Pay by state · 41 states
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teacher, Postsecondary Salary by State (2026)
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary earn the most in California at $139,720 a year and the least in Kansas at $50,270 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $76,590. All 41 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $139,720California
- National median
- $76,590BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $50,270Kansas
- States reporting
- 41of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teacher, Postsecondary salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CACalifornia | $139,720 | $82,190 | $216,150 | 1,460 | $126,192 |
| 2 | COColorado | $122,050 | $71,330 | $148,710 | 370 | $118,435 |
| 3 | MDMaryland | $99,600 | $31,780 | $105,680 | 220 | $94,894 |
| 4 | PAPennsylvania | $94,710 | $76,040 | $113,460 | 790 | $97,067 |
| 5 | OROregon | $93,960 | $74,550 | $136,790 | 70 | $90,905 |
| 6 | RIRhode Island | $84,270 | $64,050 | $108,310 | 70 | $82,391 |
| 7 | MNMinnesota | $83,060 | $73,900 | $107,190 | 100 | $84,221 |
| 8 | NYNew York | $82,770 | $68,200 | $107,230 | 880 | $76,695 |
| 9 | LALouisiana | $82,100 | $68,010 | $103,030 | 70 | $93,077 |
| 10 | WIWisconsin | $81,890 | $73,490 | $96,660 | 300 | $87,029 |
| 11 | DEDelaware | $80,510 | $63,310 | $98,400 | 40 | $80,665 |
| 12 | IAIowa | $79,690 | $66,920 | $82,360 | 80 | $90,802 |
| 13 | MAMassachusetts | $79,500 | $62,770 | $102,790 | 380 | $75,172 |
| 14 | NHNew Hampshire | $79,190 | $64,270 | $94,790 | 40 | $76,024 |
| 15 | MSMississippi | $78,520 | $65,140 | $130,560 | 110 | $90,302 |
| 16 | TXTexas | $77,270 | $51,920 | $97,460 | 1,150 | $79,613 |
| 17 | SCSouth Carolina | $76,960 | $62,070 | $92,520 | 150 | $82,092 |
| 18 | MIMichigan | $76,770 | $50,650 | $99,420 | 360 | $79,788 |
| 19 | WVWest Virginia | $76,730 | $59,840 | $102,590 | 90 | $85,735 |
| 20 | UTUtah | $76,650 | $60,080 | $84,550 | 80 | $77,531 |
| 21 | OHOhio | $76,610 | $49,570 | $94,570 | 420 | $82,577 |
| 22 | CTConnecticut | $73,090 | $69,710 | $97,330 | 200 | $70,543 |
| 23 | WAWashington | $72,700 | $56,620 | $91,560 | 120 | $67,936 |
| 24 | NJNew Jersey | $71,610 | $32,220 | $105,930 | 530 | $65,815 |
| 25 | GAGeorgia | $71,510 | $57,240 | $78,690 | 320 | $74,263 |
| 26 | AZArizona | $71,230 | $71,230 | $79,200 | 310 | $70,751 |
| 27 | MOMissouri | $70,500 | $49,310 | $89,010 | 360 | $77,629 |
| 28 | WYWyoming | $69,530 | $52,150 | $80,940 | 40 | $75,013 |
| 29 | INIndiana | $68,340 | $57,780 | $80,340 | 170 | $73,225 |
| 30 | NDNorth Dakota | $67,720 | $67,720 | $96,230 | 40 | $76,125 |
| 31 | NVNevada | $67,440 | $62,580 | $85,560 | 60 | $67,454 |
| 32 | ILIllinois | $66,040 | $56,270 | $82,620 | 480 | $66,068 |
| 33 | ALAlabama | $65,280 | $63,140 | $80,640 | 130 | $73,494 |
| 34 | NCNorth Carolina | $63,020 | $53,290 | $74,290 | 1,220 | $66,811 |
| 35 | OKOklahoma | $62,990 | $54,310 | $65,370 | 90 | $71,707 |
| 36 | ARArkansas | $62,380 | $50,340 | $64,320 | 60 | $71,753 |
| 37 | TNTennessee | $62,090 | $56,250 | $81,140 | 190 | $67,585 |
| 38 | NENebraska | $61,650 | $54,630 | $79,650 | 70 | $68,422 |
| 39 | FLFlorida | $61,550 | $59,290 | $77,590 | 840 | $59,518 |
| 40 | KYKentucky | $60,280 | $48,480 | $81,530 | 100 | $66,860 |
| 41 | KSKansas | $50,270 | $43,550 | $65,420 | 70 | $55,813 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $139,720, while California leads once prices are taken into account at $126,192.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teacher, Postsecondary pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary at $139,720 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Colorado ($122,050) and Maryland ($99,600).
Which state pays Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary the least?
Kansas reports the lowest median for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary at $50,270 a year, $89,450 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts California first at $126,192 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $139,720. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.