Best cities for an officer

The best cities for officers are Washington, DC, Jersey City, NJ, and Newark, NJ, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for officers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for officers in the U.S.

Whether you're starting your career as an officer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for officers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for officers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as an officer. While the absolute best city for officers is Washington, DC, there are plenty of other great places to consider.

Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for officers in 2024.

If you're looking for an officer job, here are five companies hiring now:

10 best cities for officers in 2025

1. Washington, DC

Total officer jobs:	96
Average annual salary:	$83,903
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$44,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$157,000
Location quotient:	4.29

Officer jobs in Washington

2. Jersey City, NJ

Total officer jobs:	43
Average annual salary:	$78,677
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$43,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$141,000
Location quotient:	3.37

Officer jobs in Jersey City

3. Newark, NJ

Total officer jobs:	13
Average annual salary:	$78,609
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$43,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$141,000
Location quotient:	2.88

Officer jobs in Newark

4. New York, NY

Total officer jobs:	32
Average annual salary:	$90,999
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$50,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$163,000
Location quotient:	2.27

Officer jobs in New York

5. Kansas City, MO

Total officer jobs:	21
Average annual salary:	$52,624
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$31,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$87,000
Location quotient:	2.55

Officer jobs in Kansas City

6. Boston, MA

Total officer jobs:	35
Average annual salary:	$77,456
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$45,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$132,000
Location quotient:	1.26

Officer jobs in Boston

7. Cincinnati, OH

Total officer jobs:	19
Average annual salary:	$46,550
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$24,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$87,000
Location quotient:	2.27

Officer jobs in Cincinnati

8. Lexington, KY

Total officer jobs:	4
Average annual salary:	$44,472
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$23,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$83,000
Location quotient:	1.66

Officer jobs in Lexington

9. Durham, NC

Total officer jobs:	7
Average annual salary:	$62,954
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$32,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$122,000
Location quotient:	1.11

Officer jobs in Durham

10. Charlotte, NC

Total officer jobs:	30
Average annual salary:	$56,718
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$29,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$109,000
Location quotient:	1.30

Officer jobs in Charlotte

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Best cities for officers

Washington, DC
Jersey City, NJ
Newark, NJ
New York, NY
Kansas City, MO
Boston, MA
Cincinnati, OH
Lexington, KY
Durham, NC
Charlotte, NC

Detailed list of the best cities for an officer

Rank	City	Average salary	Lowest 10% Earn	Population	Job count
1	Washington, DC	$83,903	$44,000	681,170	96
2	Jersey City, NJ	$78,677	$43,000	264,152	43
3	Newark, NJ	$78,609	$43,000	281,764	13
4	New York, NY	$90,999	$50,000	8,537,673	32
5	Kansas City, MO	$52,624	$31,000	481,420	21
6	Boston, MA	$77,456	$45,000	673,184	35
7	Cincinnati, OH	$46,550	$24,000	298,800	19
8	Lexington, KY	$44,472	$23,000	318,449	4
9	Durham, NC	$62,954	$32,000	263,016	7
10	Charlotte, NC	$56,718	$29,000	842,051	30
11	Baltimore, MD	$71,880	$38,000	614,664	16
12	Corpus Christi, TX	$46,510	$24,000	325,733	2
13	Columbus, OH	$51,484	$27,000	860,090	22
14	Madison, WI	$50,785	$28,000	252,551	11
15	Chicago, IL	$46,994	$25,000	2,704,958	111
16	Winston-Salem, NC	$60,569	$31,000	242,203	2
17	Irving, TX	$42,338	$23,000	238,289	37
18	Norfolk, VA	$66,144	$34,000	245,115	3
19	Miami, FL	$40,726	$20,000	453,579	49
20	Nashville, TN	$38,737	$21,000	660,388	46
21	Bakersfield, CA	$53,701	$28,000	376,380	4
22	Oakland, CA	$57,138	$29,000	420,005	5
23	Milwaukee, WI	$54,102	$29,000	595,047	8
24	Raleigh, NC	$62,892	$32,000	458,880	10
25	Tampa, FL	$40,505	$20,000	377,165	47
26	San Antonio, TX	$45,732	$24,000	1,492,510	18
27	Saint Louis, MO	$56,917	$32,000	311,404	13
28	Dallas, TX	$42,423	$23,000	1,317,929	43
29	Louisville, KY	$42,433	$22,000	597,337	13
30	New Orleans, LA	$38,435	$20,000	391,495	9
31	Omaha, NE	$37,712	$23,000	446,970	21
32	Buffalo, NY	$86,015	$47,000	256,902	3
33	Los Angeles, CA	$52,649	$28,000	3,976,322	56
34	El Paso, TX	$44,281	$24,000	683,080	3
35	Mesa, AZ	$37,117	$20,000	484,587	7
36	Sacramento, CA	$55,089	$29,000	495,234	9
37	Virginia Beach, VA	$66,350	$34,000	452,602	2
38	Brookhaven, NY	$91,489	$51,000	486,040	-
39	San Francisco, CA	$57,467	$29,000	870,887	37
40	Arlington, TX	$42,520	$23,000	392,772	2
41	Islip, NY	$91,446	$51,000	335,543	-
42	Oyster Bay, NY	$91,236	$50,000	293,214	-
43	Cleveland, OH	$54,796	$29,000	385,809	3
44	Hempstead, NY	$91,222	$50,000	759,757	-
45	Houston, TX	$45,240	$23,000	2,303,482	41
46	Tucson, AZ	$38,298	$20,000	530,706	10
47	Riverside, CA	$51,646	$27,000	324,722	4
48	Detroit, MI	$51,253	$27,000	672,795	7
49	Orlando, FL	$40,069	$20,000	277,173	14
50	Henderson, NV	$35,936	$19,000	292,969	7

Highest paying cities for officers

Rank	City	Avg. officer salary
1	New York, NY	$90,999
2	Washington, DC	$83,903
3	Jersey City, NJ	$78,677
4	Boston, MA	$77,456
5	Wilmington, DE	$72,910
6	Baltimore, MD	$71,880
7	McLean, VA	$68,377
8	Raleigh, NC	$62,892
9	San Francisco, CA	$57,467
10	Philadelphia, PA	$56,337
11	Kansas City, MO	$52,624
12	Columbus, OH	$51,484
13	Madison, WI	$50,785
14	Chicago, IL	$46,994
15	San Antonio, TX	$45,732
16	Plainfield, IN	$42,343
17	Seattle, WA	$40,765
18	Miami, FL	$40,726
19	Lawton, OK	$38,022
20	Atlanta, GA	$38,010