BLS median and percentile pay for patrol officers in every state, with 7(k) overtime and take-home after 2026 tax
Police and sheriff's patrol officers earned a median salary of $76,210 a year in May 2025, or $36.64 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, across 670,520 officers. A new officer in a low-paying department sits nearer the 10th percentile of $47,510; the top tenth — mostly senior officers in large, high-cost departments — earned over $115,120. Overtime is not in those numbers and is a regular part of the job.
This is the BLS line for police and sheriff's patrol officers (SOC 33-3051): local, state and federal agencies' sworn patrol officers. Detectives, criminal investigators and supervisors are counted separately. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.84 | $47,510 | $3,959 | $40,354 |
| 25th percentile | $28.50 | $59,290 | $4,941 | $49,820 |
| Median | $36.64 | $76,210 | $6,351 | $62,444 |
| 75th percentile | $46.93 | $97,600 | $8,133 | $77,492 |
| 90th percentile | $55.35 | $115,120 | $9,593 | $89,817 |
Where you serve matters more for police than for most jobs. California's median is $118,880, about two and a half times Mississippi's $46,140. Washington ($102,080) and Illinois ($100,520) also top $100,000 at the median, while Texas, with nearly as many officers as California, pays $75,900.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $57.15 | $118,880 | 65,940 |
| Washington | $49.08 | $102,080 | 9,160 |
| Illinois | $48.33 | $100,520 | 29,180 |
| Alaska | $47.66 | $99,130 | 1,260 |
| Colorado | $46.81 | $97,350 | 9,610 |
| Delaware | $44.70 | $92,970 | 1,800 |
| New York | $44.61 | $92,790 | 53,470 |
| New Jersey | $44.53 | $92,610 | 21,780 |
| District of Columbia | $42.62 | $88,650 | 4,720 |
| Oregon | $42.38 | $88,140 | 5,030 |
| Pennsylvania | $41.09 | $85,470 | 26,510 |
| Hawaii | $40.30 | $83,820 | 2,420 |
| Minnesota | $40.08 | $83,360 | 9,160 |
| Connecticut | $39.51 | $82,170 | 6,500 |
| Massachusetts | $37.95 | $78,940 | 17,040 |
| Arizona | $37.92 | $78,880 | 12,010 |
| Nevada | $37.57 | $78,140 | 5,720 |
| Wisconsin | $37.55 | $78,090 | 12,320 |
| Maryland | $37.49 | $77,970 | 9,720 |
| Utah | $37.17 | $77,310 | 5,500 |
| Rhode Island | $37.13 | $77,230 | 1,940 |
| Ohio | $37.03 | $77,020 | 23,430 |
| Texas | $36.49 | $75,900 | 63,100 |
| Nebraska | $35.88 | $74,620 | 3,490 |
| North Dakota | $35.82 | $74,500 | 1,630 |
| Florida | $35.81 | $74,470 | 43,630 |
| Iowa | $35.81 | $74,470 | 5,130 |
| Michigan | $35.45 | $73,730 | 16,750 |
| Indiana | $35.27 | $73,370 | 12,980 |
| New Hampshire | $34.44 | $71,640 | 2,460 |
| Montana | $33.68 | $70,050 | 2,160 |
| New Mexico | $33.26 | $69,180 | 4,580 |
| Vermont | $33.13 | $68,910 | 1,020 |
| Maine | $32.24 | $67,050 | 2,120 |
| Idaho | $32.21 | $66,990 | 2,810 |
| Wyoming | $31.80 | $66,140 | 1,310 |
| Virginia | $31.67 | $65,870 | 19,970 |
| South Dakota | $29.20 | $60,740 | 2,000 |
| Kentucky | $29.08 | $60,490 | 7,890 |
| Oklahoma | $28.70 | $59,700 | 9,660 |
| Missouri | $28.59 | $59,460 | 13,570 |
| North Carolina | $28.51 | $59,300 | 22,370 |
| Tennessee | $28.50 | $59,280 | 15,630 |
| Kansas | $28.48 | $59,230 | 6,130 |
| Georgia | $27.94 | $58,120 | 22,170 |
| South Carolina | $27.92 | $58,070 | 12,930 |
| West Virginia | $27.39 | $56,960 | 2,900 |
| Alabama | $24.65 | $51,270 | 11,710 |
| Louisiana | $23.26 | $48,380 | 12,400 |
| Arkansas | $22.92 | $47,670 | 5,710 |
| Mississippi | $22.18 | $46,140 | 8,070 |
Most police officers work full time. Paid overtime is common, and shift work is needed to cover every hour of the day (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Because BLS's wage figures exclude overtime pay, an officer who regularly works extra shifts or court time earns more than the salary in the tables below — the calculator lets you add it.
Police overtime runs on its own federal rule. Under section 7(k) of the FLSA a public agency can set a work period of 7 to 28 days; law enforcement officers are owed overtime after 171 hours in a 28-day period, or 86 hours in 14 days, rather than after 40 in a week. Agencies can give compensatory time at time and a half instead of cash, and officers can bank up to 480 hours of it (DOL Fact Sheet #8). Agencies with fewer than five officers are exempt from overtime altogether. Union contracts often pay overtime sooner than the federal minimum.
Recruits usually attend a training academy before becoming officers, covering state and constitutional law, civil rights, patrol, firearms, first aid and emergency response. Many agencies give a uniform allowance and the option to retire younger than usual, and some departments pay more to bilingual officers or those with college degrees (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). BLS doesn't publish those premiums as figures; the percentile spread below shows how far seniority, rank and department move pay.
More ways to work with your police officer pay:
$76,210 a year ($36.64 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $59,290 to $97,600.
California ($57.15 an hour, $118,880 a year), then Washington and Illinois; Mississippi pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Under FLSA section 7(k), after 171 hours in a 28-day work period (86 hours in 14 days) for law enforcement, unless the agency uses a standard 40-hour week or a union contract pays sooner. Agencies can give comp time at 1.5 hours per overtime hour, up to 480 hours (DOL Fact Sheet #8).
No. BLS wage estimates exclude overtime pay, so officers who work regular overtime earn more than the published median and percentiles.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.