SOC 33-3051 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers — Washington
Washington · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in Washington is $102,080 per year, well above the national median of $76,210.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.1%
- Openings per year
- 53,700
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Washington.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in Washington is $102,080 per year, well above the national median of $76,210. The gap of 33.9% is among the widest recorded for this occupation. Pay ranges from under $79,120 at the tenth percentile to more than $132,200 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $92,930 to $118,480.
Employment stands at 9,160, or 2.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Washington ranks 2nd by median wage. Seattle leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $115,120. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 181st of 757 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $79,120 | +3.8% |
| 25th | $92,930 | +21.9% |
| Median (50th) | $102,080 | +33.9% |
| 75th | $118,480 | +55.5% |
| 90th | $132,200 | +73.5% |
| Mean | $104,140 | +36.6% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Washington
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle | $115,120 | 4,520 | |
| 2 | Kennewick | $104,570 | 340 | |
| 3 | Bellingham | $101,810 | 310 | |
| 4 | Bremerton | $101,440 | 350 | |
| 5 | Mount Vernon | $100,480 | 220 | |
| 6 | Olympia | $99,810 | 380 | |
| 7 | Yakima | $98,340 | 370 | |
| 8 | Wenatchee | $98,030 | 150 | |
| 9 | Spokane | $95,660 | 600 | |
| 10 | Longview | $94,930 | 120 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Washington run 7.0% above the national average, so the median of $102,080 buys what $95,402 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 25.2% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$102,080as reported by BLSLocal price level
107.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$95,402US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $102,080 a year, 33.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $79,120 to $132,200 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 9,160 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 2nd of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Seattle, at $115,120.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in Washington?
The median annual wage is $102,080, or $49.08 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $76,210, so pay in Washington is 33.9% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Washington earns more than $132,200 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $79,120 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Seattle, at $115,120 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 9,160 jobs in this occupation in Washington. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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