While the Alaska terrain may be expansive and rugged in many areas, police and sheriff’s officers who patrol the state are paid well compared to those in other states. Alaska’s police and sheriff’s patrol officers were paid an average annual salary of $75,670 in 2013,
according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That figure, which amounts to an hourly wage of $36.38, puts Alaska at a third-place ranking in the nation for the average salary paid to such officers, behind New Jersey and California, according to the BLS.
Urgent: Should All Police Officers Have to Wear Body Cameras?
About 1,100 men and women were employed as police and sheriff's patrol officers in the state in 2013.
Nationwide, 638,810 police and sheriff’s patrol officers earned an average annual salary of $59,560 in 2013.
Average annual salaries for other law enforcement officers in the state ranged from $58,300 for correctional officers and jailers to $111,970 for detectives and criminal investigators.
Average salaries for law enforcement officers vary widely depending on the location and size of the department and numerous other factors.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that local police departments nationwide employed about 477,000 sworn officers with general arrest powers. The average starting salary for these officers in 2013 was $44,000, compared with $41,500 in 1993.
Salary.com estimated the annual median salary of uniformed patrol officers nationwide to be about $52,600. Its estimates for median salaries in Alaska ranged from $59,530 in Juneau to $49,003 in Sitka.
Tell Us: Does Racism Play a Role in Police Officers' Actions?
Most patrol officers are required to attend and graduate from a police academy and many earn criminal justice degrees. Other requirements of the job often include background checks, driving record checks and credit reports, according to PayScale.com.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.