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Police lieutenant salary
Average police lieutenant salary
$70,614
Average Police Lieutenant Salary
The average salary for a Police Lieutenant in the United States is $70,614 annually. This figure may vary based on factors such as geographic location, department, and years of experience. For instance, police lieutenants in metropolitan areas often earn higher wages than those in rural settings.
How Experience Influences Earnings
Experience significantly impacts salary potential. Entry-level lieutenants may start at lower salaries, while those with several years of service can see their earnings rise significantly.
Top Paying States
States like California, New York, and Texas are known for offering competitive salaries for police lieutenants. For example, California ranks among the highest, with average earnings surpassing $80,000 annually.
Salary Comparison by Role
Police lieutenants often have higher salaries compared to sergeants and patrol officers. This reflects their increased responsibilities and leadership roles within law enforcement agencies.
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Where can a Police Lieutenant earn more?
Police lieutenant salaries by experience level
Police lieutenant salary estimates from across the web
Average police lieutenant salary by state
The highest-paying states for police lieutenants are Washington, Idaho, and Maine. The lowest average police lieutenant salary states are Indiana, Arkansas, and Maryland.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for police lieutenants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $79,562 | $38.25 |
| 2 | Washington | $101,736 | $48.91 |
| 3 | California | $86,976 | $41.82 |
| 4 | Idaho | $96,568 | $46.43 |
| 5 | Ohio | $74,284 | $35.71 |
| 6 | Maine | $88,319 | $42.46 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $70,789 | $34.03 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $74,126 | $35.64 |
| 9 | Oregon | $78,063 | $37.53 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $73,972 | $35.56 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $72,604 | $34.91 |
| 12 | Colorado | $72,328 | $34.77 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $69,960 | $33.63 |
| 14 | Texas | $68,366 | $32.87 |
| 15 | New York | $75,190 | $36.15 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $63,212 | $30.39 |
| 17 | Utah | $67,305 | $32.36 |
| 18 | Arizona | $67,200 | $32.31 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $69,805 | $33.56 |
| 20 | Michigan | $66,116 | $31.79 |
| 21 | Kansas | $65,920 | $31.69 |
| 22 | Iowa | $66,606 | $32.02 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $62,370 | $29.99 |
| 24 | Georgia | $63,200 | $30.38 |
| 25 | Virginia | $62,726 | $30.16 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $72,039 | $34.63 |
| 27 | Delaware | $68,356 | $32.86 |
| 28 | Alaska | $58,358 | $28.06 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $65,924 | $31.69 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $62,185 | $29.90 |
| 31 | Connecticut | $69,625 | $33.47 |
| 32 | Illinois | $68,104 | $32.74 |
| 33 | Missouri | $58,111 | $27.94 |
| 34 | Alabama | $61,417 | $29.53 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $58,417 | $28.09 |
| 36 | Florida | $61,260 | $29.45 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $57,581 | $27.68 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $61,946 | $29.78 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $58,661 | $28.20 |
| 40 | Montana | $49,119 | $23.61 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $62,113 | $29.86 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $49,634 | $23.86 |
| 43 | Maryland | $48,126 | $23.14 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $46,216 | $22.22 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $45,729 | $21.99 |
| 46 | Indiana | $48,760 | $23.44 |
| 47 | Massachusetts | $49,703 | $23.90 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $48,527 | $23.33 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $49,168 | $23.64 |
| 50 | Vermont | $49,309 | $23.71 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $44,848 | $21.56 |
Highest paying cities for police lieutenants
The highest-paying cities for police lieutenants are Reno, NV, Washington, DC, and Austin, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reno, NV | $83,950 | $40.36 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $74,045 | $35.60 |
| 3 | Austin, TX | $68,908 | $33.13 |
| 4 | Flagstaff, AZ | $68,649 | $33.00 |
| 5 | Chapel Hill, NC | $62,563 | $30.08 |
| 6 | Madison, WI | $48,824 | $23.47 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $48,255 | $23.20 |
| 8 | New Orleans, LA | $46,176 | $22.20 |
| 9 | Goose Creek, SC | $45,623 | $21.93 |
Police lieutenant salary details
A police lieutenant's salary ranges from $51,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $97,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a police lieutenant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| Average | $70,614 | $5,885 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| 10th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
Highest paying police lieutenant jobs
The highest paying types of police lieutenants are deputy chief of staff, command master chief, and command sergeant major.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Sergeant | $41,479 | $3,457 | $19.94 | 68,521 |
| Chief Of Police | $77,582 | $6,465 | $37.30 | 69,344 |
| Sergeant | $48,557 | $4,046 | $23.34 | 79,335 |
| Platoon Sergeant | $95,863 | $7,989 | $46.09 | 357 |
| Police Officer | $52,638 | $4,386 | $25.31 | 116,287 |
| Lieutenant | $47,781 | $3,982 | $22.97 | 79,272 |
Top companies hiring police lieutenants now:
Which companies pay police lieutenants the most?
Police lieutenant salaries at Methodist Health System and City of Reno are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average police lieutenant salary at companies like City of Goose Creek and University of Wisconsin System are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Methodist Health System | $70,154 | $33.73 |
| 2 | City of Reno | $67,800 | $32.60 |
| 3 | City of Goose Creek | $66,603 | $32.02 |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin System | $65,182 | $31.34 |
| 5 | City of Rockville | $64,808 | $31.16 |
| 6 | City of Boise | $64,543 | $31.03 |
| 7 | Village Of Waterville | $64,117 | $30.83 |
| 8 | Allied Universal | $64,005 | $30.77 |
| 9 | Tyler Junior College | $63,666 | $30.61 |
| 10 | UNC Health Care | $62,599 | $30.10 |
| 11 | City of Tacoma | $61,967 | $29.79 |
| 12 | Johns Hopkins University | $60,526 | $29.10 |
| 13 | Huron-Clinton Metroparks | $60,268 | $28.98 |
| 14 | The George Washington University | $59,930 | $28.81 |
| 15 | Fort Hays State University | $52,483 | $25.23 |
| 16 | Fort Valley State University | $47,595 | $22.88 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Police lieutenant salary trends
The average police lieutenant salary has risen by $11,453 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average police lieutenant earned $59,161 annually, but today, they earn $70,614 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for police lieutenants over the last decade.
Compare police lieutenant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average police lieutenant salary over time
Compare police lieutenant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Police lieutenant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,600 | $33.95 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $69,200 | $33.26 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $67,600 | $32.51 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $66,800 | $32.10 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | $64,400 | $30.98 | +3.2% |
Recently added police lieutenant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Il | Police Lieutenant | Urbana, IL | 06/28/2025 | $148,177 |
| Guilford Technical Community College | Campus Police Lieutenant | Jamestown, NC | 06/21/2025 | $62,031 |
| Huron-Clinton Metroparks | Police Lieutenant-Southern District | Boston, MI | 06/20/2025 | $97,928 |
| University of Colorado | Police Lieutenant | Boulder, CO | 06/20/2025 | $145,000 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Police Lieutenant | Boulder, CO | 06/19/2025 | $145,000 |
| Metroparks | Police Lieutenant-Southern District | Boston, MI | 06/19/2025 | $97,928 |
| City of Emeryville, Ca | Police Lieutenant | Emeryville, CA | 06/18/2025 | $179,496 |
| City of Emeryville | Police Lieutenant | Oakland, CA | 06/17/2025 | $179,496 |
| Zuckerberg San Francisco General | 8209-Institutional Police Lieutenant | San Francisco, CA | 06/14/2025 | $111,616 |
| Northwest Missouri State University | Lieutenant, University Police Department | Maryville, MO | 06/12/2025 | $79,548 |
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