Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer Salary by State
How much police and sheriff’s patrol officers earn in each state. SOC code 33-3051 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$76,210Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$79,200Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$36.64Mean $38.08/hour
- U.S. employment670,520Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateCalifornia$112,980 mean
- States with data51 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do police and sheriff’s patrol officers make?
Nationally, police and sheriff’s patrol officers earn a median of $76,210 a year and a mean of $79,200 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $59,290 (25th percentile) and $97,600 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $47,510 and the top 10% more than $115,120.
That median is 1.5× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $112,980 in California (highest) to $47,010 in Mississippi (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, California comes out on top at $107,389 in national-average dollars.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,510 | $3,959 | $22.84 |
| 25th | $59,290 | $4,941 | $28.50 |
| Median | $76,210 | $6,351 | $36.64 |
| 75th | $97,600 | $8,133 | $46.92 |
| 90th | $115,120 | $9,593 | $55.35 |
| Mean | $79,200 | $6,600 | $38.08 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $112,980 | $118,880 | $57.15 | $76,300 | $153,190 | $107,389 | 65,940 |
| Washington | $104,140 | $102,080 | $49.08 | $79,120 | $132,200 | $95,402 | 9,160 |
| Alaska | $101,770 | $99,130 | $47.66 | $60,670 | $137,340 | $96,807 | 1,260 |
| New Jersey | $93,700 | $92,610 | $44.53 | $57,740 | $134,260 | $85,119 | 21,780 |
| Delaware | $93,210 | $92,970 | $44.70 | $62,470 | $130,870 | $93,156 | 1,800 |
| Illinois | $92,450 | $100,520 | $48.33 | $58,420 | $119,560 | $100,520 | 29,180 |
| District of Columbia | $92,390 | $88,650 | $42.62 | $66,420 | $119,660 | $80,664 | 4,720 |
| Colorado | $90,550 | $97,350 | $46.81 | $65,340 | $109,300 | $94,423 | 9,610 |
| Hawaii | $90,360 | $83,820 | $40.30 | $77,480 | $108,110 | $76,200 | 2,420 |
| Oregon | $87,990 | $88,140 | $42.38 | $66,380 | $109,350 | $85,242 | 5,030 |
| New York | $87,110 | $92,790 | $44.61 | $53,000 | $118,250 | $85,996 | 53,470 |
| Nevada | $86,470 | $78,140 | $37.57 | $62,250 | $102,810 | $78,140 | 5,720 |
| Minnesota | $85,130 | $83,360 | $40.08 | $60,670 | $106,160 | $84,544 | 9,160 |
| Connecticut | $83,920 | $82,170 | $39.51 | $63,310 | $102,660 | $79,315 | 6,500 |
| Massachusetts | $83,230 | $78,940 | $37.95 | $61,160 | $108,150 | $74,612 | 17,040 |
| Maryland | $82,400 | $77,970 | $37.49 | $58,580 | $113,700 | $74,257 | 9,720 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,910 | $85,470 | $41.09 | $48,680 | $109,780 | $87,572 | 26,510 |
| Arizona | $81,720 | $78,880 | $37.92 | $60,990 | $98,560 | $78,332 | 12,010 |
| Rhode Island | $78,760 | $77,230 | $37.13 | $59,020 | $91,760 | $75,494 | 1,940 |
| Utah | $78,760 | $77,310 | $37.17 | $60,290 | $99,920 | $78,170 | 5,500 |
| Ohio | $76,730 | $77,020 | $37.03 | $51,110 | $103,210 | $82,996 | 23,430 |
| Wisconsin | $76,560 | $78,090 | $37.55 | $58,530 | $94,450 | $82,986 | 12,320 |
| Iowa | $76,280 | $74,470 | $35.81 | $59,360 | $101,520 | $84,818 | 5,130 |
| Texas | $76,160 | $75,900 | $36.49 | $51,240 | $98,350 | $78,167 | 63,100 |
| Florida | $75,320 | $74,470 | $35.81 | $51,330 | $98,190 | $72,021 | 43,630 |
| Nebraska | $75,290 | $74,620 | $35.88 | $54,680 | $95,210 | $82,819 | 3,490 |
| Indiana | $75,130 | $73,370 | $35.27 | $52,170 | $100,010 | $78,639 | 12,980 |
| North Dakota | $72,400 | $74,500 | $35.82 | $58,620 | $91,440 | $83,708 | 1,630 |
| Idaho | $70,860 | $66,990 | $32.21 | $48,840 | $97,980 | $70,147 | 2,810 |
| New Hampshire | $70,630 | $71,640 | $34.44 | $57,930 | $89,940 | $68,752 | 2,460 |
| Vermont | $70,560 | $68,910 | $33.13 | $53,950 | $95,530 | $70,316 | 1,020 |
| Virginia | $70,450 | $65,870 | $31.67 | $50,000 | $96,820 | $65,153 | 19,970 |
| Michigan | $70,310 | $73,730 | $35.45 | $47,780 | $89,220 | $76,642 | 16,750 |
| Maine | $69,830 | $67,050 | $32.24 | $55,930 | $91,270 | $69,124 | 2,120 |
| Montana | $69,540 | $70,050 | $33.68 | $55,330 | $84,150 | $74,049 | 2,160 |
| Wyoming | $67,080 | $66,140 | $31.80 | $57,130 | $76,840 | $71,348 | 1,310 |
| New Mexico | $66,700 | $69,180 | $33.26 | $48,400 | $85,740 | $75,033 | 4,580 |
| South Dakota | $64,320 | $60,740 | $29.20 | $47,540 | $91,900 | $68,555 | 2,000 |
| Oklahoma | $63,120 | $59,700 | $28.70 | $36,480 | $94,940 | $67,995 | 9,660 |
| Missouri | $62,520 | $59,460 | $28.59 | $43,210 | $90,770 | $65,485 | 13,570 |
| Tennessee | $61,830 | $59,280 | $28.50 | $43,520 | $79,480 | $64,505 | 15,630 |
| Kansas | $61,450 | $59,230 | $28.48 | $42,040 | $90,530 | $65,738 | 6,130 |
| North Carolina | $61,390 | $59,300 | $28.51 | $46,040 | $80,240 | $62,884 | 22,370 |
| South Carolina | $60,420 | $58,070 | $27.92 | $45,060 | $78,760 | $61,974 | 12,930 |
| Kentucky | $59,840 | $60,490 | $29.08 | $38,780 | $77,970 | $67,062 | 7,890 |
| Georgia | $58,520 | $58,120 | $27.94 | $43,690 | $76,250 | $60,353 | 22,170 |
| West Virginia | $55,900 | $56,960 | $27.39 | $41,950 | $69,980 | $63,642 | 2,900 |
| Alabama | $55,130 | $51,270 | $24.65 | $37,480 | $77,220 | $57,736 | 11,710 |
| Louisiana | $51,250 | $48,380 | $23.26 | $36,470 | $69,140 | $54,853 | 12,400 |
| Arkansas | $49,850 | $47,670 | $22.92 | $35,210 | $70,190 | $54,856 | 5,710 |
| Mississippi | $47,010 | $46,140 | $22.18 | $33,230 | $61,550 | $53,034 | 8,070 |
Highest median pay
- California — $118,880
- Washington — $102,080
- Illinois — $100,520
- Alaska — $99,130
- Colorado — $97,350
Lowest median pay
- Mississippi — $46,140
- Arkansas — $47,670
- Louisiana — $48,380
- Alabama — $51,270
- West Virginia — $56,960
Best pay after cost of living
- California — $107,389
- Illinois — $100,520
- Alaska — $96,807
- Washington — $95,402
- Colorado — $94,423
The most police and sheriff’s patrol officers work in California (65,940 jobs), Texas and New York.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a police and sheriff’s patrol officer make?
The national median wage for police and sheriff’s patrol officers is $76,210 a year and the mean is $79,200, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays police and sheriff’s patrol officers the most?
California has the highest mean wage for police and sheriff’s patrol officers at $112,980.
Which state pays police and sheriff’s patrol officers the least?
Mississippi has the lowest mean wage for police and sheriff’s patrol officers among states with published data, at $47,010.
Where do police and sheriff’s patrol officers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, California ranks first at $107,389 in national-average dollars, followed by Illinois and Alaska.