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How much does a police patrol officer make?

Typical yearly pay for police and sheriff's patrol officers in the United States.

$76,210

median pay per year, about $6,351 a month or $36.64 an hour.

That's more than 64% of the 100 jobs in our salary guide, ranking #37 of 100.

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Where it ranks

Aircraft mechanic$79,870
Railroad conductor$78,000
Zoologist$76,780
Police patrol officer$76,210
Game warden$74,060
Commercial diver$72,990
High school teacher$72,040

Similar jobs

How much does a police patrol officer make per hour?

About $36.64 an hour, if you spread the median yearly pay over a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year. Actual hourly pay varies with overtime, shift work and location.

Becoming a police patrol officer

The U.S. Department of Labor's career profile covers the training, licenses and day-to-day tasks for this job.

How to become a police patrol officer

About this number

This is the national median wage for the occupation “Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers” (code 33-3051.01) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release, as published on O*NET OnLine. The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more, half earn less.