Based largely on compensation and training, California topped a WalletHub study as the best place to be a police officer in the United States.
The average monthly starting salary of a police officer in California is a little over $5,500, the fourth-highest wage in the country. Plus, the median annual wage for police and sheriff’s patrol officers is over $84,100 (adjusted for the cost of living) – also the third-highest nationwide, according to the study.
The Golden State requires rigorous training for officers, with 560 hours of field training required, the second-highest amount in the country.
To top things off, California requires officers to take de-escalation training, which reduces the chances of fatalities for both officers and suspects.
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. The 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.
Best States to Be a Cop:
Overall Rank | State | Total Score | Opportunity & Competition Rank | Law Enforcement Training Requirements Rank | Job Hazards & Protections Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | California | 61.87 | 5 | 2 | 12 |
2 | Illinois | 60.38 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
3 | Connecticut | 60.08 | 36 | 1 | 4 |
4 | District of Columbia | 56.47 | 1 | 3 | 48 |
5 | Colorado | 56.14 | 6 | 8 | 26 |
6 | Maryland | 54.81 | 42 | 7 | 5 |
7 | Ohio | 53.62 | 29 | 5 | 25 |
8 | Minnesota | 53.23 | 15 | 18 | 3 |
9 | Washington | 51.69 | 14 | 13 | 20 |
10 | Massachusetts | 51.27 | 26 | 12 | 14 |
11 | Tennessee | 50.96 | 12 | 4 | 45 |
12 | New York | 50.11 | 2 | 40 | 2 |
12 | Texas | 50.11 | 3 | 11 | 44 |
14 | Rhode Island | 49.11 | 32 | 21 | 8 |
15 | Georgia | 48.64 | 21 | 10 | 32 |
16 | South Dakota | 48.03 | 25 | 9 | 35 |
17 | Maine | 47.40 | 44 | 17 | 10 |
18 | Pennsylvania | 46.04 | 17 | 26 | 23 |
19 | Oklahoma | 45.77 | 8 | 15 | 46 |
20 | Missouri | 45.56 | 20 | 19 | 30 |
21 | Utah | 44.67 | 45 | 25 | 6 |
22 | Virginia | 44.62 | 16 | 28 | 21 |
23 | Indiana | 44.53 | 39 | 14 | 31 |
24 | Wyoming | 43.65 | 13 | 22 | 39 |
25 | Michigan | 43.63 | 22 | 23 | 33 |
26 | North Carolina | 43.59 | 30 | 27 | 19 |
27 | Delaware | 43.57 | 41 | 24 | 15 |
28 | New Jersey | 43.48 | 19 | 39 | 11 |
29 | Nebraska | 42.44 | 9 | 46 | 13 |
30 | Iowa | 42.42 | 28 | 30 | 18 |
31 | New Hampshire | 42.20 | 37 | 44 | 1 |
32 | Florida | 42.00 | 24 | 42 | 9 |
33 | Arizona | 41.81 | 10 | 32 | 28 |
34 | Idaho | 41.28 | 49 | 20 | 29 |
35 | Vermont | 39.65 | 40 | 38 | 16 |
36 | North Dakota | 39.45 | 18 | 49 | 17 |
37 | New Mexico | 39.36 | 7 | 16 | 51 |
38 | Wisconsin | 37.90 | 48 | 31 | 24 |
39 | Kansas | 37.76 | 33 | 34 | 34 |
40 | South Carolina | 37.67 | 27 | 33 | 37 |
41 | Montana | 36.66 | 31 | 35 | 36 |
42 | Louisiana | 34.86 | 11 | 43 | 47 |
43 | Mississippi | 34.62 | 35 | 37 | 43 |
44 | Kentucky | 34.55 | 46 | 29 | 38 |
45 | Oregon | 34.50 | 50 | 41 | 27 |
46 | Alabama | 33.66 | 23 | 47 | 41 |
47 | West Virginia | 33.26 | 34 | 45 | 40 |
48 | Arkansas | 32.05 | 43 | 36 | 50 |
49 | Nevada | 31.43 | 38 | 48 | 42 |
50 | Hawaii | 30.27 | 47 | 51 | 22 |
51 | Alaska | 26.20 | 51 | 50 | 49 |
New York and Texas tied for 12th with Illinois finishing 2nd among states with the nation’s largest metropolises.