Average Salary

• In the United States, the mean hourly wage for cops is $26.53, which results in an average annual salary of $55,180. The bottom 10 percent of cops earn $31,400 a year, while those in the top 10 percent earn $83,550 annually.
  
  

Industry

• The majority of police officers are employed by the local government, an industry that offers an annual mean wage of $55,120. Those employed by the state government earn the highest salaries at an average of $58,860, while those working for the federal executive branch earn less at $51,060. Police officers can also be found at colleges and universities or at junior colleges, employers which pay salary averages of $47,430 and $43,570 respectively. Hospitals employ cops as well, with general medical and surgical facilities paying an average of $52,050 and specialty hospitals offering slightly more at $53,690.
  
  

Location

• The highest paying metropolitan area in the U.S. for police officers is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, which offers an annual mean wage of $95,000. California is also the highest-paying state overall for police officers at $78,690, followed by New Jersey and Washington, D.C., at $77,660 and $67,830 respectively. Mississippi is the state with the highest concentration of cops, but the salary is significantly below the national average at $31,170.
  
  

Advancement

• Promotions to positions such as sergeant and captain usually become available to police officers after a probationary period that may last up to three years. Some cops also go on to become detectives, also resulting in a raise in pay. Employment for police officers is predicted to grow by 10 percent between 2008 and 2018 largely because of population growth, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which also states that officers with either military experience or college training in police science will have the best opportunities.