Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary in Tampa, FL
Median pay for police & sheriff's patrol officers in Tampa, FL: $68,750/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $51,100 – $105,010 · about 5,480 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($69,845) by −$1,095 (-2%).
What it's really worth in Tampa
With Tampa's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $68,750 has the buying power of about $67,091 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $67,197 · median home $360,738 · median rent $2,018/mo.
How Tampa ranks for this job
On raw pay, Tampa, FL is 99th of the 186 metros we hold police & sheriff's patrol officers wages for. Once Tampa's cost of living is applied, it ranks 119th.
The headline number flatters Tampa. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, police & sheriff's patrol officers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Tampa
A median home in Tampa, FL costs $360,738 — about 5.2× 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 $2,018/mo works out at 35% 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 Tampa.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Tampa | Rent vs Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $145,340 | +111% | 1.8× |
| San Francisco, CA | $134,860 | +96% | 1.6× |
| Vallejo, CA | $125,130 | +82% | 1.2× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $118,140 | +72% | 1.7× |
Same job elsewhere in FL
| Metro | Median pay | vs Tampa | Rent vs Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL | $89,570 | +30% | 1.3× |
| Cape Coral, FL | $65,730 | −4% | 0.9× |
| Orlando, FL | $65,160 | −5% | 1× |
| Ocala, FL | $64,840 | −6% | 0.8× |
Staying in FL keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires police & sheriff's patrol officers around Tampa
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- State of Florida · Government
- MacDill Air Force Base · Government
Other jobs in Tampa
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.