SOC 33-3051 · Protective Service Occupations
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers wages by metro
National median annual wage
$76,210
- 10th percentile
- $47,510
- 25th percentile
- $59,290
- Median
- $76,210
- 75th percentile
- $97,600
- 90th percentile
- $115,120
- Mean
- $79,200
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 670,520.
That median is 49.5% higher than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 2,590 | $105,050 | $136,140 | $174,030 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 7,990 | $95,390 | $132,000 | $156,690 |
| Carson City, NV | 110 | $83,760 | $131,210 | $131,210 |
| Vallejo, CA | 690 | $97,600 | $129,900 | $163,550 |
| Napa, CA | 300 | $86,600 | $127,310 | $159,420 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 590 | $81,320 | $125,910 | $149,560 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 400 | $79,830 | $122,970 | $152,340 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 24,720 | $78,870 | $121,980 | $127,880 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 730 | $79,180 | $120,900 | $131,500 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 1,330 | $78,360 | $119,640 | $128,580 |
| Salinas, CA | 930 | $78,390 | $118,220 | $142,280 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 4,520 | $94,290 | $115,120 | $136,110 |
| Anchorage, AK | 570 | $80,240 | $115,020 | $132,370 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 5,420 | $79,150 | $111,460 | $159,420 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 4,950 | $78,010 | $110,400 | $151,960 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 22,680 | $63,450 | $107,810 | $123,130 |
| Redding, CA | 290 | $59,150 | $107,270 | $166,550 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 54,270 | $56,390 | $105,540 | $131,690 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | 110 | $78,500 | $105,370 | $146,760 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | 340 | $89,040 | $104,570 | $116,090 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 54,270 | $56,390 | $105,540 | $131,690 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 24,720 | $78,870 | $121,980 | $127,880 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 22,680 | $63,450 | $107,810 | $123,130 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 16,430 | $62,700 | $92,910 | $104,100 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 16,250 | $59,110 | $74,570 | $93,800 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 14,710 | $61,600 | $79,840 | $115,690 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 14,630 | $63,530 | $84,000 | $119,240 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 13,160 | $55,040 | $89,580 | $121,200 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 11,440 | $61,750 | $78,180 | $107,240 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 11,310 | $48,700 | $60,910 | $79,280 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 10,770 | $30,660 | $45,510 | $50,000 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 7,990 | $95,390 | $132,000 | $156,690 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 7,860 | $50,640 | $78,450 | $90,390 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 7,860 | $64,550 | $85,050 | $98,560 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 6,010 | $70,800 | $101,870 | $146,450 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 5,950 | $48,540 | $73,240 | $92,490 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 5,770 | $49,850 | $63,190 | $94,430 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 5,570 | $63,340 | $97,190 | $109,230 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 5,420 | $79,150 | $111,460 | $159,420 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 5,400 | $47,500 | $63,010 | $94,330 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 65,940 | $76,300 | $118,880 | $153,190 |
| Washington | 9,160 | $79,120 | $102,080 | $132,200 |
| Illinois | 29,180 | $58,420 | $100,520 | $119,560 |
| Alaska | 1,260 | $60,670 | $99,130 | $137,340 |
| Colorado | 9,610 | $65,340 | $97,350 | $109,300 |
| Delaware | 1,800 | $62,470 | $92,970 | $130,870 |
| New York | 53,470 | $53,000 | $92,790 | $118,250 |
| New Jersey | 21,780 | $57,740 | $92,610 | $134,260 |
| District of Columbia | 4,720 | $66,420 | $88,650 | $119,660 |
| Oregon | 5,030 | $66,380 | $88,140 | $109,350 |
| Pennsylvania | 26,510 | $48,680 | $85,470 | $109,780 |
| Hawaii | 2,420 | $77,480 | $83,820 | $108,110 |
| Minnesota | 9,160 | $60,670 | $83,360 | $106,160 |
| Connecticut | 6,500 | $63,310 | $82,170 | $102,660 |
| Massachusetts | 17,040 | $61,160 | $78,940 | $108,150 |
| Arizona | 12,010 | $60,990 | $78,880 | $98,560 |
| Nevada | 5,720 | $62,250 | $78,140 | $102,810 |
| Wisconsin | 12,320 | $58,530 | $78,090 | $94,450 |
| Maryland | 9,720 | $58,580 | $77,970 | $113,700 |
| Utah | 5,500 | $60,290 | $77,310 | $99,920 |
| Rhode Island | 1,940 | $59,020 | $77,230 | $91,760 |
| Ohio | 23,430 | $51,110 | $77,020 | $103,210 |
| Texas | 63,100 | $51,240 | $75,900 | $98,350 |
| Nebraska | 3,490 | $54,680 | $74,620 | $95,210 |
| North Dakota | 1,630 | $58,620 | $74,500 | $91,440 |
| Florida | 43,630 | $51,330 | $74,470 | $98,190 |
| Iowa | 5,130 | $59,360 | $74,470 | $101,520 |
| Michigan | 16,750 | $47,780 | $73,730 | $89,220 |
| Indiana | 12,980 | $52,170 | $73,370 | $100,010 |
| New Hampshire | 2,460 | $57,930 | $71,640 | $89,940 |
| Montana | 2,160 | $55,330 | $70,050 | $84,150 |
| New Mexico | 4,580 | $48,400 | $69,180 | $85,740 |
| Vermont | 1,020 | $53,950 | $68,910 | $95,530 |
| Maine | 2,120 | $55,930 | $67,050 | $91,270 |
| Idaho | 2,810 | $48,840 | $66,990 | $97,980 |
| Wyoming | 1,310 | $57,130 | $66,140 | $76,840 |
| Virginia | 19,970 | $50,000 | $65,870 | $96,820 |
| Guam | 540 | $36,590 | $62,130 | $98,030 |
| South Dakota | 2,000 | $47,540 | $60,740 | $91,900 |
| Kentucky | 7,890 | $38,780 | $60,490 | $77,970 |
| Oklahoma | 9,660 | $36,480 | $59,700 | $94,940 |
| Missouri | 13,570 | $43,210 | $59,460 | $90,770 |
| North Carolina | 22,370 | $46,040 | $59,300 | $80,240 |
| Tennessee | 15,630 | $43,520 | $59,280 | $79,480 |
| Kansas | 6,130 | $42,040 | $59,230 | $90,530 |
| Georgia | 22,170 | $43,690 | $58,120 | $76,250 |
| South Carolina | 12,930 | $45,060 | $58,070 | $78,760 |
| West Virginia | 2,900 | $41,950 | $56,960 | $69,980 |
| Alabama | 11,710 | $37,480 | $51,270 | $77,220 |
| Louisiana | 12,400 | $36,470 | $48,380 | $69,140 |
| Arkansas | 5,710 | $35,210 | $47,670 | $70,190 |
| Mississippi | 8,070 | $33,230 | $46,140 | $61,550 |
| Puerto Rico | 11,640 | $30,500 | $45,510 | $50,240 |
Other protective service occupations
- Security Guards
- Correctional Officers and Jailers
- Firefighters
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
- Crossing Guards and Flaggers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers is $76,210. Employment is 670,520.
How does Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers is 49.5% higher than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is highest on this page's list at $136,140.