State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Police Officer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers is $76,210 a year ($36.64/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.1% through 2034, with about 53,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 33-3051Protective ServiceLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $76,210
- Projected growth
- +3.1%
- Openings a year
- 53,700
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Deputy, Deputy Sheriff, Law Enforcement Officer, Patrol Deputy, Patrol Officer, Peace Officer.
How much do Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers make?
10th percentile$47,510
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$59,290
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$76,210
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$97,600
Upper quartile
90th percentile$115,120
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $76,210 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $36.64/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $79,200 |
| People employed | 670,520 |
Versus all US occupations
At $76,210, Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers earn 49% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $25,230 a year.
Versus protective service occupations
Inside the Protective Service group, where the middle occupation pays $59,110, this is 29% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $115,120 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,510, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 61% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $118,880, and still leads at $107,370 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $118,880 | $107,370 | 65,940 |
| Washington | $102,080 | $95,390 | 9,160 |
| Illinois | $100,520 | $100,562 | 29,180 |
| Alaska | $99,130 | $96,845 | 1,260 |
| Colorado | $97,350 | $94,467 | 9,610 |
| Delaware | $92,970 | $93,149 | 1,800 |
| New York | $92,790 | $85,980 | 53,470 |
| New Jersey | $92,610 | $85,116 | 21,780 |
| District of Columbia | $88,650 | $80,664 | 4,720 |
| Oregon | $88,140 | $85,274 | 5,030 |
Is Police Officer a growing career?
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers3.1%
All US occupations3.1%
+3.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers to change 3.1% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 22,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 53,700 openings are projected each year, 7.7% of the 698,800 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of police and detectives is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of police and detectives varies by occupation (see table).
A desire for public safety may result in a need for more officers. However, demand for employment is expected to vary by location, driven largely by local and state budgets. Even when crime rates fall, demand for police services to maintain public safety is expected to continue.
How to become a Police Officer
The 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 a period of 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. A felony conviction or drug use may disqualify a candidate.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as police and sheriff's patrol officers.
- High School Diploma40.4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate21.3%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)17.1%
- Some College Courses14.7%
- Bachelor's Degree6.6%
What does a Police Officer 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.
Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of crimes.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
- Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.
- Investigate traffic accidents and other accidents to determine causes and to determine if a crime has been committed.
- Direct traffic flow and reroute traffic in case of emergencies.
- Monitor traffic to ensure motorists observe traffic regulations and exhibit safe driving procedures.
- Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
- Photograph or draw diagrams of crime or accident scenes and interview principals and eyewitnesses.
- Render aid to accident survivors and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.8/5
- Active Learning3.8/5
- Reading Comprehension3.6/5
- Monitoring3.5/5
- Writing3.3/5
- Learning Strategies2.6/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.9/5
- Coordination3.6/5
- Persuasion3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Service Orientation3.5/5
- Negotiation3.4/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.3/5
- Time Management3.3/5
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Geographic information system
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Helpdesk or call center software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Police Officer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.4
Investigative2.8
Artistic1.1
Social3.5
Enterprisingprimary4.1
Conventionalprimary4.3
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Police Officer: frequently asked questions
How much do Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers make?
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers earn a median of $76,210 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 49% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $36.64/hr. The middle half earn between $59,290 and $97,600. The top 10% earn $115,120 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Police Officer?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 40.4% hold high school diploma.
Is Police Officer a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.1% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 53,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Police Officer do?
Police officers protect lives and property. A core O*NET task: 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. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers the most?
The highest state medians for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers are California ($118,880), Washington ($102,080), Illinois ($100,520) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Police Officer?
O*NET scores Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.