Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondaries in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA make a median of $79,330 a year. The range runs from $56K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.13), so that salary is closer to $71,385 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,501/month, about 45.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $79K get you in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue’s Regional Price Parity (111.13). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue
Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary pay in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue tracks closely to the national median, $79K locally vs. $77K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,501/month, which is 46.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 11% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.13), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $94K | $89K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Entry-level criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $56K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $51K spread from bottom to top.
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140K | +82% | 1,460 |
| Colorado | $122K | +59% | 370 |
| Maryland | $100K | +30% | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | $95K | +24% | 790 |
| Oregon | $94K | +23% | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $84K | +10% | 70 |
| Minnesota | $83K | +8% | 100 |
| New York | $83K | +8% | 880 |
| Louisiana | $82K | +7% | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $82K | +7% | 300 |
| Delaware | $81K | +5% | 40 |
| Iowa | $80K | +4% | 80 |
| Massachusetts | $80K | +4% | 380 |
| New Hampshire | $79K | +3% | 40 |
| Mississippi | $79K | +3% | 110 |
| Texas | $77K | +1% | 1,150 |
| South Carolina | $77K | +0% | 150 |
| Michigan | $77K | +0% | 360 |
| West Virginia | $77K | +0% | 90 |
| Utah | $77K | +0% | 80 |
| Ohio | $77K | +0% | 420 |
| Connecticut | $73K | -5% | 200 |
| Washington | $73K | -5% | 120 |
| New Jersey | $72K | -7% | 530 |
| Georgia | $72K | -7% | 320 |
| Arizona | $71K | -7% | 310 |
| Missouri | $71K | -8% | 360 |
| Wyoming | $70K | -9% | 40 |
| Indiana | $68K | -11% | 170 |
| North Dakota | $68K | -12% | 40 |
| Nevada | $67K | -12% | 60 |
| Illinois | $66K | -14% | 480 |
| Alabama | $65K | -15% | 130 |
| North Carolina | $63K | -18% | 1,220 |
| Oklahoma | $63K | -18% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -19% | 60 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -19% | 190 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -20% | 70 |
| Florida | $62K | -20% | 840 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -21% | 100 |
| Kansas | $50K | -34% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 46.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,501/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $56K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,338/month. At HUD’s $2,501/month FMR, rent would take 75% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $79K locally vs. $77K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue compare to the national average for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — below the national median.
How much do criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries make in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The median is $79,330 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $55,630, and experienced criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries can clear $106,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,350/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,501/month, which eats 46.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary salary go in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has a Regional Price Parity of 111.13 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $71,385 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.