Ranks and insignia of the Ordnungspolizei

The wreathed Polizeiadler (police eagle) was worn as a cap badge and on the left sleeve by all uniformed police

The ranks and insignia of the Ordnungspolizei were developed in 1936 after the nationalization of Germany's regular police forces.

Ordnungspolizei rank titles

Ordnungspolizei (Orpo) ranks were based on local police titles and were considered a separate system from the ranks of the SS. It was also possible for Orpo members to hold dual status in both the Orpo and the SS, meaning that two ranks could be held simultaneously. In the case of Orpo generals, equivalent SS rank was always held in which case the Orpo general would be addressed by their SS rank first, followed by their police titles (for example: SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei). In 1944, all Orpo generals also gained equivalent Waffen-SS rank so that, in the event of capture by the Allies, the Orpo general would hold status as a military officer instead of a police official.

Orpo personnel who were also members of the Allgemeine-SS were authorized to wear an embroidered SS Sigrunen patch on the breast pocket.

Ordnungspolizei rank insignia

In addition to collar and shoulder insignia, Ordnungspolizei also wore the wreathed police eagle on the upper left sleeve. The collar patch and shoulderboards were backed, and the sleeve eagle (below the rank of Leutnant) embroidered, in truppenfarbe, a color-code which indicated the branch of police: green for Schutzpolizei (protection police) and police general officers, wine-red for Gemeindepolizei (municipal protection police), orange for rural Gendarmerie, carmine-red for fire brigades, gold for maritime police, light grey for administrative police.^[1]

Orpo general rank	SS equivalent	Shoulder insignia	Collar insignia 1936–42	Collar insignia 1942–45
Chef der Deutschen Polizei	Reichsführer-SS
Generaloberst der Polizei	Oberstgruppenführer
General der Polizei	Obergruppenführer
Generalleutnant der Polizei	Gruppenführer
Generalmajor der Polizei	Brigadeführer

Note: Since most police generals, increasingly as time went on, were also SS generals, they typically wore an SS uniform except at police-specific functions.

Orpo officer rank	SS equivalent	Shoulder insignia	Collar insignia
Oberst der Polizei	Standartenführer
Oberstleutnant der Polizei	Obersturmbannführer
Major der Polizei	Sturmbannführer
Hauptmann der Polizei	Hauptsturmführer
Oberleutnant der Polizei	Obersturmführer
Leutnant der Polizei	Untersturmführer

Orpo enlisted rank	Translation	SS equivalent	Shoulder insignia	Collar insignia
Meister (Sergeant Major)	Master	Sturmscharführer
Hauptwachtmeister (Master Sergeant)	Chief watch master	Hauptscharführer
Revier-oberwachtmeister (Schupo) Bezirks-oberwachtmeister (Gendarmerie) Zugwachtmeister (Kasernierte Polizei) (Technical Sergeant)	Precinct senior watch master District senior watch master Platoon watch master	Oberscharführer
Oberwachtmeister	Senior watch master (Staff Sergeant)	Scharführer
Wachtmeister (Sergeant)	Watch master	Unterscharführer
Rottmeister (Corporal)	Team master	Rottenführer
Unterwachtmeister (Constable)	Junior watch master	Sturmmann
Anwärter (Constable Cadet)	Candidate	Mann

• Source:^[2]

Rank and Pay

Pay Grade [3]	Annual Pay Reichsmark (RM) (basic pay without allowances)[3]	Mannschaften (Enlisted) Unterführer (NCO) Revieroffiziere	Offiziere (Officers)	Corresponding rank in the SS (Wehrmacht) [4]
-	..	Anwärter		SS-Anwärter (Schütze)
-	..	Anwärter with more than 6 months service		SS-Mann (Oberschütze)
-	..	Unterwachtmeister		SS-Sturmmann (Gefreiter)
A8c5	1,536	Rottwachtmeister		SS-Rottenführer (Obergefreiter)
A8c4	1,920	Wachtmeister		SS-Unterscharführer (Unteroffizier)
A8c3	2,040	Oberwachtmeister		SS-Scharführer (Unterfeldwebel)
A8c2	2,340	Revieroberwachtmeister		SS-Oberscharführer (Feldwebel)
A8c1	2,370	Hauptwachtmeister with less than 12 years service		SS-Hauptscharführer (Oberfeldwebel)
A8a	2,100–2,800	Hauptwachtmeister with more than 12 years service		SS-Hauptscharführer (Oberfeldwebel)
A7c	2,000–3,000	Hauptwachtmeister appointed before April 12, 1943		SS-Hauptscharführer (Oberfeldwebel)
A7a	2,350–3,500	Meister		SS-Sturmscharführer (Stabsfeldwebel)
A5b	2,300–4,200	Obermeister Revierleutnant		SS-Untersturmführer (Leutnant)
A4e	2,800–4,600		Leutnant	SS-Untersturmführer (Leutnant)
A4e	2,800–4,600		Oberleutnant	SS-Obersturmführer (Oberleutnant)
A4c2	2,800–5,000	Inspektor Revieroberleutnant		SS-Obersturmführer (Oberleutnant)
A4c1	2,800–5,300	Revierhauptmann		SS-Hauptsturmführer (Hauptmann)
A3b	4,800–6,900		Hauptmann	SS-Hauptsturmführer (Hauptmann)
A2c2	8,400		Major	SS-Sturmbannführer (Major)
A2b	9,700		Oberstleutnant	SS-Obersturmbannführer (Oberstleutnant)
A1a	12,600		Oberst	SS-Standartenführer (Oberst)
B7a	16,000		Generalmajor	SS-Brigadeführer (Generalmajor)
B4	19,000		Generalleutnant	SS-Gruppenführer (Generalleutnant)
B3a	24,000		General	SS-Obergruppenführer (General)

Mean annual pay for an industrial worker was 1,459 Reichsmark 1939, and for a privately employed white-collar worker 2,772 Reichsmark.^[5]

References

1. Gordon Williamsson, World War II German Police Units, Osprey Publishing 2006, p. 8.
2. Schutzpolizei des Reiches Retrieved 2016-01-10.
3. Reichsbesoldungsordnung 1943, RGBl I:38
4. Andrew Mollo, Uniforms of the SS, Vol. 5: "Sicherheitsdienst und Sicherheitspolizei 1931-1945" (London: Windrow & Green, 1992), p. 51
5. Die Besoldung eines Soldaten der Wehrmacht Retrieved 2013-11-26