Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Salary: $114,804 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 666,990 police and sheriff's patrol officers nationally earn a mean of $114,804. Employment in the series shown fell about 4% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.9% annual growth.
Key Statistics
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 percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $78,171 |
| 25th percentile | $94,955 |
| Median (50th) | $118,681 |
| 75th percentile | $132,123 |
| 90th percentile | $155,458 |
What education do you need?
For Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
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 Workforce in 2023
The Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$114,804 Average Wage
In 2023, Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers earned an average of $114,804.
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.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 60,950 employees, $115,461 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 19,620 employees, $111,324 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 5,920 employees, $107,975 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 5,590 employees, $114,351 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 4,990 employees, $113,508 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 4,680 employees, $112,731 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 4,170 employees, $130,822 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 3,250 employees, $134,784 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 2,520 employees, $149,441 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 1,540 employees, $106,833 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 1,320 employees, $113,580 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 workforce of Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers in 2023 was 666,990 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
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
The average yearly wage for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers was $114,804 in 2023.
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.