How Much Police Officers Get Paid in Every State

Police departments have been under pressure to rethink their funding for the past few years. In states where police budgets are not in question, some are actually trying to drum up more funds to increase the number of officers they hire.

This renewed focus on police budgets has been centered on where and how money is spent, and what returns it might or might not be providing. As a result, the salaries earned by cops have also been put under the microscope.

A closer look at police pay in America, however, suggests that excessive police salaries are not as big of an issue as people may believe. In fact, only a handful of major police departments in the country have a median salary that exceeds the national average — indicating that while police departments might be receiving too much money, rank-and-file officers are likely not getting the same treatment.

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, GOBankingRates looked into how much police officers get paid in every state, and found important data such as employment per 1,000 jobs, hourly median wage and annual median wage.

Here’s a closer look at how much police officers are paid across America. 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs:  6.219
• Median hourly wage: $24.53 
• Median annual pay: $51,030 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.105
• Median hourly wage: $43.30 
• Median annual pay: $90,060 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.018
• Median hourly wage: $36.76 
• Median annual pay: $76,450 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.145
• Median hourly wage: $21.30 
• Median annual pay: $44,300 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.79
• Median hourly wage: $54.55 
• Median annual pay: $113,460 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.513
• Median hourly wage: $42.50 
• Median annual pay: $88,400 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.008
• Median hourly wage: $41.03 
• Median annual pay: $85,340 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.689
• Median hourly wage: $39.62 
• Median annual pay: $82,410 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.02
• Median hourly wage: $32.81 
• Median annual pay: $68,240 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.913
• Median hourly wage: $25.83 
• Median annual pay: $53,730 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.856
• Median hourly wage: $42.42 
• Median annual pay: $88,230

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.617
• Median hourly wage: $30.34 
• Median annual pay: $63,110 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.082
• Median hourly wage: $47.32 
• Median annual pay: $98,430

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.939
• Median hourly wage: $31.89 
• Median annual pay: $66,320 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.183
• Median hourly wage: $33.30 
• Median annual pay: $69,270 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.138
• Median hourly wage: $25.56 
• Median annual pay: $53,170 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.658
• Median hourly wage: $24.27  
• Median annual pay: $50,470 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 6.844
• Median hourly wage: $22.98 
• Median annual pay: $47,800 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.201
• Median hourly wage: $29.94 
• Median annual pay: $62,280

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.539
• Median hourly wage: $36.28 
• Median annual pay: $75,460

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.641
• Median hourly wage: $36.40 
• Median annual pay: $75,700

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.646
• Median hourly wage: $33.29 
• Median annual pay: $69,240

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.238
• Median hourly wage: $40.42 
• Median annual pay: $84,080

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 6.429
• Median hourly wage: $19.75 
• Median annual pay: $41,080 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.544
• Median hourly wage: $27.16 
• Median annual pay: $56,480 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.24
• Median hourly wage: $30.68 
• Median annual pay: $63,810 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.831
• Median hourly wage: $31.73 
• Median annual pay: $66,000 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.926
• Median hourly wage: $38.81 
• Median annual pay: $80,730 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.04
• Median hourly wage: $30.65 
• Median annual pay: $63,750 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.076
• Median hourly wage: $44.16 
• Median annual pay: $91,850 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.424
• Median hourly wage: $30.21 
• Median annual pay: $62,840 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.036
• Median hourly wage: $41.09 
• Median annual pay: $85,460 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.442
• Median hourly wage: $25.18 
• Median annual pay: $52,380 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.134
• Median hourly wage: $32.24 
• Median annual pay: $67,060 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.081
• Median hourly wage: $35.72 
• Median annual pay: $74,300 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.054
• Median hourly wage: $25.89 
• Median annual pay: $53,850 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.475
• Median hourly wage: $40.08 
• Median annual pay: $83,360 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.317
• Median hourly wage: $41.05 
• Median annual pay: $85,390

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.872
• Median hourly wage: $36.57 
• Median annual pay: $76,060 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.548
• Median hourly wage: $24.22 
• Median annual pay: $50,380 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.177
• Median hourly wage: $26.63 
• Median annual pay: $55,390 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.955
• Median hourly wage: $25.00 
• Median annual pay: $52,000 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.26
• Median hourly wage: $35.58 
• Median annual pay: $74,010 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.168
• Median hourly wage: $32.47 
• Median annual pay: $67,540

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.932
• Median hourly wage: $31.61 
• Median annual pay: $65,760 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.489
• Median hourly wage: $29.80 
• Median annual pay: $61,980 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.489
• Median hourly wage: $47.84 
• Median annual pay: $99,510 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.993
• Median hourly wage: $24.31 
• Median annual pay: $50,560 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.218
• Median hourly wage: $37.04 
• Median annual pay: $77,040 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.213
• Median hourly wage: $30.82 
• Median annual pay: $64,100 

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed occupational data for police officers for each state in the United States to find how much police officers make across the country. Using the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, a number of factors can be found including; total statewide employment, employment per 1,000 jobs, hourly median wage, annual median wage, hourly mean wage, and annual mean wage. All data was collected on and is up to date as of April 25, 2024.