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Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Salary by State
There were an estimated 666,990 police and sheriff's patrol officers working in the United States in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey. The typical (median) police officer earned $76,290 a year, or $36.68 an hour, while the mean annual wage was $79,320. Pay spans a wide range even inside the same occupation: the lowest-paid 10% of police and sheriff's patrol officers earned $47,640 or less, the bottom quarter earned $58,980 or less, the top quarter earned at least $97,190, and the top 10% earned at least $115,280. Where a police officer works matters almost as much as the job itself, as the state table below shows.
Where police and sheriff's patrol officers earn the most — and least
The highest median pay for police and sheriff's patrol officers is in California, at $115,400 a year — 51.3% higher than the national median of $76,290. Next are Washington at $102,640 and Illinois at $101,530. At the other end, Mississippi posts the lowest published median, $45,610, which is 40.2% lower than the national figure. That is a top-to-bottom spread of about 2.5 times between the highest- and lowest-paying states for the same occupation — a gap driven by local labor markets, licensing, employer mix, and cost of living rather than by differences in the job title itself.
Where the police officer jobs are
Employment is concentrated in a handful of large states. California alone employs 65,170 police and sheriff's patrol officers, and the three largest states — California, Texas, and New York — together account for 27% of all U.S. jobs in this occupation. Pay in the largest market, California, runs at a median of $115,400, 51.3% higher than the national median, so the biggest job market is also one of the better-paying ones. Smaller states can still be attractive: several low-population states post medians close to the national figure with far less competition for each opening.
Police Officer salary by state — full table
Median and mean annual wages for police and sheriff's patrol officers in every state where BLS publishes an estimate for May 2024, ranked by median pay. The 90th-percentile column shows what the top-earning tenth of police and sheriff's patrol officers in each state make. Follow a state link for that state's full wage tables, or open a detailed guide where one is available.
| State | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 65,170 | $55.48 | $115,400 | $111,630 | $151,160 |
| Washington | 8,370 | $49.34 | $102,640 | $101,590 | $123,220 |
| Illinois Detailed guide | 29,790 | $48.81 | $101,530 | $92,020 | $119,020 |
| Alaska | 1,160 | $48.22 | $100,300 | $103,670 | $136,070 |
| Colorado | 9,480 | $46.20 | $96,100 | $90,660 | $111,360 |
| New York | 54,360 | $44.74 | $93,050 | $86,880 | $116,950 |
| Hawaii | 2,390 | $42.98 | $89,390 | $92,030 | $114,220 |
| New Jersey | 21,620 | $42.81 | $89,030 | $93,290 | $134,460 |
| District of Columbia | 4,830 | $42.47 | $88,330 | $91,310 | $115,730 |
| Oregon | 4,950 | $42.38 | $88,140 | $88,260 | $112,530 |
| Pennsylvania | 24,280 | $41.51 | $86,350 | $83,130 | $112,380 |
| Minnesota | 8,920 | $40.06 | $83,310 | $84,220 | $104,800 |
| Delaware | 1,790 | $40.02 | $83,230 | $85,350 | $104,840 |
| Connecticut | 6,500 | $39.82 | $82,820 | $83,210 | $102,820 |
| Arizona | 12,430 | $38.16 | $79,370 | $82,400 | $100,430 |
| Wisconsin | 11,500 | $37.97 | $78,980 | $77,520 | $93,460 |
| Nevada | 5,490 | $37.82 | $78,670 | $84,510 | $102,460 |
| Massachusetts | 17,000 | $37.80 | $78,610 | $80,790 | $106,300 |
| Maryland | 9,420 | $37.23 | $77,440 | $81,660 | $109,300 |
| Rhode Island | 1,780 | $37.15 | $77,280 | $75,090 | $89,070 |
| Utah | 5,370 | $37.12 | $77,210 | $77,370 | $98,670 |
| Ohio | 24,050 | $37.05 | $77,050 | $76,200 | $104,430 |
| Texas | 62,230 | $36.71 | $76,350 | $75,970 | $99,450 |
| Florida | 48,340 | $36.63 | $76,190 | $83,850 | $117,940 |
| North Dakota | 1,850 | $36.31 | $75,530 | $74,450 | $92,340 |
| Michigan | 16,290 | $35.78 | $74,420 | $71,380 | $91,210 |
| Iowa | 5,110 | $35.53 | $73,900 | $75,390 | $96,260 |
| Nebraska | 3,620 | $34.69 | $72,160 | $73,580 | $96,340 |
| Indiana | 13,480 | $34.39 | $71,540 | $73,620 | $93,990 |
| Montana | 2,020 | $33.61 | $69,910 | $69,670 | $88,090 |
| New Hampshire | 2,550 | $32.51 | $67,620 | $70,060 | $89,120 |
| Idaho | 2,630 | $31.80 | $66,150 | $68,470 | $92,710 |
| Maine | 1,930 | $31.41 | $65,330 | $68,100 | $84,270 |
| Wyoming | 1,300 | $31.34 | $65,180 | $66,280 | $80,720 |
| Virginia | 19,400 | $31.30 | $65,110 | $70,330 | $96,700 |
| Vermont | 1,080 | $30.62 | $63,690 | $68,220 | $89,110 |
| New Mexico | 4,830 | $30.45 | $63,340 | $65,020 | $77,910 |
| Missouri | 12,750 | $29.19 | $60,720 | $63,640 | $90,900 |
| South Dakota | 1,890 | $28.99 | $60,300 | $62,940 | $83,640 |
| Kentucky | 7,090 | $28.96 | $60,230 | $59,460 | $78,820 |
| Tennessee | 13,780 | $28.56 | $59,410 | $60,280 | $81,340 |
| North Carolina | 21,650 | $27.90 | $58,030 | $60,520 | $80,920 |
| South Carolina | 12,820 | $27.90 | $58,020 | $60,140 | $78,590 |
| Oklahoma | 9,420 | $27.58 | $57,360 | $61,000 | $95,950 |
| Kansas | 6,160 | $27.22 | $56,610 | $58,580 | $82,870 |
| Georgia | 21,540 | $27.09 | $56,350 | $57,970 | $77,750 |
| West Virginia | 3,130 | $26.24 | $54,570 | $54,930 | $68,080 |
| Alabama | 12,060 | $25.89 | $53,850 | $55,330 | $78,140 |
| Louisiana | 14,340 | $24.32 | $50,580 | $52,840 | $73,270 |
| Arkansas | 5,490 | $23.12 | $48,090 | $49,700 | $69,420 |
| Mississippi | 7,590 | $21.93 | $45,610 | $45,450 | $58,780 |
Police Officer wages in U.S. territories
| Area | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | 11,620 | $21.57 | $44,860 | $41,280 | $49,570 |
How to read these numbers
The median is the middle wage: half of police and sheriff's patrol officers earn more and half earn less. The mean is pulled up by the highest earners, which is why the mean of $79,320 sits above the median of $76,290 for this occupation. OEWS wages are gross pay before taxes and benefits, and BLS converts hourly rates to annual figures on a 2,080-hour, year-round full-time basis; part-time and seasonal workers' actual annual earnings can be lower. Figures marked with a plus sign are at or above the BLS reporting cap of $239,200 a year ($115.00 an hour).
Police Officer salary FAQ
What is the average police officer salary?
BLS put the mean annual wage for police and sheriff's patrol officers at $79,320 in May 2024, with a median of $76,290 ($36.68 an hour) across 666,990 U.S. jobs.
Which state pays police and sheriff's patrol officers the most?
California has the highest median pay for police and sheriff's patrol officers, at $115,400 a year in May 2024 — 51.3% higher than the national median of $76,290.
Which state pays police and sheriff's patrol officers the least?
Among states where BLS publishes an estimate, Mississippi has the lowest median for police and sheriff's patrol officers, at $45,610 a year, 40.2% lower than the national median.
How many police and sheriff's patrol officers are there in the United States?
BLS estimated 666,990 police and sheriff's patrol officers jobs in May 2024. The largest state market is California, with 65,170 jobs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.