Best cities for a chief of police
The best cities for chiefs of police are Reno, NV, Cincinnati, OH, and Seattle, WA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for chiefs of police vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for chiefs of police in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a chief of police or considering a move, this list of the best cities for chiefs of police to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for chiefs of police. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a chief of police. While the absolute best city for chiefs of police is Reno, NV, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for chiefs of police in 2024.
If you're looking for a chief of police job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for chiefs of police in 2025
1. Reno, NV
Total chief of police jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $86,855 Lowest 10 percent warn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location quotient: 23.94 2. Cincinnati, OH
Total chief of police jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $78,377 Lowest 10 percent warn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location quotient: 11.13 3. Seattle, WA
Total chief of police jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $96,787 Lowest 10 percent warn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location quotient: 0.00 4. Oakland, CA
Total chief of police jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $98,464 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location quotient: 12.57 5. Columbus, OH
Total chief of police jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $79,342 Lowest 10 percent warn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location quotient: 2.70 6. Toledo, OH
Total chief of police jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $79,934 Lowest 10 percent warn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location quotient: 0.00 7. Fremont, CA
Total chief of police jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $98,225 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location quotient: 5.98 8. Lexington, KY
Total chief of police jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $78,308 Lowest 10 percent warn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location quotient: 0.00 9. Cleveland, OH
Total chief of police jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $80,823 Lowest 10 percent warn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location quotient: 0.00 10. Louisville, KY
Total chief of police jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $77,927 Lowest 10 percent warn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location quotient: 0.00
Choose from 10+ customizable chief of police resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use chief of police resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your chief of police resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for chiefs of police
- Reno, NV
- Cincinnati, OH
- Seattle, WA
- Oakland, CA
- Columbus, OH
- Toledo, OH
- Fremont, CA
- Lexington, KY
- Cleveland, OH
- Louisville, KY
- (3 chief of police jobs)
- (4 chief of police jobs)
- (0 chief of police jobs)
- (2 chief of police jobs)
- (2 chief of police jobs)
- (0 chief of police jobs)
- (2 chief of police jobs)
- (0 chief of police jobs)
- (0 chief of police jobs)
- (0 chief of police jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a chief of police
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reno, NV | $86,855 | $53,000 | 245,255 | 3 |
| 2 | Cincinnati, OH | $78,377 | $54,000 | 298,800 | 4 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $96,787 | $61,000 | 704,352 | - |
| 4 | Oakland, CA | $98,464 | $60,000 | 420,005 | 2 |
| 5 | Columbus, OH | $79,342 | $55,000 | 860,090 | 2 |
| 6 | Toledo, OH | $79,934 | $56,000 | 278,508 | - |
| 7 | Fremont, CA | $98,225 | $60,000 | 233,136 | 2 |
| 8 | Lexington, KY | $78,308 | $54,000 | 318,449 | - |
| 9 | Cleveland, OH | $80,823 | $57,000 | 385,809 | - |
| 10 | Louisville, KY | $77,927 | $54,000 | 597,337 | - |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV | $81,130 | $51,000 | 632,912 | - |
| 12 | North Las Vegas, NV | $80,957 | $51,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 13 | Henderson, NV | $80,562 | $51,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 14 | San Francisco, CA | $98,654 | $60,000 | 870,887 | - |
| 15 | Nashville, TN | $68,277 | $46,000 | 660,388 | 2 |
| 16 | San Jose, CA | $98,121 | $60,000 | 1,025,350 | - |
| 17 | Brookhaven, NY | $90,245 | $61,000 | 486,040 | - |
| 18 | Buffalo, NY | $87,061 | $61,000 | 256,902 | 1 |
| 19 | Sacramento, CA | $97,619 | $59,000 | 495,234 | - |
| 20 | Islip, NY | $90,071 | $61,000 | 335,543 | - |
| 21 | El Paso, TX | $74,346 | $48,000 | 683,080 | 1 |
| 22 | Stockton, CA | $97,598 | $59,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 23 | Oyster Bay, NY | $89,913 | $61,000 | 293,214 | - |
| 24 | Fresno, CA | $96,047 | $59,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 25 | Hempstead, NY | $89,802 | $61,000 | 759,757 | - |
| 26 | New York, NY | $89,619 | $61,000 | 8,537,673 | 1 |
| 27 | Memphis, TN | $67,519 | $46,000 | 652,717 | - |
| 28 | Austin, TX | $72,777 | $47,000 | 947,890 | - |
| 29 | Albuquerque, NM | $75,975 | $50,000 | 559,277 | - |
| 30 | Bakersfield, CA | $92,919 | $58,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 31 | San Antonio, TX | $72,497 | $47,000 | 1,492,510 | - |
| 32 | Philadelphia, PA | $72,318 | $49,000 | 1,567,872 | - |
| 33 | Houston, TX | $72,352 | $47,000 | 2,303,482 | - |
| 34 | Fort Worth, TX | $72,142 | $47,000 | 854,113 | - |
| 35 | Lubbock, TX | $72,877 | $48,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 36 | Arlington, TX | $72,115 | $47,000 | 392,772 | - |
| 37 | Laredo, TX | $71,712 | $46,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 38 | Dallas, TX | $71,975 | $47,000 | 1,317,929 | - |
| 39 | Irving, TX | $71,945 | $47,000 | 238,289 | - |
| 40 | Corpus Christi, TX | $71,642 | $46,000 | 325,733 | - |
| 41 | Pittsburgh, PA | $69,932 | $48,000 | 303,625 | - |
| 42 | Los Angeles, CA | $88,935 | $56,000 | 3,976,322 | 4 |
| 43 | Garland, TX | $71,785 | $47,000 | 234,943 | - |
| 44 | Wichita, KS | $70,314 | $49,000 | 389,902 | - |
| 45 | Plano, TX | $71,684 | $47,000 | 286,057 | - |
| 46 | Glendale, AZ | $72,137 | $46,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 47 | Phoenix, AZ | $72,109 | $46,000 | 1,615,017 | - |
| 48 | Scottsdale, AZ | $72,054 | $46,000 | 246,645 | - |
| 49 | Chandler, AZ | $71,877 | $46,000 | 247,477 | - |
| 50 | Mesa, AZ | $71,873 | $46,000 | 484,587 | - |
Highest paying cities for chiefs of police
| Rank | City | Avg. chief of police salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley, CA | $98,495 |
| 2 | Issaquah, WA | $96,347 |
| 3 | Ithaca, NY | $88,450 |
| 4 | Reno, NV | $86,855 |
| 5 | Tualatin, OR | $77,687 |
| 6 | Pueblo, CO | $75,703 |
| 7 | Austin, TX | $72,777 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $72,464 |
| 9 | Oro Valley, AZ | $71,076 |
| 10 | Iowa City, IA | $70,977 |
| 11 | Chesapeake, VA | $68,795 |
| 12 | Rocky Mount, NC | $68,655 |
| 13 | Columbus, GA | $68,476 |
| 14 | Brooklyn Park, MN | $64,997 |
| 15 | Independence, MO | $61,498 |
| 16 | Warren, MI | $55,057 |
| 17 | Chelsea, MA | $54,857 |
| 18 | Baltimore, MD | $52,728 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $51,940 |
| 20 | Baton Rouge, LA | $50,850 |
Chief of police best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service questions.
Search for chief of police jobs
Updated January 8, 2025