How Much Police Make in Every State

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Protecting and serving the American public isn’t an easy job, and it can be a dangerous one.

As former President Barack Obama once put it:

“[W]e tell the police, ‘You’re a social worker; you’re the parent; you’re the teacher; you’re the drug counselor.’ We tell them to keep those neighborhoods in check at all costs and do so without causing any political blowback or inconvenience; don’t make a mistake that might disturb our own peace of mind.”

So, how much do the police make for keeping the peace?

Following are the average annual and hourly wages of police and sheriff’s patrol officers in all 50 states, along with the number of those jobs in each state. The states are ranked by their average annual wage, from lowest to highest.

The information comes from the latest occupational wage data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is for 2020.

50. Mississippi

Police car in Jackson, Mississippi
DIDIER FOTO / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 7,780
Average annual wage: $37,210

Average hourly wage: $17.89

49. Arkansas

Police observation tower in Little Rock, Arkansas
Reed Means / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 5,910
Average annual wage: $42,530
Average hourly wage: $20.45

48. Louisiana

Police in New Orleans, Louisiana
amadeustx / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 10,700
Average annual wage: $43,700
Average hourly wage: $21.01

47. South Carolina

Police and parametics in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
StacieStauffSmith / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 10,650
Average annual wage: $45,160
Average hourly wage: $21.71

46. Kentucky

Police dog in Richmond, Kentucky
Steven J Hensley / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 6,270
Average annual wage: $45,370
Average hourly wage: $21.81

45. West Virginia

Police honor guard, West Virginia
Jeff McCoy / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 3,110
Average annual wage: $45,590
Average hourly wage: $21.92

44. Georgia

Atlanta police motorcycles
ESB Professional / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 21,870
Average annual wage: $46,870
Average hourly wage: $22.54

43. Tennessee

police car in Memphis, Tennessee
photosounds / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 12,330
Average annual wage: $47,450
Average hourly wage: $22.81

42. Alabama

Police officers on motorcycles in Prattville, Alabama
JNix / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 11,820
Average annual wage: $47,550
Average hourly wage: $22.86

41. North Carolina

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police cars in North Carolina
meunierd / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 21,000
Average annual wage: $48,480
Average hourly wage: $23.31

40. Oklahoma

Oklahoma Highway Patrol car
betto rodrigues / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 6,820
Average annual wage: $49,070

Average hourly wage: $23.59

39. Kansas

Police in Topeka, Kansas
Dave Navarro Jr / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 5,750
Average annual wage: $50,100
Average hourly wage: $24.09

38. South Dakota

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota
Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 1,730
Average annual wage: $50,960
Average hourly wage: $24.50

37. New Mexico

police car in Santa Fe, New Mexico
meunierd / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 4,350
Average annual wage: $55,170
Average hourly wage: $26.52

36. Maine

Portland, Maine, police cars
Popova Valeriya / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 1,940
Average annual wage: $55,570
Average hourly wage: $26.71

35. Missouri

Police in St. Louis, Missouri
Dave Adams Images / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 14,260
Average annual wage: $56,480
Average hourly wage: $27.15

34. Idaho

motorcycle police in Idaho
EJMzagsfan / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 2,740
Average annual wage: $56,910
Average hourly wage: $27.36

33. Vermont

Vermont police
FashionStock.com / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 1,200
Average annual wage: $57,230
Average hourly wage: $27.51

32. Montana

Kalispell, Montana, police car
Karin Hildebrand Lau / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 1,690
Average annual wage: $57,510
Average hourly wage: $27.65

31. Wyoming

parade in Casper, Wyoming
Oscar C. Williams / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 1,160
Average annual wage: $57,960
Average hourly wage: $27.87

30. Indiana

Indianapolis police
Roberto Galan / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 11,860
Average annual wage: $59,200

Average hourly wage: $28.46

29. Utah

Utah state trooper
welcomia / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 4,850
Average annual wage: $59,450
Average hourly wage: $28.58

28. Nebraska

Scottsbluff, Nebraska, police cars
Philip Eckerberg / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 3,130
Average annual wage: $60,140
Average hourly wage: $28.91

27. Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia, sheriff's deputies on motorcycles
Barbara Sauder / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 17,480
Average annual wage: $60,190
Average hourly wage: $28.94

26. Michigan

Sheriff deputies in Benton Harbor, Michigan
Roberto Galan / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 16,220
Average annual wage: $60,290
Average hourly wage: $28.99

25. New Hampshire

New Hampshire state trooper car
Nick Beer / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 2,730
Average annual wage: $60,690
Average hourly wage: $29.18

24. North Dakota

police in Cannon Ball, North Dakota
Eric Rosenwald / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 1,410
Average annual wage: $61,820
Average hourly wage: $29.72

23. Iowa

Iowa state trooper patrol car
Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 4,760
Average annual wage: $62,130
Average hourly wage: $29.87

22. Florida

Police kneel with protestors in Coral Gables, Florida
That One Photography / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 38,580
Average annual wage: $62,680
Average hourly wage: $30.13

21. Rhode Island

Providence police officers in Rhode Island
Dan Logan / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 1,870
Average annual wage: $64,970
Average hourly wage: $31.24

20. Ohio

Cleveland police
Denise Kappa / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 23,700
Average annual wage: $65,540

Average hourly wage: $31.51

19. Texas

Houston police
Melvin Parker / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 57,830
Average annual wage: $65,640
Average hourly wage: $31.56

18. Wisconsin

police and protestors in Madison, Wisconsin
Aaron of L.A. Photography / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 11,120
Average annual wage: $65,950
Average hourly wage: $31.71

17. Arizona

Scottsdale, Arizona, police car
meunierd / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 11,500
Average annual wage: $67,750
Average hourly wage: $32.57

16. Pennsylvania

Philadelphia police
305465255 / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 27,590
Average annual wage: $70,970
Average hourly wage: $34.12

15. Maryland

Baltimore police car
Kimberly Boyles / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 12,570
Average annual wage: $73,700
Average hourly wage: $35.43

14. Minnesota

Minneapolis police protestors
Sam Wagner / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 9,490
Average annual wage: $74,370
Average hourly wage: $35.75

13. Massachusetts

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police in Boston
Richard Cavalleri / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 15,720
Average annual wage: $75,280
Average hourly wage: $36.19

12. Oregon

Police in Oregon
Victoria Ditkovsky / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 5,090
Average annual wage: $75,330
Average hourly wage: $36.22

11. Connecticut

Police on motorcycles in Connecticut
barbsimages / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 6,100
Average annual wage: $75,590
Average hourly wage: $36.34

10. Nevada

Las Vegas police helicopter
trekandshoot / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 5,230
Average annual wage: $75,590

Average hourly wage: $36.34

9. Delaware

Wilmington, Delaware, police motorcycle
Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 1,800
Average annual wage: $77,010
Average hourly wage: $37.02

8. Colorado

Police officers in masks in Denver, Colorado
Jim Lambert / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 10,030
Average annual wage: $78,230
Average hourly wage: $37.61

7. Illinois

Chicago police officer hugs protestor
Untitled Title / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 29,190
Average annual wage: $78,450
Average hourly wage: $37.72

6. New York

New York City police in Manhattan
Drop of Light / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 55,590
Average annual wage: $80,210
Average hourly wage: $38.56

5. Hawaii

Honolulu police car
Jeff Whyte / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 2,470
Average annual wage: $81,460
Average hourly wage: $39.17

4. Washington

police in Seattle, Washington
Mariusz S. Jurgielewicz / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 9,090
Average annual wage: $82,740
Average hourly wage: $39.78

3. Alaska

Alaska state trooper patrol car
melissamn / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 1,200
Average annual wage: $88,120
Average hourly wage: $42.37

2. New Jersey

New Jersey police honor guard
JonathanCollins / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 23,860
Average annual wage: $90,700
Average hourly wage: $43.61

1. California

Police officer in Oceanside, California
Simone Hogan / Shutterstock.com

Number of jobs: 74,310
Average annual wage: $107,440

Average hourly wage: $51.65

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