New Study Ranks California As The Best State To Be A Police Officer

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A new study has ranked California as the best state to be a police officer.

The WalletHub study, released on Monday, took a look 30 different indicators of "police-friendliness," from the median income for a law enforcement officer to police deaths per 1,000 officers.

Researchers then put those indicators into three categories - opportunity & competition, law enforcement training, and job hazards & protections - and gave states a score.

California came out on top with the highest total score, ranking very high in the opportunity & competition and job hazards & protections categories.

The study found that Golden State has the highest median annual wage for police and sheriff's patrol officers at $81,902 - even when adjusted for the cost of living. California's median wage is two times higher than the lowest the study found, $41,789 in Mississippi.

Notably, California also ranked #4 in the highest state and local police protection expenses per capita indicator.

Hawaii was ranked the worst state to be a police officer by the study thanks to poor numbers in the training requirements and opportunity categories. California's neighbor Nevada also ranked second from the bottom.

Law enforcement officers across the nation have a $67,290 mean annual wage, the study found.