Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary in Montgomery, AL
Median pay for police & sheriff's patrol officers in Montgomery, AL: $46,110/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $35,690 – $67,950 · about 1,040 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($69,845) by −$23,735 (-34%).
What it's really worth in Montgomery
With Montgomery's cost of living at 90 (US=100), that $46,110 has the buying power of about $51,269 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $60,849 · median home $214,099 · median rent $1,402/mo.
How Montgomery ranks for this job
On raw pay, Montgomery, AL is 181st of the 186 metros we hold police & sheriff's patrol officers wages for. Once Montgomery's cost of living is applied, it ranks 179th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Montgomery sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Montgomery
A median home in Montgomery, AL costs $214,099 — about 4.6× 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 $1,402/mo works out at 36% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
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 Montgomery.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Montgomery | Rent vs Montgomery |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $145,340 | +215% | 2.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $134,860 | +192% | 2.3× |
| Vallejo, CA | $125,130 | +171% | 1.7× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $118,140 | +156% | 2.4× |
Same job elsewhere in AL
| Metro | Median pay | vs Montgomery | Rent vs Montgomery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | $61,530 | +33% | 1× |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $59,470 | +29% | 1.1× |
| Daphne, AL | $55,850 | +21% | 1.2× |
| Huntsville, AL | $54,720 | +19% | 1× |
Staying in AL keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires police & sheriff's patrol officers around Montgomery
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- State of Alabama · Government
Other jobs in Montgomery
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.