Compared with the local labor market
Police Lieutenant pay vs. the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area
Across all employers in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area, the median wage for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives — about 950 people — is $107,150. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Special Service Group pays a median base salary of $134,931 for this role, 26% above that figure — above the 90th percentile of local pay for the occupation.
Where Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Special Service Group sits in the local pay range
$73,340
$92,440
$107,150
$124,120
$124,120
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Special Service Group median · $134,931
The bar is the range of annual wages for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives across every employer in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Special Service Group’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.
And across the country
Nationwide, the median wage for First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives — about 154,610 people — is $106,040. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Special Service Group’s median base salary is 27% above that national figure, about the 76th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.
$63,350
$81,860
$106,040
$132,620
$165,110
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Special Service Group median · $134,931
Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC range relative to the national one.
Median total compensation for this role at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Special Service Group is $134,931, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.
Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.
Compare jurisdictions
Police Lieutenant beyond City of Charlotte
This role is reported in 22 jurisdictions. In City of Charlotte, the median of $134,931 ranks #11 of 22. See Police Lieutenant across all of City of Charlotte →
Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role
Median total compensation for comparable Police Lieutenant roles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.