Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Salary in Virginia
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in Virginia have a median of $65,870 a year, below the national $76,210 (−14%); the state ranks 37th of 51 states by median. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers earn 18% more than the median across all occupations in Virginia ($55,690). Among neighbouring states, District of Columbia and Maryland pay more (up to $88,650 in District of Columbia) and Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia pay less (down to $56,960 in West Virginia). Virginia employs 19,970 police and sheriff's patrol officers, 4.86 per 1,000 jobs, the 11th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.13 is close to the national share.
Virginia vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $24.04 | $27.95 | $31.67 | $37.73 | $46.55 | $33.87 | 19,970 | 4.86 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $50,000 | $58,140 | $65,870 | $78,480 | $96,820 | $70,450 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.84 | $28.50 | $36.64 | $46.93 | $55.35 | $38.08 | 670,520 | – | – |
| Annual | $47,510 | $59,290 | $76,210 | $97,600 | $115,120 | $79,200 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 37th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 11th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.13
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.86
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Virginia's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Virginia
11 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Virginia publish a row for police and sheriff's patrol officers, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $40.39 | $84,000 | $63,530 | $119,240 | 14,630 | 4.67 | 1.08 |
| Richmond, VA | $30.15 | $62,720 | $53,270 | $96,220 | 3,410 | 5.17 | 1.20 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $29.27 | $60,880 | $51,380 | $87,700 | 410 | 3.59 | 0.83 |
| Roanoke, VA | $28.80 | $59,900 | $47,620 | $77,780 | 840 | 5.44 | 1.26 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $28.70 | $59,690 | $52,050 | $94,030 | 4,320 | 5.66 | 1.31 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $28.35 | $58,960 | $49,360 | $78,750 | 220 | 3.29 | 0.76 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $28.01 | $58,260 | $47,960 | $76,230 | 230 | 3.51 | 0.81 |
| Lynchburg, VA | $27.96 | $58,150 | $47,650 | $75,200 | 430 | 4.42 | 1.02 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $27.23 | $56,640 | $49,030 | $78,830 | 190 | 3.63 | 0.84 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $27.05 | $56,250 | $48,230 | $77,770 | 470 | 6.32 | 1.47 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $23.38 | $48,620 | $45,540 | $67,930 | 690 | 5.79 | 1.34 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $28.46 | $59,190 | $47,400 | $78,830 | 480 | 8.36 | 1.94 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $27.01 | $56,170 | $46,660 | $74,450 | 570 | 8.70 | 2.02 |
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $26.69 | $55,510 | $45,400 | $74,760 | 730 | 7.13 | 1.65 |
| Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $24.66 | $51,290 | $45,400 | $74,840 | 1,030 | 8.88 | 2.06 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $31.67 | $65,870 | 19,970 | 1.13 |
| District of Columbia | $42.62 | $88,650 | 4,720 | 1.56 |
| Kentucky | $29.08 | $60,490 | 7,890 | 0.91 |
| Maryland | $37.49 | $77,970 | 9,720 | 0.82 |
| North Carolina | $28.51 | $59,300 | 22,370 | 1.05 |
| Tennessee | $28.50 | $59,280 | 15,630 | 1.11 |
| West Virginia | $27.39 | $56,960 | 2,900 | 0.96 |
See the national page for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (every state ranked) and the Virginia wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Virginia estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.