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Best states for a state patrol officer
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- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
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- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a state patrol officer at State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for state patrol officers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for state patrol officers. We found that New York is the best state in the nation for state patrol officers, and people in Anchorage earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for state patrol officers.New York is the best state, and Anchorage is the city with the highest pay for state patrol officers.
10 best states for state patrol officers in 2026
1. New York
Total state patrol officer jobs: 1,711 Average annual salary: $64,929 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
2. Arizona
Total state patrol officer jobs: 790 Average annual salary: $57,422 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
3. Nevada
Total state patrol officer jobs: 336 Average annual salary: $54,911 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Location Quotient: 1.71
4. Minnesota
Total state patrol officer jobs: 976 Average annual salary: $54,114 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
5. New Mexico
Total state patrol officer jobs: 245 Average annual salary: $54,992 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
6. Colorado
Total state patrol officer jobs: 720 Average annual salary: $56,050 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
7. Nebraska
Total state patrol officer jobs: 264 Average annual salary: $53,201 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
8. Alaska
Total state patrol officer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $65,821 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 0.05
9. Maryland
Total state patrol officer jobs: 760 Average annual salary: $57,833 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
10. Illinois
Total state patrol officer jobs: 1,387 Average annual salary: $53,803 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
State patrol officer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a state patrol officer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a state patrol officer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $64,929 | $48,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,711 |
| 2 | Arizona | $57,422 | $45,000 | 7,016,270 | 790 |
| 3 | Nevada | $54,911 | $45,000 | 2,998,039 | 336 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $54,114 | $46,000 | 5,576,606 | 976 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $54,992 | $44,000 | 2,088,070 | 245 |
| 6 | Colorado | $56,050 | $47,000 | 5,607,154 | 720 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $53,201 | $44,000 | 1,920,076 | 264 |
| 8 | Alaska | $65,821 | $59,000 | 739,795 | 4 |
| 9 | Maryland | $57,833 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 760 |
| 10 | Illinois | $53,803 | $44,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,387 |
| 11 | California | $64,032 | $51,000 | 39,536,653 | 331 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $53,873 | $40,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,056 |
| 13 | Washington | $57,074 | $49,000 | 7,405,743 | 718 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $49,349 | $42,000 | 755,393 | 136 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $49,960 | $38,000 | 1,059,639 | 170 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $53,997 | $46,000 | 579,315 | 20 |
| 17 | Ohio | $51,479 | $41,000 | 11,658,609 | 981 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $51,028 | $40,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,211 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $55,381 | $42,000 | 3,588,184 | 318 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $48,427 | $36,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,317 |
| 21 | Indiana | $49,139 | $39,000 | 6,666,818 | 684 |
| 22 | Iowa | $48,543 | $40,000 | 3,145,711 | 416 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $48,904 | $41,000 | 5,795,483 | 581 |
| 24 | Oregon | $52,170 | $44,000 | 4,142,776 | 397 |
| 25 | Delaware | $52,812 | $38,000 | 961,939 | 10 |
| 26 | Vermont | $48,032 | $39,000 | 623,657 | 89 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $46,441 | $37,000 | 1,342,795 | 216 |
| 28 | Michigan | $47,625 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 749 |
| 29 | Virginia | $45,318 | $32,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,230 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $54,042 | $39,000 | 693,972 | 9 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $45,286 | $34,000 | 1,815,857 | 154 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $54,564 | $47,000 | 1,427,538 | 0 |
| 33 | Montana | $47,960 | $42,000 | 1,050,493 | 12 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $43,564 | $33,000 | 6,715,984 | 642 |
| 35 | Maine | $44,848 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 153 |
| 36 | Idaho | $40,936 | $35,000 | 1,716,943 | 319 |
| 37 | Missouri | $45,771 | $37,000 | 6,113,532 | 575 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $42,978 | $36,000 | 869,666 | 119 |
| 39 | Utah | $46,754 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 11 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $41,944 | $33,000 | 3,930,864 | 365 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $40,472 | $29,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,139 |
| 42 | Alabama | $41,545 | $30,000 | 4,874,747 | 475 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $41,515 | $32,000 | 4,454,189 | 409 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $38,447 | $28,000 | 2,984,100 | 293 |
| 45 | Texas | $43,756 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,695 |
| 46 | Florida | $43,956 | $30,000 | 20,984,400 | 198 |
| 47 | Georgia | $40,356 | $29,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,194 |
| 48 | Kansas | $43,170 | $35,000 | 2,913,123 | 275 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $40,192 | $31,000 | 3,004,279 | 265 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $38,540 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 457 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $37,784 | $27,000 | 4,684,333 | 324 |
Highest paying states for state patrol officers
| Rank | State | Avg. State Patrol Officer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $64,929 |
| 2 | Arizona | $57,422 |
| 3 | Nevada | $54,911 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $54,114 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $54,992 |
| 6 | Colorado | $56,050 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $53,201 |
| 8 | Alaska | $65,821 |
| 9 | Maryland | $57,833 |
| 10 | Illinois | $53,803 |
| 11 | California | $64,032 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $53,873 |
| 13 | Washington | $57,074 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $49,349 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $49,960 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $53,997 |
| 17 | Ohio | $51,479 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $51,028 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $55,381 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $48,427 |
| 21 | Indiana | $49,139 |
| 22 | Iowa | $48,543 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $48,904 |
| 24 | Oregon | $52,170 |
| 25 | Delaware | $52,812 |
| 26 | Vermont | $48,032 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $46,441 |
| 28 | Michigan | $47,625 |
| 29 | Virginia | $45,318 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $54,042 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $45,286 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $54,564 |
| 33 | Montana | $47,960 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $43,564 |
| 35 | Maine | $44,848 |
| 36 | Idaho | $40,936 |
| 37 | Missouri | $45,771 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $42,978 |
| 39 | Utah | $46,754 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $41,944 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $40,472 |
| 42 | Alabama | $41,545 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $41,515 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $38,447 |
| 45 | Texas | $43,756 |
| 46 | Florida | $43,956 |
| 47 | Georgia | $40,356 |
| 48 | Kansas | $43,170 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $40,192 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $38,540 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $37,784 |
State patrol officer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025