National median: $65K (range: 42K–100K). Salaries adjusted by state cost index. Ranked by cost-adjusted purchasing power. The difference between the best and worst state is $9,405/year in real purchasing power.
Police Officer salaries range from 42K–100K, with significant variation by state and metro area. The take-home pay difference between states is driven primarily by state income tax rates and cost of living.
The highest-paying state for police officers is Hawaii with an estimated salary of $125K and take-home of $87,726. But the best purchasing power goes to Tennessee \u2014 where a $59K salary, after taxes and cost adjustment, buys what $55,096 would buy nationally.
Regional averages show where police officers earn the most and where their money goes furthest:
| # | State | Est. Salary | Tax Rate | Take-Home | Monthly | Eff. Rate | Cost-Adj. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | $59K | 0% | $49,587 | $4,132 | 16.0% | $55,096 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $60K | 0% | $50,390 | $4,199 | 16.0% | $54,772 |
| 3 | Nevada | $66K | 0% | $55,206 | $4,601 | 16.4% | $54,659 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $61K | 0% | $51,194 | $4,266 | 16.1% | $54,461 |
| 5 | Florida | $65K | 0% | $54,408 | $4,534 | 16.3% | $54,408 |
| 6 | Texas | $60K | 0% | $50,390 | $4,199 | 16.0% | $54,183 |
| 7 | Washington | $72K | 0% | $59,427 | $4,952 | 17.5% | $54,025 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $70K | 0% | $58,020 | $4,835 | 17.1% | $53,722 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $60K | 2.5% | $49,415 | $4,118 | 17.6% | $53,712 |
| 10 | Ohio | $59K | 2.75% | $47,964 | $3,997 | 18.7% | $53,293 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | $57K | 4.5% | $46,312 | $3,859 | 18.8% | $53,232 |
| 12 | Arkansas | $56K | 3.9% | $45,756 | $3,813 | 18.3% | $53,205 |
| 13 | Indiana | $59K | 2.95% | $47,846 | $3,987 | 18.9% | $53,162 |
| 14 | Alaska | $83K | 0% | $67,166 | $5,597 | 19.1% | $52,886 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $54K | 4.82% | $43,877 | $3,656 | 18.7% | $52,864 |
| 16 | Arizona | $63K | 2.5% | $51,226 | $4,269 | 18.7% | $52,810 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $59K | 3.5% | $47,522 | $3,960 | 19.5% | $52,802 |
| 18 | Kansas | $59K | 5.58% | $47,447 | $3,954 | 19.6% | $52,718 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $64K | 3.07% | $51,639 | $4,303 | 19.3% | $52,693 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $59K | 4.55% | $47,842 | $3,987 | 18.9% | $52,573 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $59K | 3% | $47,817 | $3,985 | 19.0% | $52,546 |
| 22 | Alabama | $57K | 5% | $46,127 | $3,844 | 19.1% | $52,417 |
| 23 | Iowa | $58K | 3.8% | $46,579 | $3,882 | 19.7% | $52,336 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $54K | 4% | $43,409 | $3,617 | 19.6% | $52,300 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $60K | 6% | $48,050 | $4,004 | 19.9% | $52,228 |
| 26 | Missouri | $58K | 4% | $46,463 | $3,872 | 19.9% | $52,206 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $62K | 3.99% | $49,523 | $4,127 | 20.1% | $52,130 |
| 28 | Montana | $63K | 5.65% | $50,487 | $4,207 | 19.9% | $52,048 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $59K | 5.9% | $47,324 | $3,944 | 19.8% | $52,004 |
| 30 | Virginia | $67K | 5.75% | $53,405 | $4,450 | 20.3% | $51,850 |
| 31 | Michigan | $59K | 4.25% | $47,079 | $3,923 | 20.2% | $51,735 |
| 32 | Maine | $64K | 7.15% | $50,630 | $4,219 | 20.9% | $51,663 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $68K | 5.99% | $53,965 | $4,497 | 20.6% | $51,396 |
| 34 | Delaware | $66K | 6.6% | $52,375 | $4,365 | 20.6% | $51,348 |
| 35 | Idaho | $62K | 5.3% | $48,711 | $4,059 | 21.4% | $51,275 |
| 36 | Utah | $64K | 4.45% | $50,756 | $4,230 | 20.7% | $51,269 |
| 37 | Maryland | $73K | 5.75% | $57,402 | $4,784 | 21.4% | $51,252 |
| 38 | Colorado | $68K | 4.4% | $53,621 | $4,468 | 21.1% | $51,068 |
| 39 | Illinois | $60K | 4.95% | $47,420 | $3,952 | 21.0% | $50,989 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $60K | 7.65% | $47,407 | $3,951 | 21.0% | $50,975 |
| 41 | Georgia | $60K | 5.19% | $47,276 | $3,940 | 21.2% | $50,834 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $72K | 6.99% | $56,156 | $4,680 | 22.0% | $50,591 |
| 43 | Vermont | $68K | 8.75% | $52,746 | $4,395 | 22.4% | $50,234 |
| 44 | Massachusetts | $77K | 5% | $59,095 | $4,925 | 23.3% | $50,080 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $64K | 9.85% | $49,506 | $4,126 | 22.6% | $50,006 |
| 46 | Oregon | $72K | 9.9% | $54,794 | $4,566 | 23.9% | $49,813 |
| 47 | New Jersey | $75K | 10.75% | $56,297 | $4,691 | 24.9% | $48,954 |
| 48 | New York | $81K | 10.9% | $60,020 | $5,002 | 25.9% | $48,016 |
| 49 | California | $92K | 13.3% | $65,544 | $5,462 | 28.8% | $46,157 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $125K | 11% | $87,726 | $7,311 | 29.8% | $45,691 |