SOC 33-3051 · Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Salary in Cape Girardeau, MO

The average salary for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Cape Girardeau, Missouri is $54,620 a year ($26.26 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $56,010: half of the 150 people in this job in the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 31% less than the U.S. average for this job ($79,200).

$54,620average per year

$26.26 / hourMedian $56,010Take-home ≈ $44,437

  • $44K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $56KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $75K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

150people in this job
-31%vs U.S. average
#7 of 8Missouri metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers pay range in Cape Girardeau

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,970 a year or less, while the top 10% make $74,940 or more. The middle half of police and sheriff's patrol officers in Cape Girardeau earn between $46,310 and $59,160.

  • $44K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $56KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $75K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$54,620$4,552$26.26
Median$56,010$4,668$26.93
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,310$3,859$22.26
Experienced (75th percentile)$59,160$4,930$28.44

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers pay in Cape Girardeau vs. Missouri and the U.S.

Police and sheriff's patrol officers in Cape Girardeau earn 13% less than the Missouri average ($62,520) and 31% less than the U.S. average ($79,200). At the median the gap is -27% against the U.S. median of $76,210.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Cape Girardeau$54,620$56,010$43,970$74,940150
Missouri$62,520$59,460$43,210$90,77013,570
United States$79,200$76,210$47,510$115,120670,520

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary after taxes in Cape Girardeau

On the average salary of $54,620, a single filer in Cape Girardeau takes home about $44,437 a year, or $3,703 a month and $1,709 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

The Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in MO$44,437$3,703
Working in IL$43,505$3,625

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Missouri paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Cape Girardeau a good place for police and sheriff's patrol officers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Cape Girardeau area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.1), so the average $54,620 buys what about $63,454 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Cape Girardeau ($44,470). A typical home costs $232,332, or 4.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $54,620 is worth in another city

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary in other Missouri cities

Cape Girardeau ranks 7th of 8 Missouri metro areas for this job; St. Louis pays the most ($71,720).

All Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salaries in Missouri

Highest-paying cities for police and sheriff's patrol officers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($143,520).

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary in Cape Girardeau: questions

How much do police and sheriff's patrol officers make an hour in Cape Girardeau?

$26.26 an hour on average, and $26.93 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level police and sheriff's patrol officers salary in Cape Girardeau?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,970 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,310, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the police and sheriff's patrol officers take-home pay in Cape Girardeau?

About $44,437 a year ($3,703 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $54,620. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Do police and sheriff's patrol officers earn more in Cape Girardeau than elsewhere?

The average here is 31% less than the U.S. average for this job ($79,200).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 33-3051; area Cape Girardeau, MO-IL (16020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.80, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.80).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.