Police Versus Teachers: Do You Know Who Earns More In Your State?

[TomCADem]

Forbes has a story that notes that on average police get paid more than teachers. However, this is misleading because it ignores overtime. If you factor in overtime, California police officers and sheriff’s deputies received, on average, about $122,000 in total pay during 2017, according to a Sacramento Bee analysis of new data from the State Controller’s Office.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2018/07/31/police-teachers-income-state/#eaa8a6531b06

Police officers and teachers. Two jobs that are so much more than the merely an occupation. They demand serious responsibility, integrity, patience, knowledge, judgment, etc.; the list could go on and yet one of the most notable aspects of both careers is their low salary.

In the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average police officer salary totals $64,490 annually. Due mainly to a couple of high-paying states at the top, however, the median law enforcement salary for both police and sheriff’s patrol officers is lower at $61,050 — and there’s a massive range of incomes across the country. Similarly, elementary and middle school teachers earn an average of $60,900 per year, while on a broader level, education, training and library occupations earn less at $55,470 per year.


* * *
From state to state, the average pay for teachers and police was usually fairly close, though the variance between them could be quite striking. In Arizona, for example, the mean annual wage for a police officer exceeds the average income for a teacher by more than $20,000. More disconcerting is the fact that the average police salary in Arizona is $65,810, putting the average teacher’s income at a mere $45,313 per year. Arizona’s average income for teachers is fourth-lowest in the U.S., according to the study.

Teachers and police officers' incomes noticeably diverge in California, Colorado, Nevada and Washington. In the Golden State, police earn close to $24,000 more than teachers on average. However, when put in context, this discrepancy isn't as bad. The average police and sheriff's patrol officer salary in California is $100,090 a year, versus an average teachers pay of $76,523 a year, which is fourth highest in the U.S.

[msongs]

1. maybe if we spent more on teachers we wouldnt need so many police nt

[world wide wally]

2. A teacher needs to attend college for at least 5 years.... A cop doesn't