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Police sergeant salary
Average police sergeant salary
$65,562
Understanding Police Sergeant Salaries
The role of a Police Sergeant is crucial in law enforcement, serving as a bridge between officers and senior management. As of October 2025, the average salary for a police sergeant stands at $65,562 per year or approximately $32 per hour. However, several factors can influence this figure significantly, including geographic location, department size, and years of experience.
For instance, police sergeants in metropolitan areas may earn higher salaries due to increased demand and cost of living. States like California and New York are known for offering some of the highest salaries for this position, often exceeding the national average. In addition, sergeants with more experience typically command higher wages, reflecting their enhanced skills and responsibilities.
Salaries by Experience Level
Entry-level sergeants might start at lower salaries, around $50,000, but with years of service, this can rise significantly. Exploring opportunities in diverse departments can also yield better compensation packages, making it critical for aspiring sergeants to consider their options carefully.
Utilizing resources like Zippia can provide valuable insights into specific salary ranges by state and department, assisting you in making informed decisions about your career path.
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Where can a Police Sergeant earn more?
Police sergeant salaries by experience level
Police sergeant salary estimates from across the web
Average police sergeant salary by state
The average police sergeant salary in Washington, Idaho, and Maine are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average police sergeant salary states are Arkansas, Montana, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for police sergeants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $89,186 | $42.88 |
| 2 | New York | $78,617 | $37.80 |
| 3 | Idaho | $85,413 | $41.06 |
| 4 | Ohio | $72,536 | $34.87 |
| 5 | Maine | $83,792 | $40.28 |
| 6 | California | $74,029 | $35.59 |
| 7 | Nevada | $67,408 | $32.41 |
| 8 | Colorado | $68,954 | $33.15 |
| 9 | Delaware | $66,157 | $31.81 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $69,307 | $33.32 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $72,428 | $34.82 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $63,717 | $30.63 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $66,528 | $31.98 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $70,473 | $33.88 |
| 15 | Oregon | $68,865 | $33.11 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $66,570 | $32.00 |
| 17 | Michigan | $64,314 | $30.92 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $66,350 | $31.90 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $65,734 | $31.60 |
| 20 | Illinois | $66,658 | $32.05 |
| 21 | Iowa | $65,448 | $31.47 |
| 22 | Georgia | $59,860 | $28.78 |
| 23 | Alaska | $58,154 | $27.96 |
| 24 | Kansas | $64,023 | $30.78 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $63,623 | $30.59 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $60,658 | $29.16 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $59,170 | $28.45 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $59,581 | $28.64 |
| 29 | Virginia | $61,157 | $29.40 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $60,044 | $28.87 |
| 31 | Arizona | $59,259 | $28.49 |
| 32 | Florida | $55,479 | $26.67 |
| 33 | Alabama | $57,911 | $27.84 |
| 34 | Missouri | $56,344 | $27.09 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $60,962 | $29.31 |
| 36 | Utah | $58,813 | $28.28 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $56,439 | $27.13 |
| 38 | Texas | $55,976 | $26.91 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $57,881 | $27.83 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $54,670 | $26.28 |
| 41 | Montana | $45,548 | $21.90 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $43,213 | $20.78 |
| 43 | Maryland | $46,764 | $22.48 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $42,203 | $20.29 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $43,481 | $20.90 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $47,931 | $23.04 |
| 47 | Massachusetts | $47,182 | $22.68 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $46,574 | $22.39 |
| 49 | Indiana | $47,626 | $22.90 |
| 50 | Vermont | $47,006 | $22.60 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $44,359 | $21.33 |
Highest paying cities for police sergeants
The highest-paying cities for police sergeants are Santa Cruz, CA, Reno, NV, and Commerce City, CO.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Cruz, CA | $79,806 | $38.37 |
| 2 | Reno, NV | $72,471 | $34.84 |
| 3 | Commerce City, CO | $68,984 | $33.17 |
| 4 | Eugene, OR | $68,886 | $33.12 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $65,722 | $31.60 |
| 6 | Ames, IA | $65,322 | $31.40 |
| 7 | Brownstown, MI | $64,327 | $30.93 |
| 8 | Salina, KS | $64,090 | $30.81 |
| 9 | Rocky Mount, NC | $60,871 | $29.26 |
| 10 | Memphis, TN | $60,099 | $28.89 |
| 11 | Omaha, NE | $56,526 | $27.18 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $56,155 | $27.00 |
| 13 | Fort Wayne, IN | $48,177 | $23.16 |
| 14 | Worcester, MA | $47,228 | $22.71 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $46,825 | $22.51 |
| 16 | New Orleans, LA | $42,027 | $20.21 |
Police sergeant salary details
A police sergeant's salary ranges from $48,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $89,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a police sergeant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $89,000 | $7,417 | $43 |
| 75th Percentile | $77,000 | $6,417 | $37 |
| Average | $65,562 | $5,464 | $32 |
| 25th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
| 10th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
Highest paying police sergeant jobs
The highest paying types of police sergeants are deputy chief of staff, command master chief, and command sergeant major.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Of Police | $77,582 | $6,465 | $37.30 | 69,344 |
| Lieutenant | $47,781 | $3,982 | $22.97 | 79,272 |
| Police Officer | $52,638 | $4,386 | $25.31 | 116,287 |
| Staff Sergeant | $41,479 | $3,457 | $19.94 | 68,521 |
| Sergeant | $48,557 | $4,046 | $23.34 | 79,335 |
| Platoon Sergeant | $95,863 | $7,989 | $46.09 | 357 |
Which companies pay police sergeants the most?
Police sergeant salaries at Loyola University Maryland and Mt. San Antonio College are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average police sergeant salary at companies like University of California and University of California, Berkeley are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loyola University Maryland | $78,104 | $37.55 |
| 2 | Mt. San Antonio College | $75,093 | $36.10 |
| 3 | University of California | $73,263 | $35.22 |
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley | $72,502 | $34.86 |
| 5 | Scotts | $68,483 | $32.92 |
| 6 | University of Michigan | $66,169 | $31.81 |
| 7 | Village of Ada | $64,986 | $31.24 |
| 8 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | $64,747 | $31.13 |
| 9 | State of Connecticut | $64,739 | $31.12 |
| 10 | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | $64,608 | $31.06 |
| 11 | University of Houston | $64,411 | $30.97 |
| 12 | Nash Holdings | $64,356 | $30.94 |
| 13 | State Center Community College | $64,267 | $30.90 |
| 14 | Iowa State University | $64,183 | $30.86 |
| 15 | Central Texas College | $63,949 | $30.74 |
| 16 | UMass Memorial Health | $63,727 | $30.64 |
| 17 | City of Reno | $63,178 | $30.37 |
| 18 | City of Davenport, Iowa | $63,039 | $30.31 |
| 19 | Georgetown University | $62,467 | $30.03 |
| 20 | University of Tennessee | $62,312 | $29.96 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Police sergeant salary trends
The average police sergeant salary has risen by $10,634 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average police sergeant earned $54,928 annually, but today, they earn $65,562 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for police sergeants over the last decade.
Compare police sergeant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average police sergeant salary over time
Compare police sergeant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Police sergeant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $65,600 | $31.52 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $64,200 | $30.88 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $62,800 | $30.18 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $62,000 | $29.80 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | $59,800 | $28.76 | +3.2% |
Recently added police sergeant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Virginia | *Internal Only* Police Corporal 00642 | Newport News, VA | 06/28/2025 | $57,254 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Il | Police Sergeant | Urbana, IL | 06/28/2025 | $92,266 |
| State of Louisiana | Police Sergeant | Noble, LA | 06/27/2025 | $45,888 |
| RTD | Transit Police Sergeant | Denver, CO | 06/26/2025 | $77,437 |
| Christopher Newport University | *Internal Only* Police Corporal 00642 | Newport News, VA | 06/26/2025 | $58,972 |
| UNC Health Care Systems | Police Sergeant-Unch HBO Security&Courier SVS | Hillsborough, NC | 06/19/2025 | $59,667 |
| City of East Palo Alto, Ca | Police Sergeant (20634499) | East Palo Alto, CA | 06/19/2025 | $130,079 |
| Texas State Technical College | Police Sergeant | Waco, TX | 06/14/2025 | $70,000 |
| City of Ventura, Ca | Police Sergeant (Promotional Only) | Oxnard, CA | 05/23/2025 | $136,156 |
| City of Ventura | Police Sergeant (Promotional Only) | Ione, CA | 05/22/2025 | $136,156 |
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