Average police officer salaries across US range from $19K to $131K, depending on location, statistics show

American police or sheriff’s patrol officers make anywhere from just under $19,000 up to $131,000, with salaries varying significantly by region and the department level, statistics analyzed by Fox news show. 

Broken down by state, officers in California make the highest yearly salary, with $107,440, while those in Mississippi make the lowest, at $37,210 per year, statistics show.  Meanwhile, looking at the more local level by examining the salaries of officers employed in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, BLS data shows mean yearly pay ranges from under $19,000 in some places and more than $131,000 in others.  "We have tens of thousands of police departments across the nation, which is probably the most inefficient and ineffective policing model in the free world," said Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo, who also serves as president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association.