About 5,500 police and sheriff's patrol officers work in Arkansas, earning average wages well below the national average. The mean average annual salary for these officers was $37,730, almost 37 percent lower than the national average of $59,560, according to data the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released in May 2014.
Arkansas’ mean hourly wage for these officers was $18.14.
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First-line police supervisors and detectives in Arkansas earned $46,530, the BLS said. The mean annual salary for correctional officers and jailers was $32,620, and for detectives and criminal investigators it was $54,010.
Average salaries vary throughout the state, with police and sheriff's patrol officers earning a median salary of $43,382 in Bentonville, Springdale and Fayetteville and $47,840 in Jonesboro,
according to Salary.com.
Arkansas State Police recruits earn a starting salary of $34,500 and $36,000 upon graduation from the police academy,
according to the department.
More than 12,000 police departments employ about 477,000 sworn officers with general arrest powers nationwide,
according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The average starting salary for these officers in 2013 was $44,000, up from $41,500 in 1993.
Most departments require officers to complete a police academy, and many earn criminal justice degrees. Background checks, driving record checks, and credit reports are often mandatory. The job requires physical fitness and work flexibility,
according to PayScale.
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