How many Police Officers does Nebraska employ?

BLS OES counts 3,620 Police Officers employed in Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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. Nebraska's overall index of 90.3 reflects rents 74.3, services 79.4, and goods 96.5.

Where does Nebraska rank for Police Officer pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Nebraska ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

Is Nebraska a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Police Officers?

Yes — the BEA RPP of 90.3 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $72,160 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $79,922. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Police Officers comparing offers across regions.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Nebraska?

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 Nebraska.

Is pension included in BLS police officer pay for Nebraska?

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. Nebraska 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 Nebraska runs 30-50% above the BLS-reported figure.

Federal vs state trooper vs city / county pay in Nebraska?

BLS aggregates city PD, county sheriff, and state troopers under SOC 33-3051 (federal officers are separately classified under 33-3052 and not reflected in this page). In Nebraska, state troopers typically lead on starting base, big-city PDs lead on overtime opportunity and detail income, and sheriff's deputies usually trail on base but lead on assignment flexibility. Federal LE (FBI, USMS, ATF, DEA, ICE, Border Patrol) pays under the GS scale plus LEAP availability pay (25%) and locality, putting federal LE pay above most Nebraska state and local positions at the senior level.

Nebraska Police Officer Salary: BLS $72K Median, Real $80K (2026)

TL;DR

Median Police Officer salary in Nebraska: $72,160 nominal, $79,922 real (BEA RPP basis).
P25-P75 spread runs $61,740 to $90,800; P10 floor $50,080, P90 ceiling $96,340.
Cost of living below the national index lifts real wage by $7,762 over the nominal — a take-home arbitrage that nominal-ranking tables miss.
Police Officer ranking: #28 on the BLS table, #19 once cost of living is in.

Wage breakdown — Nebraska

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$50,080	$55,467
P25 (lower quartile)	$61,740	$68,381
P50 (median)	$72,160	$79,922
P75 (upper quartile)	$90,800	$100,567
P90 (top tier)	$96,340	$106,703
Mean	$73,580	$81,495
Employment	3,620 Police Officers in Nebraska

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Nebraska index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	90.3
Goods	96.5
Services	79.4
Rents	74.3

Nebraska sits below the national baseline (RPP 90.3), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 74.3.

After-tax take-home — Nebraska (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)	$72,160	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$7,122	9.9% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$3,085	2.46–5.84% (graduated, 3.99% top by 2027)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$5,520	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$56,433	78.2% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$62,503	÷ (90.3 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Nebraska state-tax burden means for Police Officer take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.3% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $56,433 (78.2% of gross). After the 90.3 RPP, real take-home is $62,503.

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. Nebraska sits at #28 on nominal pay and #19 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Nebraska climbs 9 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How many Police Officers does Nebraska employ?: BLS OES counts 3,620 Police Officers employed in Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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. Nebraska's overall index of 90.3 reflects rents 74.3, services 79.4, and goods 96.5.
Where does Nebraska rank for Police Officer pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Nebraska ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
Is Nebraska a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Police Officers?: Yes — the BEA RPP of 90.3 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $72,160 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $79,922. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Police Officers comparing offers across regions.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Nebraska?: 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 Nebraska.
Is pension included in BLS police officer pay for Nebraska?: 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. Nebraska 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 Nebraska runs 30-50% above the BLS-reported figure.
Federal vs state trooper vs city / county pay in Nebraska?: BLS aggregates city PD, county sheriff, and state troopers under SOC 33-3051 (federal officers are separately classified under 33-3052 and not reflected in this page). In Nebraska, state troopers typically lead on starting base, big-city PDs lead on overtime opportunity and detail income, and sheriff's deputies usually trail on base but lead on assignment flexibility. Federal LE (FBI, USMS, ATF, DEA, ICE, Border Patrol) pays under the GS scale plus LEAP availability pay (25%) and locality, putting federal LE pay above most Nebraska state and local positions at the senior level.

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.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Nebraska 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.