Salary Range of a Cop

Need to Set a Salary Range for a Cop? PayScale Offers Real-Time Compensation Data

By Staff Writer

We have received numerous questions from HR professionals and business owners wondering what the people in various job positions and industries are paid. So, with this post, we offer you the first in a series of analyses and up-close views we’ll be taking of the salary ranges for many different jobs.

The salary range for a cop varies depending on factors like city and type of police work. When setting formal compensation plans and a salary range for a cop in your organization, it is important to take into account whether you are setting a salary range for a patrol officer, a detective, an investigator in a big city, or the salary range for a cop in a small town.

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Our market data reveals that in this industry males typically make more than females and working as a cop for the local government is the branch that brings in the best salary. Also, the more years of experience a police officer has, the higher their salary.

You can see the dramatic increase in salary from a patrol officer who works for less than a year to the last bracket of 20 years or more. The salary for a cop nearly doubles over this period of time.

Median Salary by Years Experience - Job: Police or Sheriff's Patrol Officer (United States)

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New Jersey and California are the two states that pay police officers the highest salaries.

Median Salary by State or Province - Job: Police or Sheriff's Patrol Officer (United States)

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Though the difference is slight, men make slightly more money than women do in this career.

Median Salary by Gender - Job: Police or Sheriff's Patrol Officer (United States)

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Finally, it looks likes patrol officers employed by local governments earn the highest salaries, while those in the military or armed forces earn the least.

Median Salary by Industry - Job: Police or Sheriff's Patrol Officer (United States)

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Do you have any salary range topics you would like to see covered here on Compensation Today? Write to us at comptoday@payscale.com.

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