National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Police Officers earn a national median of $72,280/year vs Truck Drivers at $54,320/year. Police Officers earn 25% more nationally. The gap is $17,960 per year — or $1,497 per month.
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Police Officer
$72,280
national median/year
$6,023/mo • $35/hr
VS
Truck Driver
$54,320
national median/year
$4,527/mo • $26/hr
Annual salary gap
$17,960
Police Officers earn 25% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $203,582.
Best states for Truck Drivers
vs Police Officers
West Virginia+$0
Arkansas+$-2,000
Kentucky+$-2,000
Mississippi+$-2,000
South Dakota+$-2,000
Best states for Police Officers
vs Truck Drivers
California+$46,000
New Jersey+$32,000
Hawaii+$30,000
Massachusetts+$28,000
Alaska+$26,000
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Police Officers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Police Officers is $72,280 versus $54,320 for Truck Drivers — a difference of $17,960 per year or $1,497 per month.
The national median salary gap between Police Officers and Truck Drivers is $17,960 per year. Police Officers earn 25% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $203,582.
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 Truck Drivers the highest median salary at $62,320 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 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 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 Truck Drivers earn approximately $26 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.
