Police Officer salaries across 50 U.S. cities, from BLS wage data: median and 10th-90th percentiles, plus cost-of-living-adjusted real pay. Compare metros.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS) & BEA Regional Price Parities · Updated June 2026
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Across the 50 U.S. metros tracked here, Police Officer pay ranges from about $51,050 in New Orleans, LA to $145,340 in San Jose, CA (median wage). The U.S. national average for this role is about $76,550.
The table below ranks every metro by median wage. “Real pay” adjusts each salary for local cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. = 100) so you can compare what the paycheck is actually worth. See our methodology for sources and formulas.
| City | Median | 10th %ile | 90th %ile | Cost of living (US = 100) | Real pay (COL-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $145,340 | $92,140 | $179,720 | 110.4 | $131,649 |
| San Francisco, CA | $134,860 | $88,050 | $156,080 | 115.6 | $116,661 |
| Oakland, CA | $134,860 | $88,050 | $156,080 | 115.6 | $116,661 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $113,460 | $79,000 | $134,870 | 113.6 | $99,877 |
| Long Beach, CA | $113,460 | $79,000 | $134,870 | 113.6 | $99,877 |
| Sacramento, CA | $112,230 | $70,930 | $142,230 | 106.7 | $105,183 |
| San Diego, CA | $109,540 | $65,870 | $136,090 | 111.9 | $97,891 |
| Seattle, WA | $109,180 | $84,310 | $138,340 | 111.1 | $98,272 |
| Fresno, CA | $103,290 | $71,360 | $139,540 | 102.2 | $101,067 |
| Chicago, IL | $102,520 | $58,840 | $113,420 | 103.6 | $98,958 |
| Denver, CO | $100,790 | $69,490 | $105,840 | 105.8 | $95,265 |
| New York, NY | $96,130 | $54,770 | $148,300 | 112.6 | $85,373 |
| Portland, OR | $91,420 | $76,240 | $102,670 | 105.4 | $86,736 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $91,000 | $62,680 | $107,320 | 104.8 | $86,832 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $89,590 | $58,860 | $95,390 | 100.7 | $88,967 |
| Miami, FL | $89,570 | $58,680 | $177,660 | 114.2 | $78,433 |
| Boston, MA | $88,986 | $49,401 | $116,694 | 108.3 | $82,166 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $87,830 | $57,950 | $93,830 | 96.9 | $90,640 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $87,140 | $63,920 | $92,870 | 103.3 | $84,356 |
| Mesa, AZ | $87,140 | $63,920 | $92,870 | 103.3 | $84,356 |
| Columbus, OH | $86,640 | $52,870 | $103,840 | 95.5 | $90,723 |
| Omaha, NE | $85,430 | $53,410 | $89,570 | 91.9 | $92,960 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $85,390 | $58,300 | $117,040 | 102.6 | $83,226 |
| Arlington, TX | $84,280 | $61,630 | $100,330 | — | — |
| Dallas, TX | $84,280 | $61,630 | $100,330 | 103.1 | $81,746 |
| Austin, TX | $84,210 | $60,580 | $104,890 | 98.1 | $85,841 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $80,730 | $63,610 | $101,070 | 100.2 | $80,569 |
| Cleveland, OH | $79,420 | $45,490 | $94,340 | — | — |
| Indianapolis, IN | $77,270 | $57,350 | $83,350 | 95.7 | $80,742 |
| Washington, DC | $77,160 | $60,200 | $104,050 | 108.9 | $70,854 |
| Baltimore, MD | $75,330 | $54,340 | $101,100 | 104.5 | $72,086 |
| Detroit, MI | $74,610 | $50,340 | $86,250 | 100.3 | $74,387 |
| Fort Worth, TX | $71,557 | $42,635 | $91,801 | 103.1 | $69,405 |
| San Antonio, TX | $69,920 | $51,720 | $85,530 | 94.7 | $73,833 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $69,340 | $42,790 | $107,310 | 90.4 | $76,704 |
| Houston, TX | $69,080 | $56,900 | $96,320 | 98.6 | $70,061 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $68,210 | $49,250 | $68,720 | 95.5 | $71,424 |
| El Paso, TX | $64,980 | $44,850 | $87,130 | 89.9 | $72,280 |
| Memphis, TN | $64,360 | $40,550 | $76,890 | 92.2 | $69,805 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $62,330 | $43,740 | $81,970 | 99.5 | $62,643 |
| Tucson, AZ | $61,063 | $34,110 | $79,929 | 96.9 | $63,017 |
| Kansas City, MO | $60,710 | $48,460 | $91,210 | 92.5 | $65,632 |
| Charlotte, NC | $60,680 | $45,850 | $84,030 | 97.3 | $62,364 |
| Raleigh, NC | $60,570 | $46,730 | $85,770 | 98.2 | $61,680 |
| Nashville, TN | $60,220 | $41,700 | $76,790 | 96.3 | $62,534 |
| Atlanta, GA | $59,840 | $48,760 | $76,140 | 100.1 | $59,780 |
| Louisville, KY | $56,960 | $47,850 | $73,780 | 93.1 | $61,182 |
| Tulsa, OK | $56,050 | $36,750 | $83,510 | 89.2 | $62,836 |
| Wichita, KS | $54,650 | $40,950 | $73,860 | 88.9 | $61,474 |
| New Orleans, LA | $51,050 | $39,840 | $65,550 | 92.6 | $55,130 |
“Real pay” = average wage × 100 ÷ the metro’s Regional Price Parity — what the salary is worth in national-average dollars. A high-paying city with high costs can rank below a cheaper one on real pay.
The national average for Police Officers is $76,550 per year, based on BLS OEWS wage data. Metro-level pay varies widely: across the 50 cities we track, average pay runs from $51,050 in New Orleans to $145,340 in San Jose.
San Jose leads after adjusting for the local cost of living: its $145,340 average pay is worth about $131,649 in national-average dollars, ahead of San Francisco at $116,661.
Real pay divides the metro's average wage by its Regional Price Parity from the BEA, so expensive and cheap cities can be compared directly. San Jose's index is 110.4, so its $145,340 average equals about $131,649 in national buying power.
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