National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Police Officers earn a national median of $72,280/year vs Plumbers at $61,550/year. Police Officers earn 15% more nationally. The gap is $10,730 per year — or $894 per month.
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Police Officer
$72,280
national median/year
$6,023/mo • $35/hr
VS
Plumber
$61,550
national median/year
$5,129/mo • $30/hr
Annual salary gap
$10,730
Police Officers earn 15% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $121,628.
Best states for Plumbers
vs Police Officers
Missouri+$4,000
North Dakota+$2,000
Hawaii+$0
Louisiana+$0
Michigan+$0
Best states for Police Officers
vs Plumbers
California+$30,000
New Jersey+$16,000
Connecticut+$14,000
Maryland+$14,000
Arizona+$12,000
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Police Officers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Police Officers is $72,280 versus $61,550 for Plumbers — a difference of $10,730 per year or $894 per month.
The national median salary gap between Police Officers and Plumbers is $10,730 per year. Police Officers earn 15% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $121,628.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Police Officers the highest median salary at $108,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Alaska pays Plumbers the highest median salary at $82,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Police Officers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers and Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Police Officers earn approximately $35 per hour nationally and Plumbers earn approximately $30 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
