Where are police paid most in the US?
Carson City, Nevada officers earned 2025's highest cost-of-living adjusted median police income, while California led states in pay.
Police officers in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, metro area have the highest annual median wage nationwide: $136,140. California is home to several high-paying metro areas for police and sheriff's patrol officers: nine of out the nation’s top 10. Carson City, Nevada, the only non-Californian metro in the top 10, ranks third with a median annual wage of $131,210.
Thirteen out of the top 20 highest paid metros for police officers are in California.
Annual median wage of police and sheriff's patrol officers by top 20 highest paid metro areas in the US, 2025
The cost of living between metro areas varies throughout the country, which effects both salaries and purchasing power. Put another way, $100 will go much further in some cities compared to others. When adjusting for the cost of living, police officers in the Carson City metro have the nation’s highest median wage, equivalent to $133,710. In 2025, police officers could buy more with their money in Carson City than police officers in any of the metro areas that reported data.
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California, however, has 13 of the top 20 metro areas with the highest median police officer wages, even after adjusting for cost of living. The top highest-paying metro areas, adjusted for cost of living are:
- Carson City, Nevada ($133,710)
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Cruz, California ($123,290)
- Vallejo, California ($119,747)
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma, California ($116,817)
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California ($114,174)
Police officers in Carson City, NV have the highest wages relative to the cost of living.
Annual median wages of police and sheriff's patrol officers, unadjusted and adjusted for the cost of living, by metro area, 2025
The lowest-paying metro areas in 2025, adjusted for the cost of living, are:
- Hammond, Louisiana ($48,023)
- Hattiesburg, Mississippi ($50,301)
- Alexandria, Louisiana ($51,327)
- Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, Louisiana ($51,539)
- Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, Louisiana ($52,078)
Which states pay police officers the most?
Police officers in California had higher wages than officers in any other state in 2025, with a median annual income of $118,880, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The next highest-paying states are Washington ($102,080), Illinois ($100,520), Alaska ($99,130), and Colorado ($97,350).
Police officers in California have the highest annual median wages at $118,880.
Annual median wages of police and sheriff's patrol officers, by state, 2025
After accounting for cost-of-living variance among states, California remains the highest-paying state and Colorado remains the fifth highest. Illinois moves to the second spot, Alaska to third, and Washington drops from second to fourth.
Police officer wages in 2025 were lowest in Mississippi, where the annual median salary (unadjusted for the cost of living) was $46,140. Other states on the lower end of the income scale include Arkansas ($47,670), Louisiana ($48,380), Alabama ($51,270), and West Virginia ($56,960).
Adjusted for cost of living, police wages remain lowest in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama, and Georgia replaces West Virginia as the fifth lowest-paid state for officers.
California has the highest median police officer wages, even after adjusting for cost of living.
Annual median wages of police and sheriff's patrol officers, unadjusted and adjusted for the cost of living, by state, 2025
Which industries pay police officers the most?
The highest paying organizations are in the industry classified as business, professional, labor, political or similar with median annual pay at $98,750.
While that industry pays the most, it employs less than 1% of all police officers in the country.
The second-highest median pay for officers is with state governments (excluding schools and hospitals) at $88,400, followed by the postal service at $83,620. Local governments (excluding schools and hospitals), which employ 85.6% of all police officers, pay the fourth-highest median annual wages at $75,920.
Police officers earn the most working for business, labor and similar organizations.
Annual median wage of police and sheriff’s patrol officers, by industry, 2025
Where does this data come from?
Where does this data come from?
Data in this article comes from OEWS program within the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment and wages are estimated for about 830 occupations based on an annual survey of approximately 375,000 nonfarm employers reporting to state unemployment insurance programs. An individual business is surveyed no more than one time over a three-year period. The data does not include people who are self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers, or unpaid family workers.
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