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Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers: Career Overview
Maintain order and protect life and property by enforcing local, tribal, state, or federal laws and ordinances. Perform a combination of the following duties: patrol a specific area; direct traffic; issue traffic summonses; investigate accidents; apprehend and arrest suspects, or serve legal processes of courts. Includes police officers working at educational institutions.
The Daily Work of Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Do?
The core tasks performed by police and sheriff's patrol officers span:
- Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
- Provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations.
- Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
- Render aid to accident survivors and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
- Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.
- Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
- Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.
- Testify in court to present evidence or act as witness in traffic and criminal cases.
What Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Need to Know
Effective police and sheriff's patrol officers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Accident Prevention Squad Police Officer
- Alcohol Law Enforcement Agent (ALE Agent)
- Animal Cop
- Border Guard
- Border Patrol Agent
- Border Patrol Officer
- Campus Police Officer
- Canine Deputy (K-9 Deputy)
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 440,443 police and sheriff's patrol officers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +2.0% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $49,631 |
| Hourly median | $23.86 |
| 10th percentile | $35,381 |
| 25th percentile | $42,506 |
| 75th percentile | $56,756 |
| 90th percentile | $63,881 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $115,400 |
| Washington | $102,640 |
| Illinois | $101,530 |
| Alaska | $100,300 |
| Colorado | $96,100 |
| New York | $93,050 |
| Hawaii | $89,390 |
| New Jersey | $89,030 |
| District of Columbia | $88,330 |
| Oregon | $88,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $86,350 |
| Minnesota | $83,310 |
| Delaware | $83,230 |
| Connecticut | $82,820 |
| Arizona | $79,370 |
| Wisconsin | $78,980 |
| Nevada | $78,670 |
| Massachusetts | $78,610 |
| Maryland | $77,440 |
| Rhode Island | $77,280 |
| Utah | $77,210 |
| Ohio | $77,050 |
| Texas | $76,350 |
| Florida | $76,190 |
| North Dakota | $75,530 |
| Michigan | $74,420 |
| Iowa | $73,900 |
| Nebraska | $72,160 |
| Indiana | $71,540 |
| Montana | $69,910 |
| New Hampshire | $67,620 |
| Idaho | $66,150 |
| Maine | $65,330 |
| Wyoming | $65,180 |
| Virginia | $65,110 |
| Vermont | $63,690 |
| New Mexico | $63,340 |
| Missouri | $60,720 |
| South Dakota | $60,300 |
| Kentucky | $60,230 |
| Tennessee | $59,410 |
| North Carolina | $58,030 |
| South Carolina | $58,020 |
| Oklahoma | $57,360 |
| Kansas | $56,610 |
| Georgia | $56,350 |
| West Virginia | $54,570 |
| Alabama | $53,850 |
| Louisiana | $50,580 |
| Arkansas | $48,090 |
| Mississippi | $45,610 |
| Puerto Rico | $44,860 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for police and sheriff's patrol officers differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $109,424 | 12.9% | 0.79 |
| Middle Atlantic | $89,292 | 17.1% | 1.17 |
| Great Lakes | $83,719 | 14.0% | 1.01 |
| Rocky Mountains | $82,960 | 3.1% | 0.78 |
| New England | $77,158 | 4.5% | 0.97 |
| Southwest | $74,053 | 13.1% | 1.06 |
| Plains States | $68,450 | 5.9% | 0.89 |
| Southeast | $61,750 | 27.6% | 1.16 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $150,650 | 2,520 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $133,190 | 7,860 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $128,980 | 280 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $128,470 | 660 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $123,140 | 450 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $122,290 | 780 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $121,370 | 720 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | CA | $121,050 | 1,320 |
Industry Breakdown
Most police and sheriff's patrol officers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 25,630 | $64,310 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,450 | $65,410 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 450 | $81,200 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of police and sheriff's patrol officers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
How to Become Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Typical police and sheriff's patrol officers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Compliance Officers (Supplemental)
- Coroners (Supplemental)
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers (Supplemental)
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers (Primary-Long)
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives (Primary-Short)
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers (Supplemental)
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 33-3051.00 (Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers).
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