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Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers in Pennsylvania
Get the information you need to know about working as a Police or Sheriff's Patrol Officer.
You’re in luck! Jobs for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers in Pennsylvania are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers in Pennsylvania is growing slower than average.
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Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers in Pennsylvania earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
What Major Will Prepare You For a Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer Career?
- Natural Resources & Conservation
- Natural Resource Management
- Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services
- Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting
- Criminal Justice & Corrections
- Criminal Justice & Police Science
- Criminalistics & Criminal Science
- Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing
- Law Enforcement Record-Keeping & Evidence Management
- Critical Incident Response/Special Police Operations
- Protective Services Operations
- Maritime Law Enforcement
How Many Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers Work in Pennsylvania?
In 2018, there were 27,850 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers working in the state.
There were 27,460 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers employed in this state in 2017.
That’s growth of 390 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 7,830 Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers working in it, which means Pennsylvania has more Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers than average.
Job Projections for Pennsylvania
Jobs for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers in this state are growing at a rate of 4.1% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.0%.
Pennsylvania Annual Job Openings
The BLS estimates there will be 1,910 annual job openings, and 29,000 total jobs in 2026 for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in this state.
Nationwide, the prediction is 49,500 annual jobs and 731,900 total jobs in 2026.
What do Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers Make in Pennsylvania?
In 2018 wages for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers ranged from $35,650 to $98,760 with $67,440 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $17.14 to $47.48. The median hourly rate was $32.43.
In 2017 the median pay for this field was $33.5 an hour.
The hourly rate declined by $1.07.
The median salary in Pennsylvania is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top Pennsylvania Metros for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 54,670 | $84,970 |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 14,000 | $71,070 |
Pittsburgh, PA | 5,820 | $62,240 |
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 1,550 | $68,620 |
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 1,500 | $69,250 |
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | 1,450 | $46,840 |
Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA | 1,350 | $50,720 |
Lancaster, PA | 740 | $72,960 |
Reading, PA | 730 | $64,660 |
York-Hanover, PA | 600 | $68,690 |
Erie, PA | 580 | $77,040 |
Johnstown, PA | 270 | $37,880 |
East Stroudsburg, PA | 260 | $68,580 |
Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA | 240 | $55,180 |
Altoona, PA | 240 | $54,390 |
Lebanon, PA | 220 | $67,790 |
Gettysburg, PA | 220 | $82,170 |
Williamsport, PA | 210 | $49,940 |
State College, PA | 200 | $77,930 |
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | 140 | $54,310 |
Top States for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers Employment
The table below shows the states where most Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers work.
State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
California | 72,680 | $104,790 |
Texas | 60,260 | $61,590 |
New York | 53,560 | $78,750 |
Florida | 37,650 | $57,320 |
Illinois | 30,370 | $82,670 |
Pennsylvania | 27,850 | $67,440 |
Ohio | 24,890 | $60,980 |
Georgia | 22,410 | $42,070 |
North Carolina | 22,350 | $46,160 |
New Jersey | 19,950 | $85,330 |
Virginia | 18,080 | $53,570 |
Massachusetts | 16,830 | $68,030 |
Michigan | 16,270 | $57,690 |
Missouri | 13,510 | $48,080 |
Tennessee | 13,410 | $44,270 |
Maryland | 12,650 | $67,030 |
Indiana | 12,340 | $54,570 |
Louisiana | 11,810 | $40,480 |
Alabama | 11,410 | $44,560 |
Arizona | 11,320 | $65,220 |
Below are the states where Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers get paid the most:
State | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|
California | $104,790 |
New Jersey | $85,330 |
Alaska | $84,830 |
Illinois | $82,670 |
Washington | $78,870 |
New York | $78,750 |
Colorado | $74,550 |
Hawaii | $73,370 |
Oregon | $71,670 |
District of Columbia | $71,570 |
Related Careers in Pennsylvania
You may also be interested in the following careers:
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
More about our data sources and methodologies.