Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary in Virginia Beach, VA
Median pay for police & sheriff's patrol officers in Virginia Beach, VA: $62,310/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $51,430 – $83,730 · about 3,690 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($69,845) by −$7,535 (-11%).
What it's really worth in Virginia Beach
With Virginia Beach's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $62,310 has the buying power of about $63,763 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $77,082 · median home $373,678 · median rent $1,862/mo.
How Virginia Beach ranks for this job
On raw pay, Virginia Beach, VA is 125th of the 186 metros we hold police & sheriff's patrol officers wages for. Once Virginia Beach's cost of living is applied, it ranks 126th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Virginia Beach sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Virginia Beach
A median home in Virginia Beach, VA costs $373,678 — about 6× 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 $1,862/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 Virginia Beach.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Virginia Beach | Rent vs Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $145,340 | +133% | 1.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $134,860 | +116% | 1.7× |
| Vallejo, CA | $125,130 | +101% | 1.3× |
| Santa Maria, CA | $118,140 | +90% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in VA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Virginia Beach | Rent vs Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | $63,510 | +2% | 0.9× |
| Roanoke, VA | $52,540 | −16% | 0.8× |
| Lynchburg, VA | $51,670 | −17% | 0.7× |
Staying in VA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires police & sheriff's patrol officers around Virginia Beach
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- U.S. Navy · Government
Other jobs in Virginia Beach
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.