Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$47,510
- 25th Percentile — Junior$59,290
- 50th Percentile — Median$76,210
- 75th Percentile — Senior$97,600
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$115,120
The top 10% of Police Officers earn $115,120 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $47,510, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Police Officers Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Police and sheriff's patrol officers protect lives and property. They patrol assigned areas, respond to calls for service, enforce laws, conduct traffic stops, make arrests, and write detailed reports.
How to become one
Candidates typically need a high school diploma or college degree, must meet physical and background requirements, and complete a training academy. Many agencies offer higher pay for officers with a college degree.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| California | $112,980 | +42.7% |
| Washington | $104,140 | +31.5% |
| Alaska | $101,770 | +28.5% |
| New Jersey | $93,700 | +18.3% |
| Delaware | $93,210 | +17.7% |
| Illinois | $92,450 | +16.7% |
| District of Columbia | $92,390 | +16.7% |
| Colorado | $90,550 | +14.3% |
| Hawaii | $90,360 | +14.1% |
| Oregon | $87,990 | +11.1% |
| New York | $87,110 | +10.0% |
| Nevada | $86,470 | +9.2% |
| Minnesota | $85,130 | +7.5% |
| Connecticut | $83,920 | +6.0% |
| Massachusetts | $83,230 | +5.1% |
| Maryland | $82,400 | +4.0% |
| Pennsylvania | $81,910 | +3.4% |
| Arizona | $81,720 | +3.2% |
| Rhode Island | $78,760 | -0.6% |
| Utah | $78,760 | -0.6% |
| Ohio | $76,730 | -3.1% |
| Wisconsin | $76,560 | -3.3% |
| Iowa | $76,280 | -3.7% |
| Texas | $76,160 | -3.8% |
| Florida | $75,320 | -4.9% |
| Nebraska | $75,290 | -4.9% |
| Indiana | $75,130 | -5.1% |
| North Dakota | $72,400 | -8.6% |
| Idaho | $70,860 | -10.5% |
| New Hampshire | $70,630 | -10.8% |
| Vermont | $70,560 | -10.9% |
| Virginia | $70,450 | -11.0% |
| Michigan | $70,310 | -11.2% |
| Maine | $69,830 | -11.8% |
| Montana | $69,540 | -12.2% |
| Wyoming | $67,080 | -15.3% |
| New Mexico | $66,700 | -15.8% |
| South Dakota | $64,320 | -18.8% |
| Oklahoma | $63,120 | -20.3% |
| Missouri | $62,520 | -21.1% |
| Tennessee | $61,830 | -21.9% |
| Kansas | $61,450 | -22.4% |
| North Carolina | $61,390 | -22.5% |
| South Carolina | $60,420 | -23.7% |
| Kentucky | $59,840 | -24.4% |
| Georgia | $58,520 | -26.1% |
| West Virginia | $55,900 | -29.4% |
| Alabama | $55,130 | -30.4% |
| Louisiana | $51,250 | -35.3% |
| Arkansas | $49,850 | -37.1% |
| Mississippi | $47,010 | -40.6% |
What Factors Affect Police Officers Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Police Officers is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: California pays an average of $112,980, while Mississippi pays $47,010 — a gap of $65,970 per year.
Large city and state agencies usually pay more than small departments. Overtime is a significant part of total earnings for many officers, and pay rises with rank and years of service.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Firefighters $63,630/yr United States 19.7% vs this role
- First-Line Supervisors of Police $112,190/yr United States +41.7% vs this role
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators $99,430/yr United States +25.5% vs this role
- Security Guards $42,470/yr United States 46.4% vs this role
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting $96,930/yr United States +22.4% vs this role
- Correctional Officers and Jailers $63,630/yr United States 19.7% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +28.1% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +73.4% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Police Officers?
The average salary for Police Officers in the United States is $79,200 per year, with a median of $76,210.
What is the starting salary for Police Officers?
Entry-level Police Officers typically earn between $47,510 and $59,290 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Police Officers the most?
California pays Police Officers the most at $112,980 per year on average, followed by Washington ($104,140) and Alaska ($101,770).
How much do Police Officers make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $79,200, Police Officers earn approximately $38.08 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Police Officers a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 670,520 Police Officers jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $79,200 and a median of $76,210 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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