ll have a ton of angry folks on here about the agency, but remember to live in your means and you have nothing to worry about. Take care.

[Unregistered]

With the newest raise I’m bringing home approximately $2700 a month take home. That’s base salary with a few things here and there. Plus or minus monthly things like uniform allowance which can put you over $3000 a month if it’s that time of the year. With soar and incidental I’ll usually bring home $3500 a month. I don’t work off duty either. I love the freedom, I love the job. There’s things I absolutely hate, but isn’t there with all professions? You’ll have a ton of angry folks on here about the agency, but remember to live in your means and you have nothing to worry about. Take care.

If you don’t mind me asking how many years have you been with FHP and what is your currentl salary with thfor raise?

[Unregistered]

I heard FIUPD just got a hell of a raise! There Officer top out at 80K that makes them the highest paid state LE agency in the state. Wow

[Unregistered]

Tampa PD tops out at 89K. Go to another PD or an SO, I banged out 115k with OT at my SO last year.

[Unregistered]

Tampa PD tops out at 89K. Go to another PD or an SO, I banged out 115k with OT at my SO last year.

What SO do you work for if you don’t mind me asking?

[Unregistered]

With the newest raise I’m bringing home approximately $2700 a month take home. That’s base salary with a few things here and there. Plus or minus monthly things like uniform allowance which can put you over $3000 a month if it’s that time of the year. With soar and incidental I’ll usually bring home $3500 a month. I don’t work off duty either. I love the freedom, I love the job. There’s things I absolutely hate, but isn’t there with all professions? You’ll have a ton of angry folks on here about the agency, but remember to live in your means and you have nothing to worry about. Take care.

Oh and what do you “absolutely hate” about FHP?

[Unregistered]

What SO do you work for if you don’t mind me asking?

Pinellas County