One of the most striking discoveries while collecting police officer salary information is the wide range in pay around the country. Salaries can range from just over $30,000 to over $79,000 for police officers, with many factors influencing pay such as the amount of money available in an agency’s budget, the officer’s length of service, amount of overtime earned and educational and certification levels.
Pay increases in police officer salary levels depend on how long a police officer has been on the job as well as overall performance. Pay raises generally come in one, three and five-year increments. This can give officers an average of over $70,000/ year including in base pay and overtime.
The officer’s level of education and any additional training, continuing education or certifications will also have a favorable influence on pay. (Tip: the better you score on the police exam prior to hiring, the greater your chances are of a position with higher pay at the outset. This in turn translates into better pay raises when performance evaluation rolls around!)
Keep in mind that police officer salaries will vary from state to state, and even more so from one municipality to the next within a given state. A base police officer salary may be much higher or lower from the average depending on where the police department is located and the cost of living for that area as well as the budget and other local economic factors.
According to figures from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2008, police and sheriff’s patrol officers had median annual earnings of $51,410. The middle 50 percent earned between $38,850 and $64,940. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,070, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $79,680. Median annual salaries were $46,620 in Federal Government, $57,270 in State government, $51,020 in local government and $43,350 in educational services.
In May 2008, median annual earnings of police and detective supervisors were around $75,490. Average salaries for the mid – 50 percent were between $59,320 and $92,700. The lowest 10 percent were paid less than $46,000 while those in the highest bracket (10 percent) earned more than $114,300. Median annual salaries were $89,930 for law enforcement supervisors in federal law enforcement agencies, $75,370 for those in state law enforcement, and $74,820 in local agencies.
Also as of May 2008, the annual median national wages of detectives and criminal investigators were $60,910. The 50 percent in the middle earned between $45,930 and $81,490. The lowest group of 10 percent earned less than $36,500 with the highest 10 percent earned over $97,870. Median annual earnings were $73,170 for those in federal law enforcement, $53,910 in state government, and $55,930 in local enforcement agencies.
As would be expected, a police officer salary package also includes a wide array of benefits. These will vary depending on the particular agency but usually include medical and life insurance, paid sick leave, paid vacation and often a yearly uniform allowance. After 25-30 years in service, most departments allow their personnel to retire at half-pay depending on their pension plans.
At that point, many retired officers, who are still relatively young, opt to hire out as security guards, radio desk dispatchers or related support work to continue earning while bringing in a pension. Other retired law enforcement personnel may start their own investigation or security agencies. These can all be excellent sources of income.
Competition will be higher among federal and state law enforcement agencies compared to municipal positions. Employment growth was projected to average around 11 percent between 2006 and 2016; however, the current economic situation may result in a slowdown in hiring and/or pay freezes in the average police officer salary, especially on the municipal and state levels.