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Best states for a special officer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for special officers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for special officer jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Our research shows that Nebraska is the best state in the country for special officers.
We figured that the best places for special officer jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that Nebraska is the best state for special officer jobs, whereas West Virginia is the worst.
10 best states for special officers in 2025
1. Nebraska
Total special officer jobs: 490 Average annual salary: $47,752 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
2. North Dakota
Total special officer jobs: 172 Average annual salary: $50,959 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
3. Minnesota
Total special officer jobs: 1,404 Average annual salary: $44,763 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
4. Alaska
Total special officer jobs: 142 Average annual salary: $54,899 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
5. Washington
Total special officer jobs: 1,275 Average annual salary: $49,537 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
6. Massachusetts
Total special officer jobs: 1,947 Average annual salary: $43,129 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
7. Arizona
Total special officer jobs: 1,359 Average annual salary: $39,754 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
8. New York
Total special officer jobs: 2,973 Average annual salary: $41,700 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
9. Idaho
Total special officer jobs: 399 Average annual salary: $38,369 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
10. Wyoming
Total special officer jobs: 84 Average annual salary: $42,219 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
Special officer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a special officer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a special officer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska | $47,752 | $37,000 | 1,920,076 | 490 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $50,959 | $41,000 | 755,393 | 172 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $44,763 | $36,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,404 |
| 4 | Alaska | $54,899 | $46,000 | 739,795 | 142 |
| 5 | Washington | $49,537 | $39,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,275 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $43,129 | $35,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,947 |
| 7 | Arizona | $39,754 | $31,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,359 |
| 8 | New York | $41,700 | $33,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,973 |
| 9 | Idaho | $38,369 | $30,000 | 1,716,943 | 399 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $42,219 | $33,000 | 579,315 | 84 |
| 11 | Missouri | $38,691 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,245 |
| 12 | Oregon | $41,235 | $32,000 | 4,142,776 | 747 |
| 13 | Maine | $40,413 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 225 |
| 14 | California | $44,662 | $34,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,452 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $38,487 | $30,000 | 3,930,864 | 595 |
| 16 | Colorado | $41,107 | $32,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,159 |
| 17 | Illinois | $39,596 | $31,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,363 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $38,742 | $32,000 | 1,342,795 | 350 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $41,521 | $35,000 | 1,427,538 | 189 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $37,098 | $29,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,543 |
| 21 | Iowa | $39,175 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 549 |
| 22 | Nevada | $37,081 | $28,000 | 2,998,039 | 480 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $39,821 | $31,000 | 869,666 | 145 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $37,738 | $30,000 | 1,059,639 | 266 |
| 25 | Maryland | $39,834 | $31,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,313 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $39,019 | $30,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,474 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $46,589 | $36,000 | 693,972 | 229 |
| 28 | Vermont | $38,837 | $32,000 | 623,657 | 146 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $37,978 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 964 |
| 30 | Utah | $38,927 | $30,000 | 3,101,833 | 480 |
| 31 | Ohio | $35,758 | $28,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,053 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $36,559 | $29,000 | 3,004,279 | 457 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $37,356 | $30,000 | 3,588,184 | 662 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $34,101 | $27,000 | 4,454,189 | 910 |
| 35 | Michigan | $36,181 | $28,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,430 |
| 36 | Virginia | $37,761 | $29,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,695 |
| 37 | New Jersey | $36,571 | $29,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,657 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $34,706 | $27,000 | 2,088,070 | 393 |
| 39 | Florida | $36,568 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,410 |
| 40 | Delaware | $36,016 | $28,000 | 961,939 | 208 |
| 41 | Montana | $36,069 | $29,000 | 1,050,493 | 182 |
| 42 | Kansas | $36,427 | $28,000 | 2,913,123 | 386 |
| 43 | Indiana | $34,747 | $27,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,047 |
| 44 | Alabama | $34,469 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 695 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $33,982 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 917 |
| 46 | Texas | $35,038 | $27,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,703 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $34,223 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 687 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $29,110 | $22,000 | 2,984,100 | 416 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $33,074 | $25,000 | 4,684,333 | 501 |
| 50 | Georgia | $31,168 | $24,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,691 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $31,133 | $24,000 | 1,815,857 | 209 |
Highest paying states for special officers
| Rank | State | Avg. Special Officer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska | $47,752 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $50,959 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $44,763 |
| 4 | Alaska | $54,899 |
| 5 | Washington | $49,537 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $43,129 |
| 7 | Arizona | $39,754 |
| 8 | New York | $41,700 |
| 9 | Idaho | $38,369 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $42,219 |
| 11 | Missouri | $38,691 |
| 12 | Oregon | $41,235 |
| 13 | Maine | $40,413 |
| 14 | California | $44,662 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $38,487 |
| 16 | Colorado | $41,107 |
| 17 | Illinois | $39,596 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $38,742 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $41,521 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $37,098 |
| 21 | Iowa | $39,175 |
| 22 | Nevada | $37,081 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $39,821 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $37,738 |
| 25 | Maryland | $39,834 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $39,019 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $46,589 |
| 28 | Vermont | $38,837 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $37,978 |
| 30 | Utah | $38,927 |
| 31 | Ohio | $35,758 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $36,559 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $37,356 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $34,101 |
| 35 | Michigan | $36,181 |
| 36 | Virginia | $37,761 |
| 37 | New Jersey | $36,571 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $34,706 |
| 39 | Florida | $36,568 |
| 40 | Delaware | $36,016 |
| 41 | Montana | $36,069 |
| 42 | Kansas | $36,427 |
| 43 | Indiana | $34,747 |
| 44 | Alabama | $34,469 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $33,982 |
| 46 | Texas | $35,038 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $34,223 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $29,110 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $33,074 |
| 50 | Georgia | $31,168 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $31,133 |
Special officer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025