GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Best States to Be a Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a police and sheriff's patrol officers salary goes furthest in California — a $118,880 BLS median worth $101,107 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 137.8).
Which US states are best for a police and sheriff's patrol officers after cost of living and tax?
For a police and sheriff's patrol officers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks California #1: a $118,880 BLS median becomes $101,107 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 137.8). Mississippi ranks last ($51,654, index 70.4). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
California ranks #1 of 51 states for a police and sheriff's patrol officers. Index 100 = the average state; 137.8 means pay goes 37.8% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedPolice and Sheriff's Patrol Officers — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $118,880 | $6,934 | 110.7 | $101,107 | 137.8 |
| 2 | Alaska | $99,130 | — | 102.4 | $96,845 | 132.0 |
| 3 | Illinois | $100,520 | $4,835 | 100.0 | $95,726 | 130.5 |
| 4 | Washington | $102,080 | — | 107.0 | $95,390 | 130.0 |
| 5 | Colorado | $97,350 | $3,623 | 103.1 | $90,951 | 124.0 |
| 6 | Delaware | $92,970 | $4,795 | 99.8 | $88,345 | 120.4 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $85,470 | $2,624 | 97.6 | $84,908 | 115.7 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $74,500 | $215 | 89.0 | $83,505 | 113.8 |
| 9 | New York | $92,790 | $4,519 | 107.9 | $81,792 | 111.5 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $92,610 | $3,709 | 108.8 | $81,706 | 111.4 |
| 11 | Iowa | $74,470 | $2,790 | 87.8 | $81,676 | 111.3 |
| 12 | Ohio | $77,020 | $1,336 | 92.8 | $81,579 | 111.2 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $83,360 | $4,180 | 98.6 | $80,288 | 109.4 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $78,090 | $2,987 | 94.1 | $79,817 | 108.8 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $74,620 | $2,784 | 90.1 | $79,726 | 108.7 |
| 16 | Oregon | $88,140 | $6,908 | 103.4 | $78,590 | 107.1 |
| 17 | Texas | $75,900 | — | 97.1 | $78,201 | 106.6 |
| 18 | Nevada | $78,140 | — | 100.0 | $78,156 | 106.5 |
| 19 | Arizona | $78,880 | $1,497 | 100.7 | $76,863 | 104.8 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $82,170 | $2,944 | 103.6 | $76,465 | 104.2 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $88,650 | $4,660 | 109.9 | $76,423 | 104.2 |
| 22 | Indiana | $73,370 | $2,171 | 93.3 | $76,288 | 104.0 |
| 23 | Utah | $77,310 | $3,518 | 98.9 | $74,640 | 101.7 |
| 24 | Michigan | $73,730 | $2,887 | 96.2 | $73,628 | 100.3 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $77,230 | $2,296 | 102.3 | $73,263 | 99.9 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $69,180 | $2,137 | 92.2 | $72,705 | 99.1 |
| 27 | Florida | $74,470 | — | 103.4 | $72,012 | 98.1 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $83,820 | $4,840 | 110.0 | $71,832 | 97.9 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $66,140 | — | 92.7 | $71,355 | 97.3 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | $78,940 | $3,727 | 105.8 | $71,119 | 96.9 |
| 31 | Maryland | $77,970 | $3,371 | 105.0 | $71,075 | 96.9 |
| 32 | Montana | $70,050 | $2,995 | 94.6 | $70,849 | 96.6 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $71,640 | — | 104.2 | $68,776 | 93.7 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $60,740 | — | 88.6 | $68,566 | 93.4 |
| 35 | Vermont | $68,910 | $2,166 | 98.0 | $68,135 | 92.9 |
| 36 | Idaho | $66,990 | $2,695 | 95.5 | $67,329 | 91.8 |
| 37 | Maine | $67,050 | $2,911 | 97.0 | $66,088 | 90.1 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $59,700 | $2,298 | 87.8 | $65,346 | 89.1 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $60,490 | $2,289 | 90.2 | $64,554 | 88.0 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $59,280 | — | 91.9 | $64,526 | 87.9 |
| 41 | Missouri | $59,460 | $1,914 | 90.8 | $63,365 | 86.4 |
| 42 | Kansas | $59,230 | $2,505 | 90.1 | $62,980 | 85.8 |
| 43 | Virginia | $65,870 | $2,988 | 101.1 | $62,196 | 84.8 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $56,960 | $1,830 | 89.5 | $61,600 | 84.0 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $59,300 | $1,978 | 94.3 | $60,770 | 82.8 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $58,070 | $1,993 | 93.7 | $59,816 | 81.5 |
| 47 | Georgia | $58,120 | $2,486 | 96.3 | $57,776 | 78.7 |
| 48 | Alabama | $51,270 | $2,299 | 88.8 | $55,134 | 75.1 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $48,380 | $1,076 | 88.2 | $53,628 | 73.1 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $47,670 | $1,651 | 86.9 | $52,934 | 72.1 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $46,140 | $1,225 | 87.0 | $51,654 | 70.4 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In California, a $118,880 salary is worth about $93,090 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $15,811 (≈ top marginal 13.30% (upper bound)) · take-home $103,069 · BEA cost of living 110.7 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $134,197, a $41,108 gain over California.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $134,197 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $131,410 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $130,731 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $130,702 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $130,310 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $130,294 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $129,400 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $128,904 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $128,254 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $127,147 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $126,582 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $126,429 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a police and sheriff's patrol officers?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, California is the best state for a police and sheriff's patrol officers: a BLS median of $118,880 is worth $101,107 after the 2025 state income tax ($6,934) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 110.7), an index of 137.8 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. California has the highest headline BLS median for a police and sheriff's patrol officers at $118,880, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 137.8). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a police and sheriff's patrol officers salary go least far?
- Mississippi ranks last of 51 states for a police and sheriff's patrol officers: a $46,140 BLS median is worth only $51,654 after tax and cost of living (index 70.4). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
- Home Health and Personal Care AidesWashington
- Retail SalespersonsNorth Dakota
- Fast Food and Counter WorkersCalifornia
- General and Operations ManagersSouth Dakota
- Registered NursesCalifornia
- CashiersWashington
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNorth Dakota
- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
- Customer Service RepresentativesIowa
- Office Clerks, GeneralNorth Dakota
- Waiters and WaitressesVermont
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersWashington
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a police and sheriff's patrol officers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.