Joseph Wambaugh Net Worth
Daniel Johnson
Updated on August 19, 2026
Joseph Wambaugh net worth is
$800,000
Joseph Wambaugh Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family
Joseph Aloysius Wambaugh, Jr. (born January 22, 1937) is a bestselling American writer known for his fictional and non-fictional accounts of police work in the United States. Several of his first novels were set in Los Angeles, California, and its surroundings, and featured Los Angeles police officers as protagonists.
| Net Worth | $800,000 |
| Date Of Birth | January 22, 1937 |
| Place Of Birth | East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Profession | Writer, Miscellaneous Crew, Actor |
| Nationality | United States |
| Nicknames | Joseph Wambaugh, Wambaugh, Joseph |
| Star Sign | Aquarius |
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Was an LAPD officer for several years before turning into a novelist. He was still on the force when two of his books, The New Centurions and The Blue Knight, were released He decided to quit the force because too many people recognized him when he was on duty. |
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert | 1993 | TV Movie book / screenplay | |
| Echoes in the Darkness | 1987 | TV Movie based upon the book by / teleplay | |
| The Glitter Dome | 1984 | TV Movie novel | |
| Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop | 1980 | TV Movie creator | |
| The Black Marble | 1980 | novel / screenplay | |
| The Onion Field | 1979 | book / screenplay | |
| Police Story | 1973-1979 | TV Series creator - 96 episodes | |
| The Choirboys | 1977 | novel / screenplay - uncredited | |
| The Blue Knight | TV Series novel - 24 episodes, 1975 - 1976 novel "The Blue Knight" - 1 episode, 1975 | ||
| The Blue Knight | 1973 | TV Movie novel | |
| The New Centurions | 1972 | novel |
Miscellaneous
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police Story | TV Series production consultant - 80 episodes, 1973 - 1977 technical consultant - 7 episodes, 1973 | ||
| The Blue Knight | 1975-1976 | TV Series production consultant - 24 episodes | |
| Cop on the Beat | 1975 | TV Movie production consultant | |
| Joe Forrester | 1975 | TV Series production consultant - 1 episode |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Blue Knight | 1975 | TV Series | Desk Sergeant |
| Police Story | 1975 | TV Series | Truxton |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert | 1993 | TV Movie executive producer | |
| From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One | 1992 | TV Movie supervising producer |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Night at the Movies: Cops & Robbers and Crime Writers | 2013 | TV Special documentary | Himself - Interviewee |
| Murder by the Book | 2007 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| History's Mysteries | 2006 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Forensic Files | 1996-2004 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Author / Himself - Author of The Blooding |
| Inside TV Land: Cops on Camera | 2002 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Ring of Truth: The Onion Field | 2002 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Case Reopened | 1999 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself - Presenter |
| We, the Writer | 1996 | TV Movie | Himself |
| From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One | 1992 | TV Movie | Himself (uncredited) |
| The Pat Sajak Show | 1989 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | 1971-1983 | TV Series | Himself |
| Today | 1980 | TV Series | Himself |
| Friday Night, Saturday Morning | 1980 | TV Series | Himself |
| Straight Time: He Wrote It for Criminals | 1978 | TV Short documentary | Himself |
| Dinah! | 1975 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Irv Kupcinet Show | 1975 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Dean Martin Show | 1974 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Mike Douglas Show | 1971 | TV Series | Himself - Writer |
| The David Frost Show | 1971 | TV Series | Himself |
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Edgar | Edgar Allan Poe Awards | Best Motion Picture | The Black Marble (1980) |
Known for movies
The Onion Field (1979)
as Writer
Echoes in the Darkness (1987)
as Writer
The Black Marble (1980)
as Writer
Police Story (1973-1979)
as Writer
