Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
SOC code 33-3051 · O*NET-SOC 33-3051.00 · Medium preparation needed · Legal and protective services
Policing combines academy training with field training under experienced officers; a degree is preferred in many departments but rarely required to start. Overtime, shift differentials and special-unit assignments account for much of the spread in pay.
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$76,210
a year
Hourly
$36.64
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$79,200
$38.08 per hour
Middle 50%
$59,290 – $97,600
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$47,510 – $115,120
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
670,520
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $47,510
- $22.84/hr
- 25th percentile
- $59,290
- $28.50/hr
- Median percentile
- $76,210
- $36.64/hr
- 75th percentile
- $97,600
- $46.93/hr
- 90th percentile
- $115,120
- $55.35/hr
What do police and sheriff's patrol officers do?
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 tasks that matter most day to day
- 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.
- Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
- Verify that the proper legal charges have been made against law offenders.
- Render aid to accident survivors and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
- Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
- Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.
- Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
- Drive vehicles or patrol specific areas to detect law violators, issue citations, and make arrests.
How to qualify for this work
Preparation level: zone 3 — Medium preparation needed
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
The federal survey did not capture education levels for this specific occupation, so the preparation-level card above is the best guide to the entry route.
Common questions
How much does a police and sheriff's patrol officers earn?
The national median is $76,210 a year. The full range runs from $47,510 at the 10th percentile to $115,120 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a police and sheriff's patrol officers without a degree?
Yes — this occupation sits in preparation zone 3, meaning the typical entry route is most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. A four-year degree is not the standard requirement, though licensing or certification may still apply.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Active Listening4.1/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.9/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
- Reading Comprehension3.8/5
Knowledge areas
- Public Safety and Security4.8/5
- Law and Government4.7/5
- Customer and Personal Service4.3/5
- English Language4.0/5
- Psychology4.0/5
- Education and Training3.7/5
- Telecommunications3.3/5
- Computers and Electronics3.3/5
Transferable strengths: Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Service Orientation, Persuasion.