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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

33-3051 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

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.

National estimates for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Industry profile for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Geographic profile for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

National estimates for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
665,380 0.4 % $ 34.02 $ 70,750 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 19.32 $ 24.34 $ 31.06 $ 39.35 $ 49.29
Annual Wage (2) $ 40,190 $ 50,630 $ 64,610 $ 81,850 $ 102,530

Industry profile for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 564,980 10.51 $ 33.98 $ 70,690
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 59,640 2.72 $ 37.67 $ 78,350
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 15,050 0.50 $ 28.90 $ 60,120
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 12,770 0.61 $ 30.51 $ 63,450
Elementary and Secondary Schools 6,880 0.08 $ 28.73 $ 59,750

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 564,980 10.51 $ 33.98 $ 70,690
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 59,640 2.72 $ 37.67 $ 78,350
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 12,770 0.61 $ 30.51 $ 63,450
Junior Colleges 3,490 0.56 $ 26.35 $ 54,810
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 15,050 0.50 $ 28.90 $ 60,120

Top paying industries for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 59,640 2.72 $ 37.67 $ 78,350
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 564,980 10.51 $ 33.98 $ 70,690
Postal Service (federal government) 400 0.06 $ 31.08 $ 64,640
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 12,770 0.61 $ 30.51 $ 63,450
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 1,430 0.03 $ 29.35 $ 61,040

Geographic profile for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of police and sheriff's patrol officers by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 70,050 4.24 0.90 $ 49.48 $ 102,920
Texas 60,440 4.94 1.05 $ 32.16 $ 66,890
New York 49,910 5.76 1.22 $ 38.75 $ 80,590
Florida 45,360 5.27 1.12 $ 31.88 $ 66,320
Illinois 30,640 5.45 1.15 $ 39.81 $ 82,800


Map of location quotient of police and sheriff's patrol officers by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 5,450 8.23 1.74 $ 39.45 $ 82,060
Louisiana 12,450 6.94 1.47 $ 21.53 $ 44,790
Mississippi 7,410 6.73 1.42 $ 18.72 $ 38,940
Alabama 12,430 6.45 1.36 $ 23.82 $ 49,540
New Mexico 4,870 6.27 1.33 $ 26.65 $ 55,420


Map of annual mean wages of police and sheriff's patrol officers by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 70,050 4.24 0.90 $ 49.48 $ 102,920
Washington 8,670 2.70 0.57 $ 44.42 $ 92,390
New Jersey 20,650 5.36 1.14 $ 44.08 $ 91,690
Alaska 1,320 4.47 0.95 $ 42.07 $ 87,510
Illinois 30,640 5.45 1.15 $ 39.81 $ 82,800



Map of employment of police and sheriff's patrol officers by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 51,330 5.91 1.25 $ 41.69 $ 86,720
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 25,840 4.52 0.96 $ 49.72 $ 103,410
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 24,500 5.79 1.23 $ 41.85 $ 87,050
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 16,120 6.57 1.39 $ 36.57 $ 76,060
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 15,360 5.24 1.11 $ 37.43 $ 77,850
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 15,020 5.19 1.10 $ 32.58 $ 67,760
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 14,660 4.08 0.86 $ 36.31 $ 75,530
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 13,820 5.21 1.10 $ 38.17 $ 79,400
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 12,400 4.79 1.01 $ 26.72 $ 55,570
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 11,690 4.52 0.96 $ 36.53 $ 75,970


Map of location quotient of police and sheriff's patrol officers by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Punta Gorda, FL 560 11.37 2.41 $ 31.00 $ 64,480
Hinesville, GA 210 10.98 2.33 $ 22.05 $ 45,870
Alexandria, LA 610 10.54 2.23 $ 19.12 $ 39,760
Farmington, NM 380 9.12 1.93 $ 26.38 $ 54,870
Ocean City, NJ 340 8.83 1.87 $ 37.44 $ 77,880
Lawton, OK 350 8.45 1.79 $ 23.92 $ 49,760
Kingston, NY 460 8.45 1.79 $ 32.31 $ 67,200
Gadsden, AL 260 8.27 1.75 $ 21.89 $ 45,540
Laredo, TX 800 8.20 1.74 $ 34.12 $ 70,970
San Angelo, TX 370 8.08 1.71 $ 27.92 $ 58,080