Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Salary
The median pay for a police and sheriff's patrol officers in Great Falls, MT is $78,870/year ($37.92/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $57K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.84), that's roughly $81,444 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,284/month, or 24.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $79K get you in Great Falls?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Great Falls’s Regional Price Parity (96.84). 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 police and sheriff's patrol officers
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What this looks like in Great Falls
Police and sheriff's patrol officers pay in Great Falls tracks closely to the national median, $79K locally vs. $76K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $1,284/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.84) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for police and sheriff's patrol officers in metros near Great Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Great Falls, MT
Entry-level police and sheriff's patrol officers (10th percentile) start around $57K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $119K | +56% | 65,940 |
| Washington | $102K | +34% | 9,160 |
| Illinois | $101K | +32% | 29,180 |
| Alaska | $99K | +30% | 1,260 |
| Colorado | $97K | +28% | 9,610 |
| Delaware | $93K | +22% | 1,800 |
| New York | $93K | +22% | 53,470 |
| New Jersey | $93K | +22% | 21,780 |
| District of Columbia | $89K | +16% | 4,720 |
| Oregon | $88K | +16% | 5,030 |
| Pennsylvania | $85K | +12% | 26,510 |
| Hawaii | $84K | +10% | 2,420 |
| Minnesota | $83K | +9% | 9,160 |
| Connecticut | $82K | +8% | 6,500 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +4% | 17,040 |
| Arizona | $79K | +4% | 12,010 |
| Nevada | $78K | +3% | 5,720 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | +2% | 12,320 |
| Maryland | $78K | +2% | 9,720 |
| Utah | $77K | +1% | 5,500 |
| Rhode Island | $77K | +1% | 1,940 |
| Ohio | $77K | +1% | 23,430 |
| Texas | $76K | -0% | 63,100 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -2% | 3,490 |
| North Dakota | $75K | -2% | 1,630 |
| Florida | $74K | -2% | 43,630 |
| Iowa | $74K | -2% | 5,130 |
| Michigan | $74K | -3% | 16,750 |
| Indiana | $73K | -4% | 12,980 |
| New Hampshire | $72K | -6% | 2,460 |
| Montana | $70K | -8% | 2,160 |
| New Mexico | $69K | -9% | 4,580 |
| Vermont | $69K | -10% | 1,020 |
| Maine | $67K | -12% | 2,120 |
| Idaho | $67K | -12% | 2,810 |
| Wyoming | $66K | -13% | 1,310 |
| Virginia | $66K | -14% | 19,970 |
| South Dakota | $61K | -20% | 2,000 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -21% | 7,890 |
| Oklahoma | $60K | -22% | 9,660 |
| Missouri | $59K | -22% | 13,570 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -22% | 22,370 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -22% | 15,630 |
| Kansas | $59K | -22% | 6,130 |
| Georgia | $58K | -24% | 22,170 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -24% | 12,930 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -25% | 2,900 |
| Alabama | $51K | -33% | 11,710 |
| Louisiana | $48K | -37% | 12,400 |
| Arkansas | $48K | -37% | 5,710 |
| Mississippi | $46K | -39% | 8,070 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a police and sheriff's patrol officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Great Falls?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 25.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,284/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Great Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new police and sheriff's patrol officers typically earn — is $57K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,401/month. At HUD’s $1,284/month FMR, rent would take 38% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is police and sheriff's patrol officer a high-paying job in Great Falls?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $79K locally vs. $76K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Great Falls compare to the national average for police and sheriff's patrol officers?
Great Falls pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $76K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do police and sheriff's patrol officers make in Great Falls, MT?
The median is $78,870 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $56,690, and experienced police and sheriff's patrol officers can clear $101,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Great Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,027/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,284/month, which eats 25.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a police and sheriff's patrol officers salary go in Great Falls?
Great Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 96.84 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median police and sheriff's patrol officers salary is worth about $81,444 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do police and sheriff's patrol officers 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.