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 3.5% through 2035, with about 51,500 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 33-3051
- Protective Service
- Last updated October 15, 2026
At a glance
Police Officer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $76,210a year, or $36.64/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $115K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.5%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 51,500693,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025693.2K
- Projected 2035717.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 693.2K Projected 2035 717.3K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Deputy Sheriff, K-9 Handler (Canine Handler), Law Enforcement Officer, Patrol Officer, Peace Officer, Police Officer.
Pay
How much do police officers make?
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers earn a median of $76,210 a year ($36.64 an hour, or about $6,350 a month); the lowest-paid 10% earn less than $47,510 and the top 10% more than $115,120 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The best-paying state is California, with a median of $118,880. See Police officer salary in California and every other state. By city, pay is highest around San Jose ($143,520 average): salary in every city.
Every police officer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$76,210
Middle half earn $59,290 to $97,600
- 10th
- $47,510
- 25th
- $59,290
- 75th
- $97,600
- 90th
- $115,120
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,510 |
| 25th | $59,290 |
| Median | $76,210 |
| 75th | $97,600 |
| 90th | $115,120 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- 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 $74,060, this is 3% 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 51% of the 1,741 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.
Pay by state
Which states pay police officers the most?
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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $118,880 | $107,370 | 65,940 |
| 2Washington | $102,080 | $95,390 | 9,160 |
| 3Illinois | $100,520 | $100,562 | 29,180 |
| 4Alaska | $99,130 | $96,845 | 1,260 |
| 5Colorado | $97,350 | $94,467 | 9,610 |
| 6Delaware | $92,970 | $93,149 | 1,800 |
| 7New York | $92,790 | $85,980 | 53,470 |
| 8New Jersey | $92,610 | $85,116 | 21,780 |
| 9District of Columbia | $88,650 | $80,664 | 4,720 |
| 10Oregon | $88,140 | $85,274 | 5,030 |
Job outlook
Is police officer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | +3.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 24,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 51,500 openings are projected each year, 7.4% of the 693,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of police and detectives is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, 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.
AI exposure: high
BLS places this occupation in its high relative AI exposure category, above the middle of the pack: a substantial share of the work overlaps with what AI can do.
Getting in
How to become a police officer
There is no national police license. You are hired by an individual agency, complete that agency's or the state's training academy, and are certified to act as a peace officer by your state's Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) commission. Certification can be revoked by the state, and revocations for misconduct are reported to a national index that other states' hiring agencies check.
The credential path, step by step
- Meet the agency's minimum qualifications
Applicants must have at least a high school diploma or equivalent, although some federal agencies and police departments require college coursework or a degree. Candidates usually must be at least 21 and able to meet rigorous physical and personal qualifications.
- Pass the agency's selection process
Applicants may have to pass physical exams of vision, hearing, strength and agility as well as written exams, then go through a series of interviews and may be asked to take polygraph and drug tests.
- Complete the training academySet by each state; California requires a minimum of 680 hours
Recruits receive classroom instruction in state and local laws, constitutional law, civil rights and police ethics, plus training and supervised experience in patrol, traffic control, firearm use, self-defense, first aid and emergency response.
- Get certified by the state POST commission
The state POST body certifies that you meet its prescribed standards of competency and conduct. It can also revoke that certification for misconduct, and revocations are reported to IADLEST's National Decertification Index, which hiring agencies in other states search.
- Complete field training and probation
Most police and detectives complete a period of on-the-job training after the academy, and usually become eligible for promotion only after a probationary period.
- How long the training takes
A training academy followed by a period of supervised on-the-job training
Academy length is set by each state. California's Regular Basic Course requires a minimum of 680 hours in its Standard Format, offered as a full-time intensive academy or as a part-time or weekend extended academy.
Licensing and state variation
Licensed state by state
There is no national license. Hiring is done by the individual agency — municipal, county, state or federal — but the authority to serve as a peace officer comes from the state's POST commission after academy training, and each state sets its own selection, training and certification standards. Education typically required ranges from a high school diploma to a college degree depending on the agency; federal agencies such as the FBI may require a bachelor's degree. Candidates usually must be at least 21 years old. Most states and local jurisdictions require candidates to be US citizens, but some do not; federal officers must be US citizens. A felony conviction or drug use may disqualify a candidate.
Who governs the credential
- International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST)
The association of state POST directors and state and local training academy directors. It publishes Model Standards for POST agencies and operates the National Decertification Index (NDI), a national registry of certificate or license revocation actions relating to officer misconduct, contributed by participating state government agencies. The NDI is a pointer system: it tells a hiring agency where to look and who to contact, and inclusion does not by itself preclude appointment.
- State Peace Officer Standards and Training commissions (POST)
Each state has a POST body created to assure citizens that officers meet prescribed standards of competency and ethical behavior; it sets selection, education and training standards and certifies officers. Requirements are set state by state — in California, for example, the Regular Basic Course is the entry-level training requirement for many peace officers, requires a minimum of 680 hours in its Standard Format, and is delivered by 41 POST-certified academies rather than by POST itself.
Credential detail for police officers is researched by hand from the bodies that issue it, not derived from BLS or O*NET. Sources last checked August 23, 2026. Requirements change: confirm with your own state board before enrolling in anything.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Police and Detectives · checked August 23, 2026
- IADLEST — About the National Decertification Index · checked August 23, 2026
- IADLEST — Model Standards for POST Agencies · checked August 23, 2026
- California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training — Regular Basic Course · checked August 23, 2026
What the federal data says
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.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
Full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entryThe work
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
- Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
- Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
- Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
- Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.
- Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.
- 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.
- Investigate traffic accidents and other accidents to determine causes and to determine if a crime has been committed.
- Drive vehicles or patrol specific areas to detect law violators, issue citations, and make arrests.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most police and detectives work full time. Paid overtime is common, and shift work is necessary to protect the public at all times.
FBI special agents must work at least 50 hours a week and are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Monitoring3.3
- Writing3.1
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Coordination3.6
- Service Orientation3.6
- Persuasion3.5
- Negotiation3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Time Management3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.6 |
| Service Orientation | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.5 |
| Negotiation | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
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.
The workforce
Who works as a police officer?
Women make up 16.4% of police and sheriff's patrol officers, against 47.1% of all employed people: a heavily male-dominated occupation.
Only 12.1% are 55 or older (23.2% across all jobs): a young workforce.
The median worker is 39.9 years old (all workers: 42.1).
- Women
- 16.4%All workers 47.1% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Median age
- 39.9All workers 42.1 · BLS CPS, 2025
- Aged 55+
- 12.1%All workers 23.2% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Employed (CPS)
- 705,000Police officers · BLS CPS, 2025
| Group | Share of police and sheriff's patrol officers | All employed people |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 16.4% | 47.1% |
| White | 78.2% | 75.7% |
| Black or African American | 13.1% | 12.7% |
| Asian | 3.6% | 7.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 24.2% | 20.0% |
| Aged 55 and over | 12.1% | 23.2% |
| Aged 16 to 24 | 5.1% | 12.2% |
Current Population Survey annual averages, 2025 (BLS tables 11 and 11b). Race groups can overlap with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, so they do not sum to 100%. CPS reports this occupation only within the wider Census group “Police officers”, so these figures are for that group.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a police officer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Police Officer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
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.
- Realistic5.4
- Conventional4.3
- Enterprising4.1
- Social3.5
- Investigative2.8
- Artistic1.1
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Police Officer
O*NET related occupations
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives
$106,040median a year
Most earn $63K to $165K
+3.3%High school - Protective Service
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
- Community and Social Service
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist
$66,270median a year
Most earn $47K to $108K
+3.0%Bachelor's
More protective service careers
Median annual pay, with police and sheriff's patrol officers highlighted
- Detective and Criminal Investigator$93,790
- Intelligence Analyst$93,790
- Police Identification and Records Officer$93,790
- Custom and Border Protection Officer$76,210
- Police Officer$76,210
- Firefighter$59,280
- Correctional Officer and Jailer$58,940
- Private Detective and Investigator$51,220
- Security Guard$38,020
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $93,790 |
| Intelligence Analyst | $93,790 |
| Police Identification and Records Officer | $93,790 |
| Custom and Border Protection Officer | $76,210 |
| Police Officer | $76,210 |
| Firefighter | $59,280 |
| Correctional Officer and Jailer | $58,940 |
| Private Detective and Investigator | $51,220 |
| Security Guard | $38,020 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within police officer
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Questions
Police Officer: frequently asked questions
How much do police 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.
How much do police officers make an hour?
The median hourly wage for police and sheriff's patrol officers is $36.64 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $76,210 annual median works out to about $6,350 a month before tax.
What is the starting salary for a police officer?
BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of police and sheriff's patrol officers earn less than $47,510 a year and the bottom quarter less than $59,290 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.
Do police officers make $100k?
A minority do. $100,000 sits between the 75th percentile ($97,600) and the 90th ($115,120), so roughly 10% to 25% of police and sheriff's patrol officers earn more than that (BLS OEWS, May 2025). In 3 states the median itself is above $100,000: California ($118,880), Washington ($102,080), Illinois ($100,520).
Which states pay police 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 kind of police officer earns the most?
BLS does not split police and sheriff's patrol officers' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $115,120, against a median of $76,210 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are California ($118,880), Washington ($102,080), Illinois ($100,520). BLS also counts 3 specialty careers inside this occupation (accident reconstructionist, bomb technician, federal air marshal), which share its federal pay figures.
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.
Is police officer a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 51,500 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: identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Do police officers work 40 hours a week?
Most work more than 40. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 68% of police and sheriff's patrol officers usually work more than 40 hours a week, 31% work exactly 40 and 1% work fewer. 58% say their schedule is regular and 43% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.
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 1,731 careers in the bank.
How long does it take to become a police officer?
A training academy followed by a period of supervised on-the-job training. Academy length is set by each state. California's Regular Basic Course requires a minimum of 680 hours in its Standard Format, offered as a full-time intensive academy or as a part-time or weekend extended academy.
Do you need a license to work as a police officer?
Yes, and it is issued by the state you work in, not nationally. There is no national license. Hiring is done by the individual agency — municipal, county, state or federal — but the authority to serve as a peace officer comes from the state's POST commission after academy training, and each state sets its own selection, training and certification standards. Education typically required ranges from a high school diploma to a college degree depending on the agency; federal agencies such as the FBI may require a bachelor's degree. Candidates usually must be at least 21 years old. Most states and local jurisdictions require candidates to be US citizens, but some do not; federal officers must be US citizens. A felony conviction or drug use may disqualify a candidate.
What percentage of police officers are women?
Women make up 16.4% of police and sheriff's patrol officers, against 47.1% of all employed people: a heavily male-dominated occupation. Only 12.1% are 55 or older (23.2% across all jobs): a young workforce. The median worker is 39.9 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages, for the Census group "Police officers".