Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary in Allentown, PA
Median pay for police & sheriff's patrol officers in Allentown, PA: $85,840/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $49,500 – $104,770 · about 1,470 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($69,845) by +$15,995 (+23%).
What it's really worth in Allentown
With Allentown's cost of living at 99 (US=100), that $85,840 has the buying power of about $86,812 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $78,597 · median home $363,989 · median rent $1,857/mo.
How Allentown ranks for this job
On raw pay, Allentown, PA is 40th of the 186 metros we hold police & sheriff's patrol officers wages for. Once Allentown's cost of living is applied, it ranks 43rd.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Allentown sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Allentown
A median home in Allentown, PA costs $363,989 — about 4.2× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,857/mo works out at 26% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where police & sheriff's patrol officers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Allentown.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Allentown | Rent vs Allentown |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $145,340 | +69% | 2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $134,860 | +57% | 1.8× |
| Vallejo, CA | $125,130 | +46% | 1.3× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $118,140 | +38% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in PA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Allentown | Rent vs Allentown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie, PA | $90,510 | +5% | 0.6× |
| Harrisburg, PA | $88,760 | +3% | 0.8× |
| Lancaster, PA | $88,140 | +3% | 0.8× |
| Philadelphia, PA | $85,390 | −1% | 1× |
Staying in PA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires police & sheriff's patrol officers around Allentown
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Lehigh County Government · Government
Other jobs in Allentown
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.