2021’s Best & Worst States to Be a Police Officer

Currently, our nation’s 800,000 police officers have even more of a spotlight than usual. That’s because they have been in charge of enforcing COVID-19 restrictions, and because of recent high-profile police brutality incidents, including the trial of Derek Chauvin, which ended with a murder conviction.

Even when the U.S. isn’t in the middle of a pandemic, 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 $67,290 mean annual wage and typically a generous benefits package which can include retirement-contribution matches, tuition assistance, ample leave time, a take-home vehicle, and access to health and fitness facilities.

With police still enforcing some COVID-19 restrictions and former officer Derek Chauvin’s trial coming to a landmark conclusion, WalletHub today released its report on 2021’s Best & Worst States to Be a Police Officer.

In order to determine the best states to pursue a career in law enforcement, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 30 key indicators of police-friendliness. The data set ranges from the median income for law-enforcement officers to police deaths per 1,000 officers to state and local police-protection expenses per capita.

Life & Work for Cops in California (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

  • 23rd – Law-Enforcement Officers per Capita
  • 4th – Median Income for Law-Enforcement Officers (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
  • 19th – Median Income Growth for Law-Enforcement Officers
  • 26th – % of Homicide Cases Solved
  • 4th – State & Local Police-Protection Expenses per Capita
  • 11th – Police Deaths per 1,000 Officers

Note: “Law-enforcement officers” includes police and sheriff’s patrol officers, detectives and criminal investigators.

For the full report, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

Image Sources

  • Police Sirens: Pixaby