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Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in Kentucky

Thinking about a career as a Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in Kentucky? Here’s what you need to know. 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.

What do Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Make in Kentucky?

For a police and sheriff's patrol officers working in Kentucky, the median annual wage is $60,230 per year (or roughly $28.96/hour).Earnings range from $40,600 at the 10th percentile to $78,820 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$40,600	$19.52
25th percentile	$48,750	$23.44
Median (50th)	$60,230	$28.96
75th percentile	$67,030	$32.23
90th percentile	$78,820	$37.89

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Kentucky nationwide is 0.82, meaning fewer police and sheriff's patrol officers per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, police and sheriff's patrol officers earn a median of $49,631 per year ($23.86/hour), above the Kentucky median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 440,443 police and sheriff's patrol officers across the United States. In Kentucky alone, about 7,090 people work in this role. That’s below the typical state, which employs around 8,920 police and sheriff's patrol officers.

Top Kentucky Metros for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

These are the Kentucky metros with the most police and sheriff's patrol officers in Kentucky.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	2,290	$63,170
Lexington-Fayette, KY	1,020	$63,070
Bowling Green, KY	280	$61,260
Elizabethtown, KY	220	$59,300
Owensboro, KY	140	$53,240
Paducah, KY-IL	130	$58,650

Top States for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Employment

View the states that employ the most police and sheriff's patrol officers work.

State	Number Employed
California	65,170
Texas	62,230
New York	54,360
Florida	48,340
Illinois	29,790
Pennsylvania	24,280
Ohio	24,050
North Carolina	21,650
New Jersey	21,620
Georgia	21,540
Virginia	19,400
Massachusetts	17,000
Michigan	16,290
Louisiana	14,340
Tennessee	13,780
Indiana	13,480
South Carolina	12,820
Missouri	12,750
Arizona	12,430
Alabama	12,060

Highest-Paying States for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

These states pay the most for police and sheriff's patrol officers.

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

Skills

The most important police and sheriff's patrol officers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for police and sheriff's patrol officers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• 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.
• Relay complaint and emergency-request information to appropriate agency dispatchers.
• Monitor traffic to ensure motorists observe traffic regulations and exhibit safe driving procedures.
• Drive vehicles or patrol specific areas to detect law violators, issue citations, and make arrests.
• Execute arrest warrants, locating and taking persons into custody.

Work Activities

• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Getting Information
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Communicating with People Outside the Organization
• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Working with Computers

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Access

Related Careers

Other careers like police and sheriff's patrol officers include:

• Compliance Officers
• Coroners
• Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
• Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
• Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
• First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

Also Known As

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), Canine Handler (K-9 Handler), Canine Police Officer (K-9 Police Officer), Certified Police Officer, City Constable, City Marshal, Civil Division Deputy Sheriff, Civil Process Server.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 33-3051.00