Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers
Role Overview
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.
Recommended Majors
Salary by State (top paying)
| State | Median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $115,400 |
| Washington | $102,640 |
| Illinois | $101,530 |
| Alaska | $100,300 |
| Colorado | $96,100 |
| New York | $93,050 |
| Hawaii | $89,390 |
| New Jersey | $89,030 |
| District of Columbia | $88,330 |
| Oregon | $88,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $86,350 |
| Minnesota | $83,310 |
| Delaware | $83,230 |
| Connecticut | $82,820 |
| Arizona | $79,370 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the job outlook for this career?
Projected growth and annual openings are from BLS Employment Projections. Use the sidebar for median salary and growth rate.
How does salary vary by state?
See the Salary by State table above for state-level median wages from OEWS data.
Median Annual Salary
$76,290
Projected Growth (10yr)
+3.1%
Avg. annual openings
53.7k
Market Insight
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