Police Officer Pay by State 2025
A California officer earns three times the salary of a Mississippi officer for the same job. This guide ranks every US state by police base pay, overtime rates, and total real-world compensation — so you know exactly where the money is.
- California pays the most — median $113,460/year, the highest in the nation according to BLS data
- Mississippi pays the least — median $41,080/year, a $72,380 gap from California's top rate
- National median is $72,280 — but overtime routinely adds $20,000–$50,000 at major departments
- FLSA 7(k) sets overtime — time-and-a-half kicks in after 171 hours worked in a 28-day period
- NYPD and LAPD officers commonly earn $130,000–$150,000 total once overtime is counted
- Cost-of-living flips the ranking — Illinois and Washington outperform California in real spending power
Top 10 Highest-Paying States for Police Officers
Pay gaps in US law enforcement are enormous. California police officers earn a median salary of $113,460 — the highest in the country — while officers in the lowest-paying states earn less than $45,000 for the same work. The following table shows the top ten states ranked by Bureau of Labor Statistics median annual salary data.
| Rank | State | Median Annual Salary | Median Hourly Rate | OT Rate (1.5x/hr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $113,460 | $54.55 | $81.83 |
| 2 | Washington | $99,510 | $47.84 | $71.76 |
| 3 | Illinois | $98,430 | $47.32 | $70.98 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $91,850 | $44.16 | $66.24 |
| 5 | Alaska | $90,060 | $43.30 | $64.95 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $88,820 | $42.70 | $64.05 |
| 7 | Nevada | $87,890 | $42.26 | $63.39 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $85,640 | $41.17 | $61.76 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $85,000 | $40.87 | $61.31 |
| 10 | Oregon | $82,900 | $39.86 | $59.79 |
After adjusting for purchasing power, Illinois and Washington outrank California in real take-home value. California's high cost of living erodes much of its salary lead. Illinois officers get strong pay with a significantly lower cost of living, making it the top state for real spending power in law enforcement.
Lowest-Paying States for Police Officers
The gap between the best and worst states is striking. Officers in the Deep South and Appalachia face salaries that have not kept pace with cost of living or the demands of the job. Mississippi's median police salary of $41,080 is the lowest in the nation — less than a third of what a California officer earns.
| Rank (lowest) | State | Median Annual Salary | Median Hourly Rate | OT Rate (1.5x/hr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Mississippi | $41,080 | $19.75 | $29.63 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $44,300 | $21.30 | $31.95 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $47,800 | $22.98 | $34.47 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $50,380 | $24.22 | $36.33 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $50,470 | $24.27 | $36.41 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $51,340 | $24.68 | $37.02 |
| 44 | Alabama | $52,540 | $25.26 | $37.89 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $54,870 | $26.38 | $39.57 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $55,640 | $26.75 | $40.13 |
| 41 | Georgia | $57,290 | $27.54 | $41.31 |
Full 50-State Police Officer Salary Table
The table below covers all 50 US states plus Washington D.C., ranked from highest to lowest median annual salary. Hourly rates and overtime multipliers are calculated from BLS median figures. Data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2023.
| State | Median Annual | Hourly Rate | OT Rate (x1.5) | Double Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $113,460 | $54.55 | $81.83 | $109.10 |
| Washington | $99,510 | $47.84 | $71.76 | $95.68 |
| Illinois | $98,430 | $47.32 | $70.98 | $94.64 |
| New Jersey | $91,850 | $44.16 | $66.24 | $88.32 |
| Alaska | $90,060 | $43.30 | $64.95 | $86.60 |
| Hawaii | $88,820 | $42.70 | $64.05 | $85.40 |
| Nevada | $87,890 | $42.26 | $63.39 | $84.52 |
| Massachusetts | $85,640 | $41.17 | $61.76 | $82.34 |
| Connecticut | $85,000 | $40.87 | $61.31 | $81.74 |
| Oregon | $82,900 | $39.86 | $59.79 | $79.72 |
| New York | $82,410 | $39.62 | $59.43 | $79.24 |
| Minnesota | $80,120 | $38.52 | $57.78 | $77.04 |
| Maryland | $79,650 | $38.29 | $57.44 | $76.58 |
| Colorado | $78,540 | $37.76 | $56.64 | $75.52 |
| Michigan | $77,810 | $37.41 | $56.12 | $74.82 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,200 | $37.12 | $55.68 | $74.24 |
| Wisconsin | $74,960 | $36.04 | $54.06 | $72.08 |
| Delaware | $74,400 | $35.77 | $53.66 | $71.54 |
| Virginia | $73,280 | $35.23 | $52.85 | $70.46 |
| Rhode Island | $72,900 | $35.05 | $52.58 | $70.10 |
| Texas | $70,390 | $33.84 | $50.76 | $67.68 |
| Ohio | $69,860 | $33.59 | $50.39 | $67.18 |
| Iowa | $69,510 | $33.42 | $50.13 | $66.84 |
| Nebraska | $68,900 | $33.13 | $49.70 | $66.26 |
| Arizona | $68,480 | $32.92 | $49.38 | $65.84 |
| Utah | $67,850 | $32.62 | $48.93 | $65.24 |
| Kansas | $65,340 | $31.41 | $47.12 | $62.82 |
| Florida | $64,970 | $31.24 | $46.86 | $62.48 |
| North Carolina | $64,300 | $30.91 | $46.37 | $61.82 |
| Missouri | $63,880 | $30.71 | $46.07 | $61.42 |
| Indiana | $63,200 | $30.38 | $45.57 | $60.76 |
| New Mexico | $62,980 | $30.28 | $45.42 | $60.56 |
| Montana | $62,530 | $30.06 | $45.09 | $60.12 |
| Wyoming | $61,870 | $29.75 | $44.63 | $59.50 |
| North Dakota | $60,980 | $29.32 | $43.98 | $58.64 |
| Idaho | $60,310 | $29.00 | $43.50 | $58.00 |
| South Dakota | $59,720 | $28.71 | $43.07 | $57.42 |
| New Hampshire | $59,200 | $28.46 | $42.69 | $56.92 |
| Vermont | $58,740 | $28.24 | $42.36 | $56.48 |
| Maine | $57,940 | $27.86 | $41.79 | $55.72 |
| Georgia | $57,290 | $27.54 | $41.31 | $55.08 |
| Oklahoma | $55,640 | $26.75 | $40.13 | $53.50 |
| Tennessee | $54,870 | $26.38 | $39.57 | $52.76 |
| Alabama | $52,540 | $25.26 | $37.89 | $50.52 |
| West Virginia | $51,340 | $24.68 | $37.02 | $49.36 |
| Kentucky | $50,470 | $24.27 | $36.41 | $48.54 |
| South Carolina | $50,380 | $24.22 | $36.33 | $48.44 |
| Louisiana | $47,800 | $22.98 | $34.47 | $45.96 |
| Arkansas | $44,300 | $21.30 | $31.95 | $42.60 |
| Mississippi | $41,080 | $19.75 | $29.63 | $39.50 |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2023. SOC code 33-3051 (Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers). Hourly rates are derived by dividing annual median by 2,080 hours. Overtime rates are calculated at 1.5x and 2.0x the median hourly rate.
How Police Overtime Works Under FLSA
Police officer overtime is governed by Section 7(k) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which creates a special threshold for law enforcement. Unlike most private sector workers who hit overtime at 40 hours per week, police officers under the 7(k) exemption reach the overtime threshold at:
- 171 hours in a 28-day work period (the most common arrangement)
- Or proportionally lower in shorter work periods (86 hours over 14 days, for example)
Once an officer exceeds the threshold, all additional hours must be paid at time and a half (1.5x) their regular rate. Some departments — particularly in major cities — also pay:
- Night shift differentials: typically 10–15% above regular rate
- Weekend/holiday premiums: often 25–50% above regular rate
- Off-duty detail rates: private security details at events, hospitals, or construction — often higher than standard overtime
FLSA 7(k) Key Rule: If a law enforcement officer works 200 hours in a 28-day period, they are entitled to overtime pay for the 29 hours exceeding the 171-hour threshold — paid at 1.5x their regular rate.
Total Compensation: What Officers Actually Earn
Published base salaries understate real earnings at departments that run active overtime programs. At NYPD and LAPD, mid-career officers routinely report total W-2 earnings of $130,000–$150,000 — well above their published base scales — because overtime and off-duty details are structural parts of staffing, not exceptions.
| Department | Base Salary (Mid-Career) | Typical OT Added | Total Compensation Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAPD (Los Angeles, CA) | $100,000–$120,000 | $20,000–$50,000 | $120,000–$170,000 |
| NYPD (New York, NY) | $77,000–$105,000 | $25,000–$55,000 | $100,000–$160,000 |
| Chicago PD (IL) | $93,000–$111,000 | $20,000–$40,000 | $113,000–$151,000 |
| Seattle PD (WA) | $95,000–$115,000 | $15,000–$35,000 | $110,000–$150,000 |
| Houston PD (TX) | $60,000–$80,000 | $10,000–$30,000 | $70,000–$110,000 |
| Average small department | $45,000–$65,000 | $5,000–$15,000 | $50,000–$80,000 |
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