Guide
Police vs Teacher Pay in Big Cities
Published
In 21 of 22 large cities, a new police officer starts at a higher base salary than a new teacher with a bachelor’s degree. The biggest gap is in Seattle, Washington, where Seattle Police Department starts at $117,792 and Seattle Public Schools starts teachers at $64,758.
The median city gap is $20,285 a year in favor of police. Teachers start higher in Chicago.
Starting pay in the same city
How much more police start with than teachers
View chart data
| Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| Seattle | $53,034 |
| San Francisco | $44,155 |
| Minneapolis | $30,792 |
| Tampa | $29,586 |
| Portland | $26,847 |
| Sacramento | $25,158 |
| Arlington | $24,399 |
| Long Beach | $23,566 |
| Denver | $22,379 |
| Austin | $20,558 |
| Mesa | $20,532 |
| Albuquerque | $20,038 |
| Los Angeles | $18,419 |
| Louisville | $17,288 |
| Nashville | $16,383 |
| San Diego | $15,185 |
| Memphis | $15,147 |
| Dallas | $13,232 |
| Philadelphia | $12,529 |
| Fort Worth | $10,633 |
| Virginia Beach | $3,933 |
At the top of the scale
| City | Police top step | Teacher maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $154,248 | $121,803 (master’s) |
| San Francisco, CA | $154,934 | $127,941 (bachelor’s) |
| Minneapolis, MN | $112,166 | $97,679 (master’s) |
| Tampa, FL | $126,547 | $74,341 (master’s) |
| Portland, OR | $119,662 | $97,526 (master’s) |
| Sacramento, CA | $119,781 | $95,127 (master’s) |
| Arlington, TX | $115,540 | $84,600 (master’s) |
| Long Beach, CA | $126,942 | $139,095 (master’s) |
| Denver, CO | $115,780 | $103,342 (master’s) |
| Austin, TX | $143,578 | $73,844 (bachelor’s) |
| Mesa, AZ | $107,260 | Not published (bachelor’s) |
| Albuquerque, NM | $86,091 | $86,844 (master’s) |
| Los Angeles, CA | $127,660 | $130,794 (master’s) |
| Louisville, KY | $100,318 | $90,369 (master’s) |
| Nashville, TN | $109,168 | $85,036 (master’s) |
| San Diego, CA | $119,725 | $132,292 (master’s) |
| Memphis, TN | $81,001 | $78,621 (master’s) |
| Dallas, TX | $102,304 | $103,000 (bachelor’s) |
| Philadelphia, PA | $104,191 | $96,832 (master’s) |
| Fort Worth, TX | $109,857 | $87,302 (master’s) |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $109,512 | $116,369 (bachelor’s) |
| Chicago, IL | $127,146 | $129,335 (master’s) |
What the comparison leaves out
Police schedules usually reach the top step faster than teacher schedules, and officers often earn overtime. Teachers work a shorter contract year and can raise pay with graduate credit.
Teacher figures come from each district’s official salary schedule on Teacher Salary Schedules, a sister reference. Police figures come from the department schedules linked on this site.
Figures come from the official pay schedules linked on each state and department page. Agencies revise pay plans, so confirm the fiscal year and step rules with the official source before you rely on a number.