Best and Worst Places to Be a Cop
CareerVoyages.gov
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers are the third most in-demand profession in the Homeland Security sector. There is projected need for 265,000 officers by the end of 2014; but that is not to say that some states have a higher need than others. The following is a guide to help you navigate, state by state, the law enforcement employment gauntlet.
Top 10 Best Paying Police Jobs By State
(*These stats are based off of mean salaries ending in the year 2006)
State |
Wage |
|
1. |
New Jersey |
$33.88 |
2. |
California |
$33.12 |
3. |
Illinois |
$28.81 |
4. |
Washington |
$28.48 |
5. |
Nevada |
$27.74 |
6. |
Alaska |
$26.98 |
7. |
Connecticut |
$26.72 |
8. |
Pennsylvania |
$25.76 |
9. |
Colorado |
$25.57 |
10. |
Oregon |
$24.76 |
*States not reporting: New York and District of Columbia
Top 10 Worst Paying Police Jobs by State
(*These stats are based off of mean salaries ending in the year 2006)
State |
Wage |
|
1. |
Mississippi |
$13.59 |
2. |
Arkansas |
$13.67 |
3. |
Louisiana |
$13.75 |
4. |
Oklahoma |
$13.88 |
5. |
Tennessee |
$15.26 |
6. |
Missouri |
$15.39 |
7. |
West Virginia |
$15.44 |
8. |
Vermont |
$15.64 |
9. |
Alabama |
$15.80 |
10. |
South Dakota |
$16.07 |
*States not reporting: New York and District of Colombia
Top 10 States By Highest Expected Police Job Growth (between 2006 – 2016)
(*These stats are based off of job growth expectations ending in the year 2006)
State |
# of New Jobs |
|
1. |
California |
12,700 |
2. |
Florida |
7,450 |
3. |
Georgia |
3,530 |
4. |
Arizona |
2,840 |
5. |
New York |
2,820 |
6. |
North Carolina |
2,720 |
7. |
Colorado |
2,280 |
8. |
Tennessee |
2,280 |
9. |
Ohio |
2,240 |
10. |
Missouri |
2,070 |
* States not reporting: Kansas, Texas, Virginia, District of Colombia
Top 10 States By Lowest Expected Police Job Growth (between 2006 – 2016)
(*These stats are based off of job growth expectations ending in the year 2006)
State |
# of New Jobs |
|
1. |
North Dakota |
80 |
2. |
Rhode Island |
120 |
3. |
South Dakota |
120 |
4. |
Alaska |
160 |
5. |
Wyoming |
160 |
6. |
Hawaii |
220 |
7. |
West Virginia |
220 |
8. |
Vermont |
230 |
9. |
Maine |
320 |
10. |
Delaware |
340 |
* States not reporting: Kansas, Texas, Virginia, District of Colombia
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections; the Labor Market Information Office within the State Employment Security Agency
Note: The data for the State Trends and the National Trends tables are not directly comparable. The employment projections period for State Trends is 2004-2014, while the period for National Trends is 2006-2016.
shaneracefan48
over 1 year ago
42 Comments
anyone have an info about the Denver Police Department? I see CO is in top 10 to grow, and pay, and im pretty sure thats denver area, ha theres not many big cities in Colorado cept that one.
JasonBarbour
over 1 year ago
22 Comments
vegas baby #5
Rabbi1167
over 1 year ago
148 Comments
California has great pay, but a high cost of living. In the SF Bay area, it is not uncommon for a patrolman to make in excess of $200,000.00 per year (with overtime). California also has PERES retirement which, depending on contract, may offer retirement of 3% @ 50. The flip-side to working here is that you must put up with the rediculous decisions of the 4th District.
alphafemalepo
over 1 year ago
4 Comments
Wayne Co Sheriff in Michigan - The pay here is competitive, I can't complain. We just took a small hit on healthcare but what industry hasn't? Overall, pay and benefits are pretty good. However, Michigan as a whole is involved in a regional recession and there have been lay-offs in my department. I am actively searching for other employment (out of state) however, if not for the local economic situation I wouldnt have considered leaving.
byebyejailbird
over 1 year ago
86 Comments
Ohio's not bad to work as a LEO. I work for a county Hospital in Cleveland and our pay is a little lower than what we want, but it pays the bills. Uniforms are all paid for, and we have very good benefits. The only bad thing in Ohio is getting the Ohio workers comp. to grant on the job injuries pay while off on medical leave due to the injury.
PAproud
almost 2 years ago
34 Comments
by the way, Jimvg....I've been to Wyoming. Nice place to visit, but you'd get bored quickly. And the winter's got to be awful cold
PAproud
almost 2 years ago
34 Comments
I love PA...pay is good, close to the Jersey Shore, the Appalachian Mountains, NY City. Check out this web site for jobs: http://www.pachiefs.org/
JessicaDeputy
almost 2 years ago
68 Comments
Wow..... i was planning on applying for Rapid City, South Dakota.
Jimvg
almost 2 years ago
424 Comments
I think it has been said before, pay is not the only consideration. California and New Jersey may have higher pay, but the cost of living, especially housing is higher too. I think it's all relative to what you want and how you want to live. I work in California but I can't wait to retire so I can leave this rat race. I'll be going to Wyoming where I can relax and watch the grass grow.
stubby
almost 2 years ago
4 Comments
Even though we are in the bottom 3 of paid officers in the United States, our agency, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, has made great strides in benefits and salary in the past 4 years. We went to the public asking for a tax to be passed to make this happen and the public responded in such a positive manner. Now our office is getting the equipment, training, and officer retention that we have not had in a while. We are looking towards the future and liking what we see.
Anonymous
almost 2 years ago
We may not be the best paid department in our area, but the Jackson Police Department is definately a great place to work, and Jackson is a great place to live. Our agency recently became the only agency of our size to be a CALEA Accreditied agency in our part of the state. We have the best equipment, the best officers, and are constantly striving to improve anyway we can. Our insurance is provided by the city, and for anyone with a family that is very important. Check out our website at www.jacksonpd.org.
liljenjen
almost 2 years ago
176 Comments
Very helpful infomation.
Klopfer
almost 2 years ago
10 Comments
I am not currently a police officer, but I am currently looking into getting my BSCJ and then looking at joining
A12
almost 2 years ago
18 Comments
The Arkansas State Police pays 100% of my insurance and 100% of my families insurance, a take-home car as soon as you graduate Troop school, and Not to mention everything else. I'm not complaining........but of course we do start out quite a bit moore than the state's average......
AST806
almost 2 years ago
20 Comments
I didn't enter for the pay but I do wish it would get a little better