Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Louisiana | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $48,380 | $79,739 | -39% |
| Median hourly wage | $23.26 | $38.34 | -39% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $54,853.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Police Officer in Louisiana is $48,380, or about $23.26 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Police Officers is $79,739. Louisiana is -39% below the national median.
Entry-level police officers in Louisiana typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 12,400 police officer jobs on record and a median salary of $48,380, Louisiana offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, police officers rank 397 of the 679 occupations reported in Louisiana — higher than 42% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other at $76,400, Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists at $75,480, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $70,470 — all figures are median annual wages for Louisiana.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Louisiana levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, police officers rank 397 of the 679 occupations reported in Louisiana — higher than 42% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Louisiana | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other | $76,400 | $440 |
| Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | $75,480 | $90 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $70,470 | $3,120 |
| Fire Inspectors and Investigators | $64,820 | $80 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | $63,130 | $460 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $60,450 | $1,740 |
Louisiana levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 679 occupations in Louisiana.