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What Is The Average Salary Of A Police Officer

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Us Police Salary : This Is How Much Policemen Earn In Every State

Police Officer Salary
  • The average salary of a police officer in the U.S. is $67,600
  • California gives police officers the highest salary among all other states
  • Police officers have been receiving worldwide backlash following the death of George Floyd

How much does a policeman earn in the U.S.? Apparently, a lot. Here is how much police officers are taking home per state.

Being a police officer in the U.S. certainly has its perks and advantages. One of them is getting a decent salary. According to Forbes, in a report that cited the Bureau of Labor Statistics as reference, the average salary of a police officer is $67,600. When compared to the average salary of an ordinary worker in the U.S., pegged at $48,516 per year, a policeman takes home a bigger paycheck.

The salary differs in each state due to various regulations being implemented. However, the main responsibilities of a policeman remain the same: arrest offenders, maintain peace, prevent and stop crimes, and respond to call for emergencies and help.

In California, a police officer gets to take home $105,220 while a police officer in Alaska gets $87,870. However, in some states such as Mississippi and Arkansas, a police officer gets to earn $36,290 and $40,570, respectively.

If one needs to enter the police force, here are some of the skills that are in demand and can increase the chances of getting in or receiving a bigger salary: oral and verbal communication and skills in writing procedures, leadership and security policies.

States Where Police Officers Earn The Least Money

The bottom-10 states where police officers make the least money are heavily concentrated in the U.S. South, where cost of living is lower compared to the nation overall. In Mississippi, the lowest-paying state, police officers earn over $31,000 less than the national average wage. It should be noted, however, that only 16 states have police officer salaries that are higher than the national average.

Here’s a look at the bottom-10 states for police officer salaries:

  • Mississippi average police officer salary: $36,290
  • Arkansas average police officer salary: $40,570
  • Louisiana average police officer salary: $42,470
  • South Carolina average police officer salary: $43,520
  • West Virginia average police officer salary: $44,450
  • Georgia average police officer salary: $44,700
  • Tennessee average police officer salary: $45,370
  • Alabama average police officer salary: $46,510
  • Kentucky average police officer salary: $46,720
  • North Carolina average police officer salary: $47,340
  • Fortunately for these states, salaries are improving over the years. From 2014 to 2019, the average annual wage for a police officer in Mississippi increased by nearly 11%, from $32,740 to $36,290. Still, for such a hazardous line of work, even in a state with cheap cost of living, these average wages are quite low.

    What Do Police Officers Do

    A police officer is part of one of the three areas of our criminal justice system. Members of the police force are responsible for enforcing the law. An officer will patrol neighborhoods to deter criminal activity as well as monitor any threat to public safety. A police officer will respond to incidents and complaints reported to the police department, document interactions with suspects, victims, and witnesses, and collect evidence at the scene of the crime. Police officers arrest offendersRead more

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    Experience Promotions Increase Earning Potential

    Salary increases for police are usually organized on step pay scale based on years of experience and rank. Each step between pay raises represents a certain number of years. Advance to the next step, and you get a raise of a certain percentage. For example, you might be able to move from Step 1 to Step 2 in just one year, but to get to the next pay increase at Step 3, you may have to work for several years.

    Of course, beyond the length of an officers tenure, advancing through the chain of command also tends to come with salary increases. Police organizations almost always promote from within the staff, explains Stephen Webb, lecturer in criminal justice at Regent University. When a law enforcement officer advances to the next rank, such as police sergeant, lieutenant, commander, or captain, it comes with a bump in pay.

    Police chiefs and sheriffs tend to make the highest salaries in their organization, with annual median wage reported at $99,330 per year.

    Becoming A Police Officer

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    To become a doctor or a lawyer requires years of intensive study, which may require student loans. Becoming a police officer, on the other hand, is a much less costly endeavor. There are physical and personal qualifications that aspiring police officers must satisfy. In some places and for some ranks, a high school diploma is a sufficient educational qualification, while others require a bachelors degree. For example, if you want to work for a federal law enforcement agency, such as the FBI, you must have a college degree.

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    Job Description For Police Patrol Officer

    Police Patrol Officer is responsible for patrolling an assigned area to prevent and discover crime and to enforce regulations. Responsible for responding to calls, taking necessary action at the scene of crime or disturbance, conducting investigations, making arrests, testifying in court, and completing reports/forms and routine paperwork. Being a Police Patrol Officer requires an associate degree in criminal justice and/or additional certifications and at least 12 to 18 months of law enforcement experience. Requires Firearms Certification. Additionally, Police Patrol Officer typically reports to a police sergeant. The Police Patrol Officer works under moderate supervision. Gaining or has attained full proficiency in a specific area of discipline. To be a Police Patrol Officer typically requires 1-3 years of related experience, or may need 0 years of experience with additional specialized training and/or certification. … View full job description

    Highest And Lowest Paying States For Police Officers

    The highest police salaries are on the West Coast and the East Coast from New York to Washington, D.C. Two Midwest states, Minnesota and Illinois, as well as Alaska and Hawaii, also rank high in police pay.

    The states with the lowest average salaries for law enforcement are located mostly in the South. The five lowest are Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee.

    Salaries for law enforcement officers of all kinds differ from one state to another, even for the same job and rank. For example, the average salary for a New York state trooper can be significantly higher than a Texas state trooper or Florida state trooper.

    States with the Highest Average Salary

    State
    Federal government $93,970

    Its difficult to make a blanket statement about whether local or state police will earn higher salaries, according to Webb, who retired after more than 27 years as a Virginia state trooper. There are far too many factors influencing pay, he says.

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    What Is A Good Starting Salary For A Police Officer

    A good starting salary for a police officer is $35,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a police officer in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for police officers is $48,353, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a police officer can vary by state.

    States Where Police Officers Earn The Most Money

    Why Some American Police Make Surprisingly High Salaries – None Of The Above

    The national average annual wage of an police officer is $67,600, according to the BLS, a little over $15,000 more than average annual salary for all occupations, $51,960. Depending on the state, however, the average salary of a police officer can vary significantly. Police officer wages are heavily dependent on the cost of living in each state.

    Below is a list of the top-10 highest-paying states for police officers:

  • California average police officer salary: $105,220
  • Alaska average police officer salary: $87,870
  • New Jersey average police officer salary: $86,840
  • Washington average police officer salary: $80,200
  • Hawaii average police officer salary: $78,720
  • Illinois average police officer salary: $78,350
  • New York average police officer salary: $77,490
  • Colorado average police officer salary: $75,720
  • Delaware average police officer salary: $73,740
  • Nevada average police officer salary: $73,660
  • In California, the average salary for police officers is over $37,000 more than the national average, $105,220 vs. $67,600. The gap between the No. 1 best-paying state, California, and the No. 2 state, Alaska, is substantial compared to the overall ranking. In California, police officers, on average, earn over $17,000 more than their counterparts in Alaska.

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    Where Police Officers Earn The Most

    The BLS collects geographic data on workers salaries. From this data, we can identify the places where police officers earn the most. The top-paying state for police and sheriffs patrol officers is California, where the average annual salary for police and sheriffs patrol officers is $101,380 . Other high-paying states are New Jersey, Alaska, Washington and Illinois.

    What about the top-paying metro area for police and sheriffs patrol officers? That would be San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, where the average annual salary in the field is $125,990. Other high-paying metro areas for officers are likewise clustered in California, including San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Vallejo-Fairfield, CA Santa Rosa, CA and Napa, CA. Officers average annual salaries in each of these metro areas top $100,000.

    How Much Money Does A Carpenter Make In Ontario

    Average Yearly Salary77,500

    A person working as a Carpenter in Ontario typically earns around 49,700 CAD per year. Salaries range from 24,300 CAD to 77,500 CAD .

    This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Carpenter salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.

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    How Much Do Police Officers Make In Each State

    Below youll find the average annual wage for Police officers in all 50 states based on the latest data, from May 2019, according to the BLS.

    The state with the biggest growth in police officer salaries over the last five years is Hawaii. The average police officer salary there grew by 31.3% from 2014 to 2019, from $59,950 to $78,720. California, the highest-paying state, has seen police officer salaries increase by a little over 20% over the same period.

    How Does A Police Officers Salary Compare To Similar Careers

    To Serve &  Protect

    Front-line police officers are not the only careers in the field of criminal justice. Other first responds, as well as the court system and correctional institutions, are also vital in keeping communities safe and fighting crime.

    These areas come with many opportunities for positions in support and administration, according to Vesna Markovic, who teaches criminal justice at Lewis University near Chicago. Examples include:

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    Canada / All Professions

    The term ‘Annual Salary Increase’ usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

    How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

    The annual salary Increase in a calendar year can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency

    7%

    Tips For Saving Responsibly

    • On average, police officers earn a relatively comfortable salary in most metro areas. However, its still important to make sure youre saving some of that money for emergencies and retirement.
    • To understand how to balance paying off student debt with your other financial goals, such as starting to save for retirement, consider consulting a financial advisor. Finding the right financial advisor that fits your needs doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. If youre ready to be matched with local advisors that will help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

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    Here Are The Frequently Asked Questions About The Ontario Sunshine List

    What is the Sunshine List?

    The Ontario Sunshine List is the Ministry of Finance’s listing of salary, benefits, and severance information. The Ontario Sunshine List is the province’s annual list of public sector employees and publicly-funded agency employees paid more than $100,000 annually. For a complete list of names, go to SunhineListStats.com

    When did the Ontario Sunshine List start?

    In 1996 the Ontario Sunshine List began as a way to ensure accountability to taxpayers through Ontario’s Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act. The annual list of public sector employees who earn over $100,000 per year or greater.

    What makes the most on the Ontario Sunshine List?

    In 2021 Kenneth Hartwick, the Chief Executive Officer of Ontario Power Generation, led the pack by making $1,628,246. Interestingly, Ontario Power Generation employees made up the top four positions of the highest earners on the Sunshine List.

    What is SunshineListStats.com?

    SunhineListStats.com aims to spotlight government spending and public funding to create awareness of where your money is being spent as a taxpayer. It lets taxpayers compare the performance of an organization with the compensation given to the people running it.

    Does the Sunshine List include Pension?

    No, the Ontario Sunshine List does not include non-taxable benefits such as pension costs. The Sunshine List includes salaries and taxable benefits.

    How is the Sunshine List calculated?

    Does the Ontario Sunshine List include bonuses?

    How Much Money Do Federal Police Officers Make

    Police Officer Salary (2020) â Police Officer Jobs

    Federal special agents for the FBI and other investigative agencies averaged $92,080. Federal agents receive special Law Enforcement Availability Pay and locality pay that varies with the geographic area where the agent is assigned. LEAP generally adds 25% to the agents base pay, and locality pay can add 16% to 25%.

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    Heres How Much Money Police Officers Earn In Every State

    The salaries of police officers can vary widely, with the average annual wage in Mississippi being … less than $40,000, while in California, it’s over $100,000.

    Getty

    Amid the havoc wrought by the spread of coronavirus , the jobs of first responders like paramedics, emergency medical technicians, firefighters and police officers have become more vital than ever. Despite the risks and specialization required for these jobs, often times they do not earn the kind of money commensurate with the critical responsibilities they take on. Using the latest occupational data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics , we looked at the average salary for police officers in every U.S. state, both current wages and over the last five years. Read on to find out how much police officers earn in each state.

    Annual Salary Maps Of The United States Of America

    Below are a few maps of the United States, taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics websites which show the annual average salary of police officers by state and region. The first map shows by state as a whole, whereas the second can give a person a little more specific information regarding regions of the country within each state. Obviously more urban areas pay police officers a higher wage, and rural areas of the country are lower. Cost of living can also affect how much a police officer can make. In areas that cost of living is lower the salary for police officers may be lower. These are factors to look into when trying to decide where to settle down and where to look for a job. The wonderful thing about the field of law enforcement is that police officers are needed all across the country and will most likely be needed through the end of time. We will always need brave men and women who are willing to work to protect the people of this country and stop crime.

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    What Are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities For Police Officer Jobs In North Carolina

    Weve identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Police Officer job is above the average in North Carolina. Topping the list is Greenville, with Belmont and Raleigh close behind in second and third. Raleigh beats the North Carolina average by 38.4%, and Greenville furthers that trend with another $14,162 above the $34,958.

    With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for North Carolina, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Police Officer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 8% between Greenville and Hickory, reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Police Officer role.

    City
    $21.78

    What Do Police Supervisors Earn

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    Throughout the law enforcement industry, the highest wages were paid to police supervisors, with a median annual wage of $92,970. The lowest 10% earned $52,610, while the top 10% pulled in $152,090.

    Police chiefs can pull in even more, especially those working for major cities: San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr was the highest-paid cop in the nation in 2012, with annual pay reaching well over $300,000.

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    Breaking Down The Numbers

    Among employees who received more than six-figure salaries in 2019, 88 received earnings between $100,000 and $110,000 followed by 189 who received between $110,001 and $150,000 , 22 received between $150,001 and $200,000 , 5 received between $200,001 and $250,000 , 1 received between $250,001 and $300,000 at the City of Richmond Hill.

    • Salary breakdown
    • 88 employees made between $100,000 to $110,000
    • 189 employees made between $110,000 to $150,000
    • 22 employees made between $150,000 to $200,000
    • 5 employees made between $200,000 to $250,000
    • 1 employee made between $250,000 to $300,000

    For a complete list of public sector employees who made the 2020 Sunshine List, go to Sunshine List 2020 Employees List. If you wish to analyze the list by the employer, go to Sunshine List 2020 Employers List.

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