Plumbers vs Police
Police earns $13,510 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Plumbers | Police | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2025 | $63,800 | $77,310 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $44,150 to $108,420 | not published to not published |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 0 | 0.5 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | See How to Become One |
| Jobs opening up each year | 42,000 | 60,100 |
| Growth by 2035 | 6.8% | 2.9% |
| People doing it now | 510,600 | 824,200 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $101,020 in Washington DC down to $48,660 in Arkansas | $118,880 in California down to $46,140 in Mississippi |
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Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Police covers 7 separate job codes. “6 of 7” means 6 of those 7 name that job as closely related.
Plumbers
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Boilermakers
- Pipelayers
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
What these usually take: A trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
Police
- Private Detectives and Investigators6 of 7
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives5 of 7
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts3 of 7
- Forensic Science Technicians3 of 7
- Compliance Officers3 of 7
- Coroners2 of 7
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2025, and employment projections 2025-35. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.