Police Officer Salary in Missouri (2026)
The average Police Officer in Missouri earns around $80,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $62,522/year ($5,210/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $62,522 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $5,210 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $2,405 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $30/hr |
Federal Tax | $8,770 |
State Tax | $2,588 |
FICA Taxes | $6,120 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 21.85% |
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Police Officer Salary Ranges in Missouri
Not all Police Officers earn the same — not even close
Missouri's police officer market spans urban + suburban + state + rural law enforcement. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (~1,150 officers, returned to local control 2013), Kansas City Police Department (~1,400 officers — uniquely controlled by a state-appointed Board of Police Commissioners, not local mayor), Missouri State Highway Patrol (~1,250 troopers statewide), plus suburban department concentrations in St. Louis County (Chesterfield, Clayton, Webster Groves, Kirkwood) and Kansas City suburbs (Independence, Lee's Summit, Blue Springs). The 2025 OT deduction applies through 2028. KC PD's state-controlled governance is unusual nationally.
Captain / Senior Lieutenant
$115,000–$165,000+ TC
STL Metro PD + KC PD senior command staff · STL County PD commanders · MO Highway Patrol majors
Senior Detective / Sergeant
$95,000–$135,000 w/OT
STL Metro homicide + special victims · KC PD violent crimes · MO Highway Patrol senior investigator
Patrol Officer (Senior, 10+ yrs)
$78,000–$115,000 w/OT
STL + KC senior patrol · STL County + suburban senior · MO Highway Patrol senior trooper
Patrol Officer (Mid-Level, 3-9 yrs)
$65,000–$92,000 w/OT
Most common patrol band · STL + KC + suburban departments · OT-heavy with extra-duty premium
New Officer / Recruit (0-2 yrs)
$48,000–$72,000 w/OT
Post-academy · trainee + first-year band · STL Metro starting ~$57K · KC PD starting ~$58K
Senior Trooper (MO Highway Patrol)
$78,000–$115,000 w/OT
Senior trooper + corporal · highway patrol + criminal investigation division · statewide jurisdiction
SWAT / Tactical Officer
$85,000–$125,000 w/OT
STL Metro SWAT · KC PD Tactical · multi-jurisdictional task force · specialty + on-call premium
K-9 Handler
$78,000–$115,000 w/OT
STL Metro K-9 + KC PD K-9 + MO Highway Patrol K-9 · specialty handler + dog-care stipend
Federal Task Force Officer
$95,000–$145,000 w/OT
FBI + DEA + ATF + USMS task force assignments · federal allowance + STL/KC PD base pay
Detective / Investigator (Senior)
$88,000–$125,000 w/OT
STL + KC + suburban PD detective bureau · 10+ years detective + complex investigation specialty
Worth knowing: Kansas City Police Department's state-controlled governance is the structural anomaly most national police-market surveys miss. Unlike virtually every major US city, KCPD is governed by a five-member Board of Police Commissioners appointed by the Missouri Governor (with the KC mayor as an ex-officio member) — a legacy of post-Civil War Reconstruction-era state intervention that has persisted to present day, making KC the only major US city where the local mayor cannot directly control the police department. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department returned to local mayoral control in 2013 via Proposition A (a separate Prop A from the 2018 RTW referendum — Missouri voters approve a lot of Propositions). MO Highway Patrol operates statewide with troopers earning $65-115K w/OT including investigative specialty premiums. The 2025 No Tax on Overtime federal deduction applies through 2028 — police officer extra-duty + court overtime + special-events policing pay qualifies, producing $3,500-5,500 annual federal savings at typical senior officer comp tiers. The 1% city earnings tax in St. Louis AND Kansas City applies to officer wages earned within city limits — STL Metro PD officers and KCPD officers pay the additional 1% on city-earned wages; suburban PD officers and MO Highway Patrol troopers based outside the two major cities avoid it.
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More on Missouri
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for Missouri in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for Missouri in 2026.
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