Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary
Public safety · OCC code 33-3051 · gross annual wage · BLS OEWS May 2024
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in the US earn a median of $76,290 per year (mean $79,320) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey — that is +54.1% versus the $49,500 median for all US jobs, above the US median wage for all jobs. The middle half earn between $58,980 and $97,190; the top 10% earn $115,280 or more. The median hourly wage is $36.68. About 666,990 are employed nationally. The highest-paying state is California ($115,400). Wages are gross (pre-tax) and vary by employer, experience and location.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers pay range (national percentiles)
What police and sheriff's patrol officers earn across the pay distribution, nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2024):
| Pay level | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-paid 10%) | $47,640 |
| 25th percentile | $58,980 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $76,290 |
| Mean (average) | $79,320 |
| 75th percentile | $97,190 |
| 90th percentile (highest-paid 10%) | $115,280 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
A dash (—) means BLS did not release that figure; a plus (+) means the wage is at or above the BLS top code of $239,200/yr. See what wage percentiles mean or check where your salary ranks.
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary by state
Median and mean wage for police and sheriff's patrol officers in each of the 51 states with published data, highest median first. The national median is $76,290.
| # | State | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $115,400 | $111,630 | 65,170 |
| 2 | Washington | $102,640 | $101,590 | 8,370 |
| 3 | Illinois | $101,530 | $92,020 | 29,790 |
| 4 | Alaska | $100,300 | $103,670 | 1,160 |
| 5 | Colorado | $96,100 | $90,660 | 9,480 |
| 6 | New York | $93,050 | $86,880 | 54,360 |
| 7 | Hawaii | $89,390 | $92,030 | 2,390 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $89,030 | $93,290 | 21,620 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $88,330 | $91,310 | 4,830 |
| 10 | Oregon | $88,140 | $88,260 | 4,950 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $86,350 | $83,130 | 24,280 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $83,310 | $84,220 | 8,920 |
| 13 | Delaware | $83,230 | $85,350 | 1,790 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $82,820 | $83,210 | 6,500 |
| 15 | Arizona | $79,370 | $82,400 | 12,430 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $78,980 | $77,520 | 11,500 |
| 17 | Nevada | $78,670 | $84,510 | 5,490 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $78,610 | $80,790 | 17,000 |
| 19 | Maryland | $77,440 | $81,660 | 9,420 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $77,280 | $75,090 | 1,780 |
| 21 | Utah | $77,210 | $77,370 | 5,370 |
| 22 | Ohio | $77,050 | $76,200 | 24,050 |
| 23 | Texas | $76,350 | $75,970 | 62,230 |
| 24 | Florida | $76,190 | $83,850 | 48,340 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $75,530 | $74,450 | 1,850 |
| 26 | Michigan | $74,420 | $71,380 | 16,290 |
| 27 | Iowa | $73,900 | $75,390 | 5,110 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $72,160 | $73,580 | 3,620 |
| 29 | Indiana | $71,540 | $73,620 | 13,480 |
| 30 | Montana | $69,910 | $69,670 | 2,020 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $67,620 | $70,060 | 2,550 |
| 32 | Idaho | $66,150 | $68,470 | 2,630 |
| 33 | Maine | $65,330 | $68,100 | 1,930 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $65,180 | $66,280 | 1,300 |
| 35 | Virginia | $65,110 | $70,330 | 19,400 |
| 36 | Vermont | $63,690 | $68,220 | 1,080 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $63,340 | $65,020 | 4,830 |
| 38 | Missouri | $60,720 | $63,640 | 12,750 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $60,300 | $62,940 | 1,890 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $60,230 | $59,460 | 7,090 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $59,410 | $60,280 | 13,780 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $58,030 | $60,520 | 21,650 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $58,020 | $60,140 | 12,820 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $57,360 | $61,000 | 9,420 |
| 45 | Kansas | $56,610 | $58,580 | 6,160 |
| 46 | Georgia | $56,350 | $57,970 | 21,540 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $54,570 | $54,930 | 3,130 |
| 48 | Alabama | $53,850 | $55,330 | 12,060 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $50,580 | $52,840 | 14,340 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $48,090 | $49,700 | 5,490 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $45,610 | $45,450 | 7,590 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Highest median: California ($115,400). Lowest: Mississippi ($45,610).
Similar-paying jobs
| Occupation | Median wage | Mean wage | vs US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (this job) | $76,290 | $79,320 | +54.1% |
| Editors | $75,260 | $85,700 | +52.0% |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $77,660 | $79,760 | +56.9% |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $74,260 | $77,060 | +50.0% |
| Loan Officers | $74,180 | $86,020 | +49.9% |
| Landscape Architects | $79,660 | $88,000 | +60.9% |
Editors · Radiologic Technologists and Technicians · Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants · Loan Officers · Landscape Architects
Frequently asked questions
How much do police and sheriff's patrol officers make?
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers earn a national median of $76,290 per year (mean $79,320) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey. The middle half earn between $58,980 (25th percentile) and $97,190 (75th percentile); the top 10% earn $115,280 or more and the bottom 10% earn under $47,640. These are gross, pre-tax wages.
What is the hourly wage for police and sheriff's patrol officers?
The median hourly wage is $36.68 and the mean is $38.14 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). BLS reports some occupations only as annual wages, in which case hourly figures are shown as a dash.
Which state pays police and sheriff's patrol officers the most?
California has the highest median wage for police and sheriff's patrol officers at $115,400, versus a national median of $76,290. State pay reflects local cost of living, demand and industry mix. See the full state table on this page.
How many police and sheriff's patrol officers are there in the US?
BLS estimates about 666,990 police and sheriff's patrol officers are employed in the US (OEWS, May 2024). Among the 124 occupations tracked here, this job ranks #58 of 124 by median pay.
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Sources & accuracy
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 (OCC 33-3051), gross annual wages, U.S. public domain, retrieved June 2026. OEWS figures are survey estimates and reflect pay before tax. Your actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, industry and location. This is information, not financial or career advice — see our methodology and disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20