Overview
SourcedMaintain 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.
O*NET definition of Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) · Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed.
Occupation figures cover every job classified under SOC 33-3051, including Border Patrol Agent, CBP Officer (Customs & Border Protection), Deputy Sheriff, Federal Police Officer (VA, Pentagon, Capitol…).
Titles employers use
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership; U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database; GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Requirements
Sourced- Education needed to enter
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Education workers say the job requires
Share of surveyed workers in Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) naming each level as required to be hired, 37 respondents, O*NET survey August 2026. Each employer sets its own minimum.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4); U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.
How to get hired
SourcedThe education typically required to enter the occupation ranges from a high school diploma to a college degree. Most police and detectives must graduate from their agency's training academy before completing on-the-job training. Other requirements vary, but candidates usually must be at least 21 years old and able to meet rigorous physical and personal qualifications.
From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile “Police and Detectives”, published August 27, 2026 · Read the full profile. National guidance; each employer runs its own hiring process.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 edition (XML compilation). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Academy and training
Sourced- SOC 33-3051
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job zone
- Medium Preparation Needed
Academy length, curriculum and paid-training policies are set by each employer and state; they are part of the employer collection stage.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Promotion ladder
EditorialRank and step: paramilitary rank × time-in-service step (officer → sergeant → lieutenant → captain …). Typical structure for a municipal police department; titles, steps and timing differ by employer.
- Police Recruit / Academy Trainee
- Police Officer (probationary)
- Police Officer (steps to top)
- Corporal / Senior Officer (dept-specific)
- Sergeant
- Lieutenant
- Captain
- Commander / Major / Inspector
- Deputy Chief / Assistant Chief
- Chief of Police
Assignments and specialty tracks
Source: GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial).
Pay
SourcedMedian annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.
| Employer type | Workers | 10th pct. | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 11,870 | $55,560 | $63,420 | $75,250 | $88,740 | $111,160 |
| State | 68,340 | $56,280 | $67,190 | $84,510 | $102,250 | $126,880 |
| Local | 583,600 | $47,100 | $58,750 | $75,780 | $97,340 | $113,980 |
| All government | 663,800 | $47,610 | $59,370 | $76,300 | $97,620 | $115,270 |
| Private sector | 6,720 | $41,290 | $47,790 | $59,390 | $78,710 | $98,750 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Schedule
SourcedShare of surveyed workers in the occupation (O*NET work context, August 2026). Shift patterns and differentials depend on the employer.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Day-to-day work
Sourced- 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.4.7
- Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.4.7
- Verify that the proper legal charges have been made against law offenders.4.5
- Render aid to accident survivors and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.4.5
- Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.4.5
- Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.4.4
- Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.4.4
- Drive vehicles or patrol specific areas to detect law violators, issue citations, and make arrests.4.4
- Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.4.3
- Investigate traffic accidents and other accidents to determine causes and to determine if a crime has been committed.4.3
The 10 most important of 25 core tasks for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, ranked by importance (1–5) in the O*NET survey of August 2026.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Related jobs
DerivedExams by name
Sourced| Exam | Administered by | Used in | Type | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State Officer Certification Examination (SOCE) Law Enforcement, Corrections and Correctional Probation versions: 200 questions each (190 graded, 10 field-test), 3 hours; questions drawn from the basic recruit training curriculum. | Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission | FL | licensing | Official page |
| FrontLine National Law Enforcement Testing System About 2 hours 15 minutes; video Human Relations Test (10 seconds per question), two-part Report Writing Test (write a report from a video scenario, then multiple choice) and multiple-choice Reading Test. | National Testing Network (NTN) | US | written | Official page |
| NYPD Police Officer Exam (NYC DCAS Exam Nos. 7311-7322) Multiple-choice test given at a computer terminal; at least 70% needed to pass; score sets eligible-list rank; tests abilities such as deductive reasoning. | NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) | NYPD (NYC DCAS) | written | Official page |
| POST Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery (PELLETB) Reading and writing test (also called the 'POST Reading and Writing Test'); results reported as a T-score (mean 50, SD 10); CLOZE reading comprehension sub-test removed effective January 1, 2025. | California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) | CA | written | Official page |
| TCOLE State Licensing Examinations (Basic Peace Officer, Basic County Corrections, Telecommunicator) Peace Officer: 250 questions, 180 minutes; County Corrections: 100 questions, 105 minutes; Telecommunicator: 80 questions, 90 minutes; must be taken within 180 days of completing the basic course. | Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) | TX | licensing | Official page |
Each exam is checked against its administrator's official page. Employers choose which exam they use; confirm with the hiring agency.
Source: Exam administrators and hiring authorities (per record), Official exam administrator pages. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Employer directory
Sourced11,828 police departments. Municipal and county police departments in the FBI's law-enforcement agency list. States with the most:
As reported by each employer to its federal registry.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer — law-enforcement agencies by state (API). Data captured September 30, 2026.
By state
SourcedMedian annual wage for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) in each state, all employers (BLS state estimates do not separate government from private). Highest first.
| State | Workers | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 65,940 | $76,300 | $118,880 | $153,190 |
| Washington | 9,160 | $79,120 | $102,080 | $132,200 |
| Illinois | 29,180 | $58,420 | $100,520 | $119,560 |
| Alaska | 1,260 | $60,670 | $99,130 | $137,340 |
| Colorado | 9,610 | $65,340 | $97,350 | $109,300 |
| Delaware | 1,800 | $62,470 | $92,970 | $130,870 |
| New York | 53,470 | $53,000 | $92,790 | $118,250 |
| New Jersey | 21,780 | $57,740 | $92,610 | $134,260 |
| District of Columbia | 4,720 | $66,420 | $88,650 | $119,660 |
| Oregon | 5,030 | $66,380 | $88,140 | $109,350 |
| Pennsylvania | 26,510 | $48,680 | $85,470 | $109,780 |
| Hawaii | 2,420 | $77,480 | $83,820 | $108,110 |
| Minnesota | 9,160 | $60,670 | $83,360 | $106,160 |
| Connecticut | 6,500 | $63,310 | $82,170 | $102,660 |
| Massachusetts | 17,040 | $61,160 | $78,940 | $108,150 |
| Arizona | 12,010 | $60,990 | $78,880 | $98,560 |
| Nevada | 5,720 | $62,250 | $78,140 | $102,810 |
| Wisconsin | 12,320 | $58,530 | $78,090 | $94,450 |
| Maryland | 9,720 | $58,580 | $77,970 | $113,700 |
| Utah | 5,500 | $60,290 | $77,310 | $99,920 |
| Rhode Island | 1,940 | $59,020 | $77,230 | $91,760 |
| Ohio | 23,430 | $51,110 | $77,020 | $103,210 |
| Texas | 63,100 | $51,240 | $75,900 | $98,350 |
| Nebraska | 3,490 | $54,680 | $74,620 | $95,210 |
| North Dakota | 1,630 | $58,620 | $74,500 | $91,440 |
| Florida | 43,630 | $51,330 | $74,470 | $98,190 |
| Iowa | 5,130 | $59,360 | $74,470 | $101,520 |
| Michigan | 16,750 | $47,780 | $73,730 | $89,220 |
| Indiana | 12,980 | $52,170 | $73,370 | $100,010 |
| New Hampshire | 2,460 | $57,930 | $71,640 | $89,940 |
| Montana | 2,160 | $55,330 | $70,050 | $84,150 |
| New Mexico | 4,580 | $48,400 | $69,180 | $85,740 |
| Vermont | 1,020 | $53,950 | $68,910 | $95,530 |
| Maine | 2,120 | $55,930 | $67,050 | $91,270 |
| Idaho | 2,810 | $48,840 | $66,990 | $97,980 |
| Wyoming | 1,310 | $57,130 | $66,140 | $76,840 |
| Virginia | 19,970 | $50,000 | $65,870 | $96,820 |
| South Dakota | 2,000 | $47,540 | $60,740 | $91,900 |
| Kentucky | 7,890 | $38,780 | $60,490 | $77,970 |
| Oklahoma | 9,660 | $36,480 | $59,700 | $94,940 |
| Missouri | 13,570 | $43,210 | $59,460 | $90,770 |
| North Carolina | 22,370 | $46,040 | $59,300 | $80,240 |
| Tennessee | 15,630 | $43,520 | $59,280 | $79,480 |
| Kansas | 6,130 | $42,040 | $59,230 | $90,530 |
| Georgia | 22,170 | $43,690 | $58,120 | $76,250 |
| South Carolina | 12,930 | $45,060 | $58,070 | $78,760 |
| West Virginia | 2,900 | $41,950 | $56,960 | $69,980 |
| Alabama | 11,710 | $37,480 | $51,270 | $77,220 |
| Louisiana | 12,400 | $36,470 | $48,380 | $69,140 |
| Arkansas | 5,710 | $35,210 | $47,670 | $70,190 |
| Mississippi | 8,070 | $33,230 | $46,140 | $61,550 |
51 states with published estimates.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Not yet collected
These dimensions are part of every job page. We publish them only once they are sourced from official documents such as job postings, pay plans, union contracts and state standards.
- 05 ProbationNot yet collectedProbation length and what ends it
- 09 Benefits and pensionNot yet collectedPension plan/tier and formula, retirement age/years, DROP, retiree health, Social Security coverage, 457(b), PSLF eligibility
- 10 Union contractsNot yet collectedBargaining unit, union, current CBA (source link, effective dates)
- 11 Transfers and lateral entryNot yet collectedLateral policy, certification reciprocity, lateral bonus, inter-agency moves