The average salary for a police and sheriff's patrol officer in the United States is $76,550, but the range typically falls between $54,770 and $92,410. This corresponds to an average hourly wage of $36.8, with a range between $26.33 and $44.43.
There are approximately 646,310 people employed as a police and sheriff's patrol officer in the United States. With California, Texas, Florida employing the highest number of police and sheriff's patrol officers.The state with the best pay for a police and sheriff's patrol officer is California, with an average annual salary of $111,770, while Mississippi has the lowest average annual salary of $42,900.
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $45,200 | $21.73 |
| 25th Percentile | $54,770 | $26.33 |
| Median | $72,280 | $34.75 |
| 75th Percentile | $92,410 | $44.43 |
| 90th Percentile | $111,700 | $53.7 |
The salary of a police and sheriff's patrol officer can vary depending on the state. Below is a map of the United States showing the average annual salary for a police and sheriff's patrol officer in each state. The darker the color, the higher the salary. The best states for police and sheriff's patrol officers are California, Washington, Illinois, New Jersey, Alaska while the worst states are Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Kentucky.
| State | Low-end | Average | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $34,730 | $52,270 | $69,680 |
| Alaska | $57,980 | $94,660 | $133,750 |
| Arizona | $55,920 | $76,390 | $92,860 |
| Arkansas | $33,250 | $46,880 | $70,270 |
| California | $71,360 | $111,770 | $143,650 |
| Colorado | $62,070 | $86,840 | $105,840 |
| Connecticut | $59,610 | $81,190 | $101,480 |
| Delaware | $59,540 | $82,180 | $103,750 |
| District of Columbia | $60,200 | $82,820 | $109,490 |
| Florida | $47,160 | $78,480 | $111,190 |
| Georgia | $40,100 | $56,200 | $76,070 |
| Hawaii | $73,840 | $89,850 | $111,300 |
| Idaho | $48,330 | $66,170 | $89,540 |
| Illinois | $52,000 | $87,630 | $109,600 |
| Indiana | $50,420 | $67,590 | $83,350 |
| Iowa | $50,540 | $70,530 | $90,880 |
| Kansas | $39,520 | $56,950 | $83,260 |
| Kentucky | $35,640 | $51,540 | $69,490 |
| Louisiana | $33,140 | $49,340 | $65,260 |
| Maine | $49,120 | $62,310 | $75,670 |
| Maryland | $52,790 | $76,000 | $101,100 |
| Massachusetts | $54,270 | $78,770 | $106,770 |
| Michigan | $48,150 | $68,220 | $85,720 |
| Minnesota | $58,960 | $82,620 | $105,020 |
| Mississippi | $29,670 | $42,900 | $56,300 |
| Missouri | $36,910 | $59,020 | $83,510 |
| Montana | $48,130 | $65,470 | $83,120 |
| Nebraska | $46,960 | $68,340 | $89,570 |
| Nevada | $61,290 | $79,650 | $101,070 |
| New Hampshire | $50,490 | $66,630 | $86,050 |
| New Jersey | $58,300 | $94,070 | $134,570 |
| New Mexico | $44,870 | $61,650 | $79,860 |
| New York | $51,880 | $89,400 | $138,360 |
| North Carolina | $40,860 | $56,250 | $77,790 |
| North Dakota | $51,590 | $68,130 | $83,950 |
| Ohio | $44,590 | $72,540 | $101,400 |
| Oklahoma | $34,790 | $59,740 | $94,790 |
| Oregon | $64,210 | $83,220 | $102,760 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,290 | $81,690 | $108,570 |
| Rhode Island | $51,100 | $73,330 | $89,750 |
| South Carolina | $38,760 | $52,800 | $68,240 |
| South Dakota | $45,120 | $58,900 | $83,210 |
| Tennessee | $37,440 | $53,870 | $69,800 |
| Texas | $48,610 | $73,600 | $97,700 |
| Utah | $51,660 | $70,310 | $89,440 |
| Vermont | $49,620 | $66,900 | $85,180 |
| Virginia | $48,320 | $65,890 | $89,630 |
| Washington | $72,740 | $98,070 | $128,210 |
| West Virginia | $38,530 | $51,600 | $64,290 |
| Wisconsin | $51,250 | $73,910 | $89,000 |
| Wyoming | $47,980 | $62,750 | $76,660 |
Even between cities, the salary of a police and sheriff's patrol officer can vary. For example, the areas with the highest average salary for police and sheriff's patrol officers is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area, CA with an average salary of $139,510.The city with the lowest average salary for police and sheriff's patrol officers is Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, LA with an average salary of $35,510.
Areas with highest average salaries for police and sheriff's patrol officers
Areas with lowest average salaries for police and sheriff's patrol officers
The number of police and sheriff's patrol officers in the United States has been decreasing over the years. Since 2020, the number of police and sheriff's patrol officers has decreased by -8,590. On average, the number of police and sheriff's patrol officers has been increasing by -0.3% each year. The salary of police and sheriff's patrol officers has been increasing. Since 2020, the salary of police and sheriff's patrol officers has increased by $6,550. On average, the salary of police and sheriff's patrol officers has been increasing by 2.3% each year.
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers are part of the protective service occupations group. Below is a comparison of the average annual salary for police and sheriff's patrol officers compared to other jobs in the same occupation group. View all protective service occupations jobs here.
$31,340 per year
$40,650 per year
$60,270 per year
$50,430 per year
$82,510 per year
$58,460 per year
