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This question is about police officer salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Police Officer?
A good starting salary for a police officer is $35,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a police officer in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for police officers is $48,353, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a police officer can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Police Officer Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level police officer earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Alaska | $69,000 | $5,750 | $1,326 | $33.17 |
| Washington | $62,000 | $5,166 | $1,192 | $29.81 |
| Oregon | $54,000 | $4,500 | $1,038 | $25.96 |
| North Dakota | $49,000 | $4,083 | $942 | $23.56 |
| California | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Minnesota | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Colorado | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Vermont | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| New Hampshire | $42,000 | $3,500 | $807 | $20.19 |
| Connecticut | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| District of Columbia | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Montana | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Massachusetts | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Wyoming | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Nevada | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| New York | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Maryland | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| New Jersey | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Idaho | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Illinois | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Rhode Island | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Wisconsin | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Nebraska | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Iowa | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Ohio | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Michigan | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Delaware | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Utah | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| South Dakota | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Arizona | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Pennsylvania | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Hawaii | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Texas | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Missouri | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Maine | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| New Mexico | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Indiana | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Virginia | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Florida | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| West Virginia | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Kansas | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Kentucky | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Oklahoma | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Tennessee | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| North Carolina | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Georgia | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Alabama | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Arkansas | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Louisiana | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| South Carolina | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Mississippi | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Police Officer Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level police officer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Bellingham, WA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Anchorage, AK | $71,000 | $5,916 | $1,365 | $34.13 |
| Bellingham, WA | $68,000 | $5,666 | $1,307 | $32.69 |
| Portland, OR | $59,000 | $4,916 | $1,134 | $28.37 |
| Richmond, CA | $57,000 | $4,750 | $1,096 | $27.4 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Washington, DC | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Baltimore, MD | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Chicago, IL | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Yuma, AZ | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
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