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Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers in West Virginia
Want to work in West Virginia as a Police or Sheriff's Patrol Officer? Read this first!
You’re in luck! Jobs for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers in West Virginia 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 West Virginia is growing faster than average.
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Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers in West Virginia earn lower 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 West Virginia?
In 2018, there were 3,460 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers working in the state.
There were 3,800 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers employed in this state in 2017.
That’s a decline of 340 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 7,830 Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers working in it, which means West Virginia has fewer Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers than average.
Job Projections for West Virginia
Jobs for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers in this state are growing at a rate of 8.5% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.0%.
West Virginia Annual Job Openings
The BLS is projecting 280 annual Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers job openings in West Virginia, and 4,090 total jobs in the year 2026.
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 West Virginia?
In 2018 wages for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers ranged from $30,490 to $59,190 with $43,420 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $14.66 to $28.46. The median hourly rate was $20.88.
In 2017 the median pay for this field was $20.66 an hour.
The hourly rate grew by $0.22.
The median salary in West Virginia is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top West Virginia 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 |
---|---|---|
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 15,950 | $71,120 |
Charleston, WV | 650 | $45,010 |
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 530 | $39,860 |
Wheeling, WV-OH | 450 | $45,080 |
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 360 | $51,990 |
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | 260 | $41,730 |
Beckley, WV | 250 | $41,280 |
Morgantown, WV | 240 | $43,890 |
Winchester, VA-WV | 210 | $50,680 |
Cumberland, MD-WV | 200 | $46,810 |
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 170 | $43,270 |
Top States for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers Employment
View the list below to see 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 West Virginia
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References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
More about our data sources and methodologies.