Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary in Pittsburgh, PA

Median pay for police & sheriff's patrol officers in Pittsburgh, PA: $82,850/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $46,270 – $108,560 · about 4,960 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($69,845) by +$13,005 (+19%).

What it's really worth in Pittsburgh

With Pittsburgh's cost of living at 95 (US=100), that $82,850 has the buying power of about $87,481 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $71,283 · median home $231,356 · median rent $1,527/mo.

Full Pittsburgh cost of living & taxes →

How Pittsburgh ranks for this job

On raw pay, Pittsburgh, PA is 52nd of the 186 metros we hold police & sheriff's patrol officers wages for. Once Pittsburgh's cost of living is applied, it ranks 40th.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Pittsburgh sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in Pittsburgh

A median home in Pittsburgh, PA costs $231,356 — about 2.8× 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 $1,527/mo works out at 22% 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 Pittsburgh.

Metro	Median pay	vs Pittsburgh	Rent vs Pittsburgh
San Jose, CA	$145,340	+75%	2.4×
San Francisco, CA	$134,860	+63%	2.1×
Vallejo, CA	$125,130	+51%	1.6×
Santa Maria, CA	$118,140	+43%	2.2×

Same job elsewhere in PA

Metro	Median pay	vs Pittsburgh	Rent vs Pittsburgh
Erie, PA	$90,510	+9%	0.7×
Harrisburg, PA	$88,760	+7%	1×
Lancaster, PA	$88,140	+6%	1×
Allentown, PA	$85,840	+4%	1.2×

Staying in PA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

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