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Police pay in West Virginia
Entry pay in West Virginia runs from $33,994 to $59,187 a year. Verified at 10 agencies, each figure taken from that employer's own published document and dated on its page.
Entry pay onlyEvery salary here is what an officer is paid on day one, out of the academy — base pay on a 40-hour week, with no overtime, shift differential, specialty or education pay counted. Nobody stays on it.
The middle West Virginia agency starts officers on $57,054, below the national middle of $68,390 — 42nd of the 50 states we can rank.
How West Virginia compares
Every figure below is a starting salary — what an agency pays an officer in their first year, before overtime. Each one is the middle agency of its group: half pay more, half pay less.
| Agencies compared | Middle WV agency | Middle US agency | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All agencies | $57,054 | $68,390 | −17% |
| City departments | $57,485 | $71,302 | −19% |
| Sheriff's offices | $57,054 | $65,374 | −13% |
The best-paid agency in West Virginia starts officers on 1.7 times what the lowest-paid one does — $59,187 against $33,994. Overall, West Virginia ranks 42nd of the 50 states we can rank.
By level
Municipal5 agencies
Lowest$53,597
Middle$57,485
Highest$58,157
Across 5 city departments in West Virginia.
Sheriff3 agencies
Lowest$55,125
Middle$57,054
Highest$59,187
Across 3 sheriff's offices in West Virginia.
State2 agencies
West Virginia State Police$45,784
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources — Natural Resources Police$33,994
Only two verified here, so we name them rather than give a middle figure.
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Every West Virginia agency we have verified
| # | Agency | Level | Entry pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley County Sheriff's Office | County | $59,187 |
| 2 | Morgantown Police Department | Municipal | $58,157 |
| 3 | Huntington Police Department | Municipal | $57,787 |
| 4 | Charleston Police Department | Municipal | $57,485 |
| 5 | Kanawha County Sheriff's Office | County | $57,054 |
| 6 | Martinsburg Police Department | Municipal | $55,710 |
| 7 | Jefferson County Sheriff's Office | County | $55,125 |
| 8 | Fairmont Police Department | Municipal | $53,597 |
| 9 | West Virginia State Police | State | $45,784 |
| 10 | West Virginia Division of Natural Resources — Natural Resources Police | State | $33,994 |
Across the state line
What the middle agency starts on in the states West Virginia borders.
Also: Every agency we have verified The statistics Municipal departments Sheriff's offices
Figures checked between 8 August 2026 and 10 August 2026. Entry-level base salary only — overtime, bonuses, education incentives, shift differentials, locality pay and lateral rates are excluded, so most officers earn more than the figure shown. Where an agency publishes both an academy rate and a post-academy rate, the post-academy rate is used. A missing agency has not been checked, not found to pay less.
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