Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary in Colorado Springs, CO
Median pay for police & sheriff's patrol officers in Colorado Springs, CO: $89,590/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $58,860 – $95,390 · about 1,220 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($69,845) by +$19,745 (+28%).
What it's really worth in Colorado Springs
With Colorado Springs's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $89,590 has the buying power of about $91,313 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $82,334 · median home $457,300 · median rent $1,767/mo.
How Colorado Springs ranks for this job
On raw pay, Colorado Springs, CO is 32nd of the 186 metros we hold police & sheriff's patrol officers wages for. Once Colorado Springs's cost of living is applied, it ranks 29th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Colorado Springs sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Colorado Springs
A median home in Colorado Springs, CO costs $457,300 — about 5.1× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,767/mo works out at 24% 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 Colorado Springs.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Colorado Springs | Rent vs Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $145,340 | +62% | 2.1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $134,860 | +51% | 1.8× |
| Vallejo, CA | $125,130 | +40% | 1.4× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $118,140 | +32% | 1.9× |
Same job elsewhere in CO
| Metro | Median pay | vs Colorado Springs | Rent vs Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | $100,790 | +13% | 1.1× |
| Fort Collins, CO | $99,280 | +11% | 1.1× |
| Boulder, CO | $90,590 | +1% | 1.3× |
| Greeley, CO | $85,600 | −4% | 1× |
Staying in CO keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires police & sheriff's patrol officers around Colorado Springs
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Fort Carson · Government
- U.S. Air Force Academy · Government
- Peterson Air Force Base · Government
Other jobs in Colorado Springs
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.