Best & Worst States to Be a Police Officer (2024)

WalletHub, May 6, 2024

Law enforcement is a career that is always in the public eye, whether for heroic reasons or scandal, and there are 800,000 law enforcement officers nationwide. Being a police officer is significantly more dangerous than many other occupations. Because of such risks, law-enforcement agencies must offer enough incentives to attract and retain officers. To start, there’s a $69,160 mean annual wage and typically a generous benefits package that can include retirement-contribution matches, tuition assistance, ample leave time, a take-home vehicle, and access to health and fitness facilities.

How well officers are compensated varies from place to place, though, as does the quality of their work environment. Officers are more likely to be attracted to police departments that steer clear of scandal and corruption and that are transparent with their communities.

In order to determine the best states in which to pursue a law-enforcement career, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 30 key metrics. Our data set ranges from the median income for law-enforcement officers to police deaths per 1,000 officers to state and local spending on police.

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HNN: New report says Hawaii is second-worst state to be a police officer