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Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in New Mexico

Thinking about a career as a Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in New Mexico? Below are the key facts. 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 New Mexico?

For police and sheriff's patrol officers working in New Mexico, wages run about $63,340 per year (or roughly $30.45/hour).Pay can range from $47,470 at the 10th percentile to $77,910 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$47,470	$22.82
25th percentile	$58,150	$27.96
Median (50th)	$63,340	$30.45
75th percentile	$74,250	$35.70
90th percentile	$77,910	$37.46

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in New Mexico compared to the national average — is 1.30, meaning that police and sheriff's patrol officers are more concentrated here 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), higher than the New Mexico median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 440,443 police and sheriff's patrol officers nationwide. In New Mexico alone, about 4,830 people work in this role. That’s fewer than the typical state, which employs around 8,920 police and sheriff's patrol officers.

Top New Mexico Metros for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

The metro areas below employ the most police and sheriff's patrol officers in New Mexico.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Albuquerque, NM	1,770	$74,250
Las Cruces, NM	390	$61,440
Farmington, NM	370	$60,680
Santa Fe, NM	350	$75,530

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

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

Knowledge Areas

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

Abilities

Top 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

Related occupations to 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