Police officer pay by city
Across the 50 largest US metros, typical police officer pay ranges from $59,690 in Virginia Beach, VA to $136,140 in San Jose, CA. After taxes and local prices, it goes furthest in San Jose, CA, San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (occupation: Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, SOC 33-3051).
| Rank | Metro | Typical pay | Worth after taxes and prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $136,140 | $86,900 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $132,000 | $80,800 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $115,120 | $80,800 |
| 4 | Columbus, OH | $100,890 | $78,800 |
| 5 | Los Angeles, CA | $121,980 | $77,000 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $107,810 | $76,700 |
| 7 | Sacramento, CA | $111,460 | $76,000 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $101,970 | $72,500 |
| 9 | Dallas, TX | $92,910 | $72,000 |
| 10 | San Diego, CA | $110,400 | $71,900 |
| 11 | Riverside, CA | $101,870 | $70,700 |
| 12 | Minneapolis, MN | $97,190 | $68,800 |
| 13 | Austin, TX | $82,290 | $68,000 |
| 14 | Memphis, TN | $75,410 | $67,100 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $83,110 | $66,000 |
| 16 | New York, NY | $105,540 | $65,900 |
| 17 | Cleveland, OH | $80,280 | $65,900 |
| 18 | Portland, OR | $97,200 | $65,800 |
| 19 | Pittsburgh, PA | $83,190 | $65,700 |
| 20 | Milwaukee, WI | $82,090 | $65,600 |
| 21 | Cincinnati, OH | $80,410 | $65,500 |
| 22 | Oklahoma City, OK | $75,270 | $65,200 |
| 23 | Buffalo, NY | $80,950 | $64,700 |
| 24 | Phoenix, AZ | $85,050 | $64,600 |
| 25 | Jacksonville, FL | $78,810 | $64,600 |
| 26 | San Antonio, TX | $73,860 | $64,200 |
| 27 | Philadelphia, PA | $89,580 | $64,100 |
| 28 | Las Vegas, NV | $77,750 | $63,400 |
| 29 | Hartford, CT | $82,660 | $62,300 |
| 30 | Houston, TX | $74,570 | $62,200 |
| 31 | Salt Lake City, UT | $80,970 | $61,600 |
| 32 | Tampa, FL | $75,710 | $61,500 |
| 33 | Grand Rapids, MI | $74,920 | $60,200 |
| 34 | St. Louis, MO | $73,240 | $60,100 |
| 35 | Providence, RI | $76,850 | $59,600 |
| 36 | Nashville, TN | $68,780 | $59,400 |
| 37 | Detroit, MI | $78,450 | $58,900 |
| 38 | Washington, DC | $84,000 | $58,500 |
| 39 | Miami, FL | $79,840 | $56,900 |
| 40 | Boston, MA | $78,180 | $55,500 |
| 41 | Baltimore, MD | $76,530 | $54,500 |
| 42 | Kansas City, MO | $62,960 | $54,200 |
| 43 | Raleigh, NC | $65,860 | $54,000 |
| 44 | Louisville, KY | $63,220 | $53,200 |
| 45 | Charlotte, NC | $63,190 | $52,400 |
| 46 | Orlando, FL | $63,010 | $52,100 |
| 47 | Birmingham, AL | $60,590 | $51,800 |
| 48 | Richmond, VA | $62,720 | $50,900 |
| 49 | Atlanta, GA | $60,910 | $48,500 |
| 50 | Virginia Beach, VA | $59,690 | $48,500 |
“Worth” is take-home pay at the typical salary (single filer, 2026 income taxes), divided by local prices, so every city is in the same typical-US-city dollars.
Common questions
Which city pays police officers the most?
Before taxes, San Jose, CA has the highest typical police officer pay among the 50 largest US metros: $136,140 a year. The lowest is Virginia Beach, VA at $59,690. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Where does police officer pay go furthest after cost of living?
After federal, state, and local income taxes and local prices, typical police officer pay goes furthest in San Jose, CA, San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA. It goes the least far in Virginia Beach, VA, where it's worth about $48,500 in typical-US-city dollars.