Police Major Salary: What You’ll Make and Why
Police majors make around $52,090 to $86,596 on average in the US, depending on experience, location, skills, and other factors.
According to various salary aggregate websites, a police major’s average salary in the US ranges between $52,090 and $86,596. As of March 2022, the average base salaries for police majors are as follows:
| Payscale | ZipRecruiter | Indeed | Salary.com | Glassdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $73,919 | $61,176 | $52,090 | $85,589 | $86,596 |
Keep in mind: Salary aggregate websites typically rely on data submitted anonymously by individuals using their site. Some websites may have received larger amounts of data of either higher or lower than average salaries, which may affect the site’s calculated average.
Read more: What Is a Police Major? How to Become One
What influences a salary?
A Police Major’s salary is determined by a variety of factors, including the size of the police department, the location, the budget, the Major’s experience, and the Major’s education.
Years of experience
Salary increases are generally tied to your experience level. In general, the more years you spend working as a police major, the more you can expect to earn. Here’s how experience can impact your police major salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Compensation Survey.
| Level of experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry-level (less than 1 year) | $46,770 |
| Early career (1 to 4 years) | $58,930 |
| Mid career (5 to 9 years) | $77,011 |
| Experienced (10 to 19 years) | $95,967 |
| Late career (20+ years) | $119,725 |
Location
Where you live can also impact how much you can make as a police major. Typically, working in a large metropolitan area correlates to a higher salary, as well as a higher cost of living.
Here is a list of some major cities with their corresponding average police major salary according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| City | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $143,908 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $134,493 |
| New York City, NY | $105,390 |
| Seattle, WA | $99,903 |
| Washington DC, DC | $95,582 |
| Birmingham, AL | $62,488 |
| Charlotte, NC | $62,417 |
| Atlanta, GA | $59,827 |
| New Orleans, LA | $59,347 |
| Nashville, TN | $59,252 |
How does this compare to similar jobs?
Here’s how a police major’s salary stacks up against similar jobs.
| Related Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Police Captain | $80,144 |
| Police Lieutenant | $57,270 |
| Police Sergeant | $50,865 |
| Police Officer | $48,418 |
| Detective | $39,455 |
| Investigator | $55,176 |
| Security Guard | $27,756 |
| Security Officer | $26,809 |
| Bailiff | $28,921 |
How to increase your police major salary
Now that you have a better idea of what you could expect to earn as a police major, let’s look at ways to boost your salary.
1. Strengthen your skills
Pursuing and improving in-demand skills could make you more competitive for promotions and higher-paying positions. These skills include:
- Leadership: Inspire and motivate subordinates to achieve departmental goals
- Strategic Planning: Develop long-term plans for the department and allocate resources accordingly
- Budgeting: Create and manage the department’s budget
- Community Policing: Build relationships with the community to improve public safety
- Investigations: Oversee major criminal investigations and ensure they are conducted thoroughly and efficiently
2. Negotiate your job offer
When you’re offered a job, be sure to negotiate your salary. This is especially important if you’re being offered a promotion, as you’ll likely be able to command a higher salary. Have a target salary in mind, and be prepared to back up your request with data on your past performance and how you’ve helped the department.
3. Get a good performance review
A good performance review can help you get a raise, so it’s important to do your best and document your successes. If you’re up for a promotion, be sure to let your superiors know what you’re looking for, and be prepared to negotiate.
Article Sources
1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “National Compensation Survey, https://www.bls.gov/ncs/.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes331012.htm.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
3. Payscale. “Police Chief Salary, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Police_Chief/Salary.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
4. Ziprecruiter. “Police Major Annual Salary, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Police-Major-Salary.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
5. Indeed. “Indeed Salary Finder, https://www.indeed.com/career/salaries.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
6. Salary.com. “Police Major Salary, https://www.salary.com/research/salary/hiring/police-major-salary.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
7. Glassdoor. “Police Major Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/police-major-salary-SRCH_KO0,12.htm.” Accessed March 23, 2022.