Police Officer · District of Columbia · SOC 33-3051
2026 Police Officer Pay in District of Columbia: BLS Median + Real Take-Home
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- Median Police Officer salary in District of Columbia: $88,330 nominal, $79,783 real (BEA RPP basis).
- Wage envelope: $66,420 (P10) to $115,730 (P90), with quartiles at $77,900 and $107,360.
- Real wage trails nominal by $8,547 after BEA adjustment — the cost-of-living bill, mostly rents.
- On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #20 of 51; nominal rank is #9.
Wage breakdown — District of Columbia
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $66,420 | $59,993 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $77,900 | $70,362 |
| P50 (median) | $88,330 | $79,783 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $107,360 | $96,971 |
| P90 (top tier) | $115,730 | $104,532 |
| Mean | $91,310 | $82,475 |
| Employment | 4,830 Police Officers in District of Columbia | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | District of Columbia index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 110.7 |
| Goods | 106.5 |
| Services | 109.0 |
| Rents | 168.1 |
District of Columbia is a high-cost state — RPP 110.7 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (168.1) and services (109.0).
After-tax take-home — District of Columbia (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Police Officer) | $88,330 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$10,680 | 12.1% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$4,667 | 4–10.75% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$6,757 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $66,226 | 75.0% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $59,818 | ÷ (110.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the District of Columbia state-tax burden means for Police Officer take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 5.3% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $66,226 (75.0% of gross). After the 110.7 RPP, real take-home is $59,818.
Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).
National context
Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $76,290 for Police Officers with mean pay of $79,320 and total employment of 666,990. District of Columbia sits at #9 on nominal pay and #20 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, District of Columbia falls 11 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Police Officer make in District of Columbia?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $88,330 for Police Officers in District of Columbia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $77,900 and the 75th-percentile is $107,360.
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Police Officer salary in District of Columbia?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 110.7 for District of Columbia), the real-wage equivalent is $79,783 — what the $88,330 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $70,362 to $96,971.
- How are District of Columbia Police Officer salaries calculated on this page?
- Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
- How wide is the wage spread in District of Columbia?
- P10 to P90 spans $66,420 to $115,730. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for District of Columbia?
- The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within District of Columbia.
- When does this data update?
- BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
- Is pension included in BLS police officer pay for District of Columbia?
- No — BLS OEWS measures W-2 wage and salary income only. The defined-benefit pension is the single largest piece of police compensation and BLS never captures it. District of Columbia police pension formulas typically pay 50-75% of final-3-year average salary after 20-25 years of service, with most plans allowing retirement at 50-55. Including pension's actuarial present value, total police compensation in District of Columbia runs 30-50% above the BLS-reported figure.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 33-3051, 2024 reference period.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
- Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
- See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.
Cross-comparison: see how District of Columbia Police Officer pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.