Police & Sheriff’s Patrol Officers: pay by state
National median: $76,210/yrBLS OEWS OEWSSource: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · OEWS · May 2025 vintage · released May 2025 · Official API. Below, each state's median wage is adjusted to national prices so you can compare real purchasing power, not just headline pay.
What's the equivalent in another state?
A police officer earning the median$118,880in California needs about$104,275in Texas to keep the same purchasing power. The actual median there is $75,900(—).
Show the math
How much the state matters
Nationally, the median police officer earns $76,210 a year. But the state-by-state gap is large: from $118,880 in California down to $46,140 in Mississippi — a spread of 158% for the same job.
Where the job really pays best
Headline pay is only half the story. Adjust each state's wage for its cost of living and the map redraws itself. Once prices are accounted for, California offers the strongest real pay ($107,389 in national-average terms).
Every state, ranked by real pay
“Real pay” = median wage ÷ (state price level ÷ 100). Sorted best-first. 100 = US average price level.
| # | State | Median wage | Price level | Real pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $118,880 | 110.7 | $107,389 |
| 2 | Illinois | $100,520 | 100.0 | $100,520 |
| 3 | Alaska | $99,130 | 102.4 | $96,807 |
| 4 | Washington | $102,080 | 107.0 | $95,402 |
| 5 | Colorado | $97,350 | 103.1 | $94,423 |
| 6 | Delaware | $92,970 | 99.8 | $93,156 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $85,470 | 97.6 | $87,572 |
| 8 | New York | $92,790 | 107.9 | $85,996 |
| 9 | Oregon | $88,140 | 103.4 | $85,242 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $92,610 | 108.8 | $85,119 |
| 11 | Iowa | $74,470 | 87.8 | $84,818 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $83,360 | 98.6 | $84,544 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $74,500 | 89.0 | $83,708 |
| 14 | Ohio | $77,020 | 92.8 | $82,996 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $78,090 | 94.1 | $82,986 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $74,620 | 90.1 | $82,819 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $88,650 | 109.9 | $80,664 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $82,170 | 103.6 | $79,315 |
| 19 | Indiana | $73,370 | 93.3 | $78,639 |
| 20 | Arizona | $78,880 | 100.7 | $78,332 |
| 21 | Utah | $77,310 | 98.9 | $78,170 |
| 22 | Texas | $75,900 | 97.1 | $78,167 |
| 23 | Nevada | $78,140 | 100.0 | $78,140 |
| 24 | Michigan | $73,730 | 96.2 | $76,642 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $83,820 | 110.0 | $76,200 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $77,230 | 102.3 | $75,494 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $69,180 | 92.2 | $75,033 |
| 28 | Massachusetts | $78,940 | 105.8 | $74,612 |
| 29 | Maryland | $77,970 | 105.0 | $74,257 |
| 30 | Montana | $70,050 | 94.6 | $74,049 |
| 31 | Florida | $74,470 | 103.4 | $72,021 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $66,140 | 92.7 | $71,348 |
| 33 | Vermont | $68,910 | 98.0 | $70,316 |
| 34 | Idaho | $66,990 | 95.5 | $70,147 |
| 35 | Maine | $67,050 | 97.1 | $69,053 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $71,640 | 104.2 | $68,752 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $60,740 | 88.6 | $68,555 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $59,700 | 87.8 | $67,995 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $60,490 | 90.2 | $67,062 |
| 40 | Kansas | $59,230 | 90.1 | $65,738 |
| 41 | Missouri | $59,460 | 90.8 | $65,485 |
| 42 | Virginia | $65,870 | 101.1 | $65,153 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $59,280 | 91.9 | $64,505 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $56,960 | 89.5 | $63,642 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $59,300 | 94.3 | $62,884 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $58,070 | 93.7 | $61,974 |
| 47 | Georgia | $58,120 | 96.3 | $60,353 |
| 48 | Alabama | $51,270 | 88.8 | $57,736 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $47,670 | 86.9 | $54,856 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $48,380 | 88.2 | $54,853 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $46,140 | 87.0 | $53,034 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · OEWS · May 2025 · rel. May 2025 · Official API
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 2026 · Official API