Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Salary
The median pay for a police and sheriff's patrol officers in Wilmington, NC is $53,520/year ($25.73/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $55,507 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 39.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). 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 Wilmington
Pay for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Wilmington runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $76K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,426/month, which is 40.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for police and sheriff's patrol officerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for police and sheriff's patrol officers in metros near Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $63K | $65K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $66K | $67K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $61K | $66K |
| Winston-Salem | $57K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level police and sheriff's patrol officers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $26K 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)
Track police and sheriff's patrol officers salary changes
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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 Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 40.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new police and sheriff's patrol officers typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,793/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 Wilmington?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $54K here vs. $76K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for police and sheriff's patrol officers?
Wilmington pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $76K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do police and sheriff's patrol officers make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $53,520 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,550, and experienced police and sheriff's patrol officers can clear $72,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,553/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 40.1% 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 police and sheriff's patrol officers salary go in Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (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 $55,507 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.