What are the main factors that influence a Sergeant's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Sergeant's salary?

A Sergeant's salary grows with experience: a Criminal Investigator (0-0 years)earns $76,181, a Sergeant (0-5 years)earns $83,786, a Police Lieutenant (5+ years)earns $107,543, a Sheriff/Police Chief (5-10 years)earns $130,930,

What are the highest paying states for a Sergeant?

Sergeant salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Sergeant roles are District of Columbia $93,789, California $93,434, Massachusetts $92,188. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Sergeant roles make?

Salaries for Sergeant level roles vary by specialization: Security Sergeant: $248,814; Sergeant Major: $83,629; Police Sergeant: $83,544; Correctional Sergeant: $79,525; Technical Sergeant: $77,555.

How do different companies affect a Sergeant's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Sergeant roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Sergeant Salary in the United States

How much does a Sergeant make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Sergeant in the United States is $84,709 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $41.

However, a Sergeant's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $108,676
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $73,647 to $97,254
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $63,576

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Sergeant Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$97,254	$8,105	$1,870	$47
Average	$84,709	$7,059	$1,629	$41
25th Percentile	$73,647	$6,137	$1,416	$35

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Key Factors That Influence Sergeant Salaries

A Sergeant's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Sergeant Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Sergeants. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $93,789.
California: $93,434.
Massachusetts: $92,188.

District of Columbia $93,789 California $93,434 Massachusetts $92,188 Washington $91,850 New Jersey $91,816 Alaska $91,697 Connecticut $90,528 New York $90,054

Hawaii $88,538 Rhode Island $87,826 Maryland $87,343 Minnesota $86,682 Colorado $86,428 Illinois $86,344 Oregon $86,022 Delaware $85,785

New Hampshire $85,635 Virginia $85,302 Pennsylvania $84,328 Nevada $83,836 North Dakota $83,675 Michigan $83,421 Wisconsin $83,328 Vermont $83,142

Texas $82,625 Maine $82,591 Arizona $82,540 Ohio $82,481 Georgia $81,702 Indiana $81,312 Wyoming $81,236 Utah $81,117

Iowa $81,066 Kansas $80,660 Louisiana $80,541 North Carolina $80,499 Missouri $80,482 Florida $80,151 Montana $79,973 Nebraska $79,804

Kentucky $79,711 South Carolina $79,372 Tennessee $79,160 Idaho $79,076 New Mexico $78,457 Oklahoma $78,322 Alabama $77,822 South Dakota $76,983

Arkansas $76,526 West Virginia $76,280 Mississippi $75,543

Top Paying Cities for Sergeants

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $106,843
San Francisco: $105,793
Oakland: $103,446

San Jose, CA $106,843

San Francisco, CA $105,793

Oakland, CA $103,446

New York, NY $98,169

Queens Village, NY $97,534

Paramus, NJ $96,856

Passaic, NJ $96,771

Bergenfield, NJ $96,687

Stamford, CT $96,559

Huntington, NY $96,475

Newark, NJ $95,924

Bridgeport, CT $95,755

New Brunswick, NJ $95,475

Vallejo, CA $95,297

Middlesex, NJ $95,246

Somerset, NJ $95,170

Petaluma, CA $94,975

Santa Cruz, CA $94,645

Boston, MA $94,476

Monterey, CA $94,052

Fairbanks, AK $93,993

Los Angeles, CA $93,832

Washington, DC $93,789

Seattle, WA $93,637

Santa Rosa, CA $93,620

Juneau, AK $93,374

Orange, CA $93,095

Anchorage, AK $92,942

Anaheim, CA $92,883

Santa Ana, CA $92,756

Nassau, NY $92,705

Long Beach, CA $92,671

Danbury, CT $92,646

Santa Maria, CA $92,358

Everett, WA $92,341

Bremerton, WA $91,926

Trenton, NJ $91,765

Sacramento, CA $91,731

San Diego, CA $91,689

Brockton, MA $91,655

Tacoma, WA $91,621

Santa Barbara, CA $91,502

Lowell, MA $91,164

New Suffolk, NY $91,130

Nashua, NH $91,028

Lompoc, CA $90,892

Ventura, CA $90,808

Stockton, CA $90,782

New Haven, CT $90,613

Atlantic City, NJ $90,393

Hartford, CT $90,206

Modesto, CA $90,164

Poughkeepsie, NY $89,978

New Britain, CT $89,935

Olympia, WA $89,817

Kennewick, WA $89,817

New London, CT $89,800

Norwich, CT $89,774

Lawrence, MA $89,732

Bakersfield, CA $89,495

Riverside, CA $89,376

New Bedford, MA $89,376

Richland, WA $89,291

Portsmouth, NH $89,224

Vineland, NJ $89,207

San Bernardino, CA $89,139

Boulder, CO $88,902

Worcester, MA $88,834

Portland, OR $88,758

Saint Paul, MN $88,656

Minneapolis, MN $88,656

Philadelphia, PA $88,538

Honolulu, HI $88,089

Springfield, MA $87,792

Providence, RI $87,784

Chicago, IL $87,538

Bellingham, WA $87,436

Baltimore, MD $87,343

Chico, CA $87,131

Wilmington, DE $86,987

Pittsfield, MA $86,903

Manchester, NH $86,742

Spokane, WA $86,369

Denver, CO $86,361

Albany, NY $85,962

Troy, NY $85,929

Schenectady, NY $85,751

Burlington, VT $85,564

Portland, ME $85,268

Salem, OR $85,200

Yakima, WA $85,183

Ann Arbor, MI $85,158

Rochester, MN $84,920

Fresno, CA $84,878

Reno, NV $84,878

Milwaukee, WI $84,802

Detroit, MI $84,717

Allentown, PA $84,692

Carson City, NV $84,683

Houston, TX $84,556

Colorado Springs, CO $84,548

Syracuse, NY $84,505

Eugene, OR $84,344

Bismarck, ND $84,243

Gary, IN $84,243

Galveston, TX $84,243

Springfield, OR $84,175

Medford, OR $83,972

Fort Collins, CO $83,938

Austin, TX $83,870

Mesa, AZ $83,692

Phoenix, AZ $83,675

Dallas, TX $83,650

Reading, PA $83,599

Saint Cloud, MN $83,565

Concord, NH $83,489

Madison, WI $83,455

Utica, NY $83,226

Raleigh, NC $83,159

Las Vegas, NV $83,150

Rochester, NY $83,091

Des Moines, IA $83,082

Atlanta, GA $82,947

Battle Creek, MI $82,921

Salt Lake City, UT $82,896

Lancaster, PA $82,769

Champaign, IL $82,752

Harrisburg, PA $82,650

Durham, NC $82,574

Kansas City, MO $82,566

Kansas City, KS $82,549

Fort Worth, TX $82,540

Boca Raton, FL $82,506

Cleveland, OH $82,498

Columbus, OH $82,481

Pittsburgh, PA $82,472

Richmond, VA $82,439

Indianapolis, IN $82,422

Cincinnati, OH $82,311

Petersburg, VA $82,184

Billings, MT $81,998

Lansing, MI $81,998

Huntsville, AL $81,998

Lebanon, PA $81,990

Dayton, OH $81,981

Pueblo, CO $81,981

Appleton, WI $81,956

Buffalo, NY $81,922

Racine, WI $81,879

Charlotte, NC $81,871

Saint Louis, MO $81,846

Springfield, IL $81,812

Elkhart, IN $81,795

York, PA $81,795

Gastonia, NC $81,786

Benton Harbor, MI $81,786

Beaumont, TX $81,735

Lorain, OH $81,718

Toledo, OH $81,685

Binghamton, NY $81,642

Rock Hill, SC $81,634

Rockford, IL $81,591

Fargo, ND $81,549

Elyria, OH $81,549

Flagstaff, AZ $81,490

Fort Lauderdale, FL $81,439

Miami, FL $81,388

Duluth, MN $81,253

Bangor, ME $81,142

Cedar Rapids, IA $81,049

Louisville, KY $81,007

Grand Rapids, MI $80,990

Hialeah, FL $80,982

Casper, WY $80,863

Scranton, PA $80,761

New Orleans, LA $80,736

Virginia Beach, VA $80,727

Akron, OH $80,685

Peoria, IL $80,575

Sarasota, FL $80,558

Green Bay, WI $80,499

Baton Rouge, LA $80,456

Charleston, SC $80,439

Nashville, TN $80,414

Jamestown, NY $80,397

Davenport, IA $80,397

Tucson, AZ $80,355

Cheyenne, WY $80,329

Saint Petersburg, FL $80,304

Tampa, FL $80,287

Omaha, NE $80,270

Port Arthur, TX $80,236

Evansville, IN $80,236

Bradenton, FL $80,202

Santa Fe, NM $80,050

Orlando, FL $79,965

Clearwater, FL $79,872

Canton, OH $79,694

La Crosse, WI $79,694

Grand Forks, ND $79,669

Albuquerque, NM $79,643

Tulsa, OK $79,643

Newport News, VA $79,635

High Point, NC $79,609

Ogden, UT $79,575

Corpus Christi, TX $79,508

Laramie, WY $79,457

Norfolk, VA $79,457

Rock Island, IL $79,406

Saginaw, MI $79,389

Jacksonville, FL $79,381

Salisbury, NC $79,364

Memphis, TN $79,347

Moline, IL $79,304

Fort Myers, FL $79,279

Waterloo, IA $79,169

Spartanburg, SC $79,084

Lincoln, NE $79,042

Fort Wayne, IN $79,025

Birmingham, AL $78,932

Cedar Falls, IA $78,915

Provo, UT $78,906

Springfield, OH $78,898

San Antonio, TX $78,881

Greensboro, NC $78,847

South Bend, IN $78,838

Winston Salem, NC $78,830

Boise, ID $78,805

Savannah, GA $78,745

Muskegon, MI $78,593

Lima, OH $78,491

Lake Charles, LA $78,457

Anderson, IN $78,440

Lexington, KY $78,415

Augusta, GA $78,389

Greenville, SC $78,389

Wichita, KS $78,313

Tuscaloosa, AL $78,313

Columbia, SC $78,237

Bloomington, IN $78,025

Roanoke, VA $77,974

Asheville, NC $77,864

Knoxville, TN $77,720

Shreveport, LA $77,712

Wilmington, NC $77,602

Frankfort, KY $77,441

Oklahoma City, OK $77,381

Chillicothe, OH $77,348

Longview, TX $77,339

Topeka, KS $77,314

Mobile, AL $77,187

Terre Haute, IN $77,153

Erie, PA $77,144

Altoona, PA $77,102

Melbourne, FL $77,076

Amarillo, TX $77,043

Killeen, TX $77,017

Fayetteville, AR $76,949

Sioux Falls, SD $76,890

Chattanooga, TN $76,839

Idaho Falls, ID $76,831

Gainesville, FL $76,653

Portsmouth, OH $76,611

Little Rock, AR $76,594

Lynchburg, VA $76,594

Lafayette, LA $76,560

Youngstown, OH $76,560

Temple, TX $76,526

Daytona Beach, FL $76,509

Clarksville, TN $76,500

Pensacola, FL $76,492

Hopkinsville, KY $76,238

Charleston, WV $76,229

Florence, SC $76,187

Sioux City, IA $76,136

Macon, GA $75,891

Tallahassee, FL $75,882

Fayetteville, NC $75,865

Waco, TX $75,848

Wichita Falls, TX $75,848

Pine Bluff, AR $75,814

Vincennes, IN $75,653

Lubbock, TX $75,619

Great Falls, MT $75,569

Alamogordo, NM $75,560

Abilene, TX $75,492

Rapid City, SD $75,382

Monroe, LA $75,382

Albany, GA $75,331

Huntington, WV $75,323

Jackson, MS $75,315

Greenville, MS $75,306

Parkersburg, WV $75,221

Montgomery, AL $75,204

Johnstown, PA $75,187

Springfield, MO $75,120

Biloxi, MS $75,077

Sumter, SC $74,899

Columbus, GA $74,891

Twin Falls, ID $74,840

Pascagoula, MS $74,730

Kingsport, TN $74,510

Gulfport, MS $74,484

Alexandria, LA $74,205

Fort Smith, AR $73,993

El Paso, TX $73,764

Helena, MT $73,654

Las Cruces, NM $73,383

Harlingen, TX $73,146

Pocatello, ID $73,070

Florence, AL $73,044

Brownsville, TX $73,027

Dothan, AL $72,892

Mcallen, TX $72,849

Columbus, MS $72,223

Altus, OK $71,833

Lawton, OK $71,672

Pierre, SD $71,367

What Skills Can Increase a Sergeant's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Standard Operating Procedures (Mentioned in 8.58% Job Postings): A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out routine operations.
SOP (Mentioned in 4.29% Job Postings): SOP is A standard operating procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out routine operations.
Quality Control (Mentioned in 1.06% Job Postings): Developing and implementing a set of procedures intended to maintain the quality of a product and reduce any risks or errors.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Standard Operating Procedures	8.58%
SOP	4.29%
Quality Control	1.06%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Sergeant's salary.

Planning: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Coaching: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Planning	$90,638	7%
Coaching	$89,791	6%
Analysis	$88,944	5%
Economics	$88,944	5%
Leadership	$88,944	5%
Presentation	$88,944	5%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Sergeant's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Sergeants enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Sergeant with a Bachelor's Degree is between $78,587 and $86,725).

Sergeant Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Sergeant

No Diploma 2.9%

High School 17.4%

Associates 18.6%

Bachelors 42.4%

Masters 16.9%

Doctorate 1.7%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	2.9%
High School	17.4%
Associates	18.6%
Bachelors	42.4%
Masters	16.9%
Doctorate	1.7%

view as graph

Sergeant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Sergeant's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

$73,647

Average $84,709/year

$97,254

$6,137

Average $7,059/month

$8,105

$1,416

Average $1,629/week

$1,870

$35

Average $41/hour

$47

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$97,254	$8,105	$1,870	$47
Average	$84,709	$7,059	$1,629	$41
25th Percentile	$73,647	$6,137	$1,416	$35

Salaries of jobs related to Sergeant

Salary Trends for Sergeant

Salaries for a Sergeant can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $88,128 in 2023 to around $87,530 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Sergeant salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Sergeant Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$88,128

2024

$88,222

2025

$87,530

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$88,128
2024	$88,222
2025	$87,530
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Sergeant

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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