Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Salary: $76,290 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 666,990 police and sheriff's patrol officers work nationally, and $76,290 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 4% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.9% annual growth.
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers: what the data shows
Common questions about police and sheriff's patrol officers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a police and sheriff's patrol officers?
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 33-3051.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 666,990 workers.
What does a police and sheriff's patrol officers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include 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, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a police and sheriff's patrol officers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $76,290 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $114,804 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $78,171 |
| 25th percentile | $94,955 |
| Median (50th) | $118,681 |
| 75th percentile | $132,123 |
| 90th percentile | $155,458 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Active Learning, Critical Thinking, Coordination, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, Law and Government, English Language, Psychology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is police and sheriff's patrol officers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.9% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 4.8%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 9.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 666,990.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do police and sheriff's patrol officerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 666,990 | 16.5% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 660,460 | 16.3% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 638,340 | 15.8% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 638,340 | 15.8% |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 580,490 | 14.3% |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 570,110 | 14.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transit and Railroad Police | 3,000 | $82,320 |
| Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance | 211,000 | $48,880 |
| Police Identification and Records Officers | — | — |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | — | — |
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary | 13,560 | $71,470 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers workforce.
Employment Over Time
666,990 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers grew from 224,420 in 2009 to 260,660 in 2025 (16.1%).
Historical employment for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$76,290 Median pay (BLS national)
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers earn $76,290 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Salary distribution for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Employment Growth Projections
0.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
273,143 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 4.8%
286,224 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 9.8%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.9% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 65,170 employees, $111,630 avg wage
- TX: 62,230 employees, $75,970 avg wage
- NY: 54,360 employees, $86,880 avg wage
- FL: 48,340 employees, $83,850 avg wage
- IL: 29,790 employees, $92,020 avg wage
- PA: 24,280 employees, $83,130 avg wage
- OH: 24,050 employees, $76,200 avg wage
- NC: 21,650 employees, $60,520 avg wage
- NJ: 21,620 employees, $93,290 avg wage
- GA: 21,540 employees, $57,970 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 54,830 employees, $92,620 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 24,310 employees, $108,510 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 23,340 employees, $98,350 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 19,300 employees, $105,750 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 16,120 employees, $87,150 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 15,910 employees, $74,810 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 14,590 employees, $86,860 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 12,400 employees, $86,210 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 11,420 employees, $81,450 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 11,190 employees, $63,180 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers is about 666,990 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers workers.
Education level distribution for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Skills
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Active Learning, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers include Public Safety and Security, Law and Government, English Language, Psychology, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Daily Activities
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers spend their time on activities such as 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.
Most important work activities for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
About
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers earn $76,290 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
33-3051 - Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers reports an average salary of $114,804, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 666,990 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.