Police officers in Kansas are paid less than the national average, but the Sunflower State’s comparatively low real estate prices give those officers more bang for their buck when it comes to buying a home.
The average annual wage for police and sheriff’s patrol officers nationwide in May 2014 was $56,810, compared to $44,050 at the same time for officers in Kansas,
according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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The Bureau's website shows annual pay for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Kansas at the same time was $28,320 for the 10th percentile, $34,180 for the 25th percentile, $42,180 for the 50th percentile, $52,770 for the 75th percentile, and $64.820 for the 90th percentile.
Despite lower-than-average wages for law enforcement, Kansas ranks 10th among all states in terms of the percentage of the average home price that can be covered by the average officer’s annual salary,
according to How To Become a Police Officer.
The 2012 average police salary in Kansas was $44,010 while the 2013 median property list price in that state was $133,000, according to Zillow, a real estate website. That meant the average annual salary encompassed 33 percent of the median home price, according to How To Become a Police Officer. Law enforcement officers in Ohio enjoyed the nation’s highest such ratio, with 43 percent, while Hawaii had the lowest, at 11 percent.
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Another motivation for those considering becoming a police officer in Kansas is that the Sunflower State is midway through a decade in which patrol officer employment is anticipated to rise by 7 percent, from 6,320 in 2010 to 6,760 in 2020, said How To Become a Police Officer.
Most police officers take up other careers after 20 years,
according to PayScale.
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