Earnings

The median annual wage for police and detectives was $56,980 in May 2012. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $33,060, and the top 10 percent earned more than $93,450. The median wages for police and detective occupations in May 2012 were as follows:

• $74,300 for detectives and criminal investigators
• $55,270 for police and sheriff's patrol officers
• $55,210 for transit and railroad police
• $48,070 for fish and game wardens

Source:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-2015 edition, Police and Detectives.