Police Officer · Kansas · SOC 33-3051
Police Officers in Kansas: 2026 Salary, Real Wage, and Cost-Adjusted Pay
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 Kansas: $56,610 nominal, $62,964 real (BEA RPP basis).
- P25-P75 spread runs $46,850 to $66,190; P10 floor $37,640, P90 ceiling $82,870.
- After the cost-of-living adjustment, take-home rises by $6,354 versus the BLS median — purchasing-power arbitrage.
- State ranks #45 nationally on nominal wage, #43 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
Wage breakdown — Kansas
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $37,640 | $41,865 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $46,850 | $52,109 |
| P50 (median) | $56,610 | $62,964 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $66,190 | $73,620 |
| P90 (top tier) | $82,870 | $92,172 |
| Mean | $58,580 | $65,155 |
| Employment | 6,160 Police Officers in Kansas | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Kansas index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 89.9 |
| Goods | 96.5 |
| Services | 90.8 |
| Rents | 68.6 |
Kansas sits below the national baseline (RPP 89.9), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 68.6.
After-tax take-home — Kansas (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) | $56,610 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$4,655 | 8.2% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$2,570 | 3.1–5.7% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$4,331 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $45,054 | 79.6% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $50,112 | ÷ (89.9 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Kansas state-tax burden means for Police Officer take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.5% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $45,054 (79.6% of gross). After the 89.9 RPP, real take-home is $50,112.
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. Kansas sits at #45 on nominal pay and #43 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Kansas climbs 2 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How are Kansas 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.
- What does the top of the Police Officer pay scale look like in Kansas?
- The 90th percentile lands at $82,870. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $66,190.
- How many Police Officers does Kansas employ?
- BLS OES counts 6,160 Police Officers employed in Kansas in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- Why is the BEA RPP for Kansas different from a single CPI number?
- BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Kansas's overall index of 89.9 reflects rents 68.6, services 90.8, and goods 96.5.
- 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 Kansas?
- 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. Kansas 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 Kansas runs 30-50% above the BLS-reported figure.
- Does court time and off-duty security work appear in BLS for Kansas police?
- Court appearances on off-duty time and overtime hours show up in W-2, so BLS captures them. Off-duty security details (banks, schools, sporting events, construction sites) are typically paid through department-administered programs and run through W-2 — those are captured. Independently arranged moonlighting that bypasses department channels is not. Kansas departments with high paid-detail volume (urban centers, college towns) push BLS-reported pay 10-25% above smaller jurisdictions in the same state.
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 Kansas 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.