How to become a police and sheriff's patrol officer
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.
Steps to get there
Most employers expect most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree..Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
What police and sheriff's patrol officers do
- Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
- Investigate traffic accidents and other accidents to determine causes and to determine if a crime has been committed.
- Relay complaint and emergency-request information to appropriate agency dispatchers.
- Monitor traffic to ensure motorists observe traffic regulations and exhibit safe driving procedures.
- 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.
- Verify that the proper legal charges have been made against law offenders.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Writing
- Learning Strategies
Is police and sheriff's patrol officer a good career?
On the numbers, this job pays above the typical job. Median pay is 49% above the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.
Where it pays most
- California $118,880
- Washington $102,080
- Illinois $100,520
- Alaska $99,130
- Colorado $97,350
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers salary by state and city
Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.