Occupation · SOC 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.
Median wage
$76,290
$47,640–$115,280
Projected growth
+3.1%
Average growth
Annual openings
2,200
per year
Employed (US)
666,990
Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
431 mapped
Core skills
SpeakingSocial PerceptivenessActive ListeningCritical ThinkingActive LearningReading ComprehensionPersuasionJudgment and Decision MakingCoordinationService OrientationMonitoringNegotiationWritingTime ManagementComplex Problem SolvingInstructingManagement of Personnel ResourcesOperations MonitoringLearning StrategiesSystems AnalysisSystems EvaluationOperation and ControlMathematicsManagement of Material ResourcesTroubleshootingQuality Control AnalysisManagement of Financial ResourcesTechnology DesignProgrammingScienceEquipment SelectionOperations AnalysisEquipment MaintenanceRepairingInstallation
Knowledge areas
Public Safety and SecurityLaw and GovernmentEnglish LanguagePsychologyCustomer and Personal ServiceEducation and TrainingTelecommunicationsAdministration and ManagementAdministrativeComputers and ElectronicsCommunications and MediaTransportationGeographySociology and AnthropologyTherapy and CounselingPersonnel and Human ResourcesMathematicsForeign LanguageChemistryMedicine and DentistryEconomics and AccountingPhilosophy and TheologyMechanicalPhysicsEngineering and TechnologyProduction and ProcessingHistory and ArcheologyDesignBiologySales and MarketingBuilding and ConstructionFood ProductionFine Arts
Technology & tools
Computer aided composite drawing softwareComputer aided dispatch softwareCorel WordPerfect Office SuiteCrime mapping softwareDatabase softwareDesignWare 3D EyeWitnessESRI ArcViewEmail softwareIBM Lotus 1-2-3Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFISLaw enforcement information databasesMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Internet ExplorerMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft VisioMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordNational Crime Information Center (NCIC) databaseNational Integrated Ballistics Information Network NIBINSmartDraw LegalSmugMug FlickrSpillman Technologies Records ManagementThe CAD Zone The Crime ZoneWeb browser softwareWord processing software
Representative tasks
Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersGetting InformationMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentDocumenting/Recording InformationCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationAssisting and Caring for OthersUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeWorking with ComputersEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsTraining and Teaching OthersProcessing InformationJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkPerforming General Physical ActivitiesGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersDeveloping and Building TeamsAnalyzing Data or InformationInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsPerforming Administrative ActivitiesScheduling Work and ActivitiesDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesCoaching and Developing OthersProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersThinking CreativelySelling or Influencing OthersHandling and Moving ObjectsControlling Machines and ProcessesEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationStaffing Organizational UnitsMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patrol routines and area familiarization — perform under a Field Training Officer's review on assigned beats.Radio communications and 10-codes — operate clearly within department standards.Traffic stops on routine violations — conduct safely with FTO observation in standard scenarios.Incident reports and citation paperwork — write accurately and completely on common calls.Use-of-force continuum — apply consistently with departmental policy on every interaction.Defensive tactics fundamentals — execute drilled techniques in training and on-duty under FTO oversight.Crime-scene preservation basics — secure perimeters and preserve evidence on minor calls.Search-and-seizure law fundamentals — apply correctly under FTO direction on routine stops.Vehicle operations including emergency response driving — perform per department driving policy.Body-worn camera protocols — activate and document per department policy across every contact.
developing
Solo patrol on assigned beats — handle a typical shift of routine calls without backup supervision.Domestic disturbance and mental-health calls — handle within crisis-intervention training and protocol.DUI investigations and field-sobriety tests — conduct, document, and testify reliably.Felony stops and high-risk traffic stops — execute safely using cover-and-contact tactics.Witness and victim interviews on standard cases — conduct with empathy and protocol compliance.Detective handoffs on cases needing follow-up — package case files completely for investigators.Court appearances and testimony on owned cases — deliver clearly under cross-examination.Community contacts and proactive policing — develop in assigned neighborhoods.Newer officers as a peer mentor or shadow FTO — guide on patrol craft and judgment.Department policy updates — incorporate into routine patrol within a single shift.
proficient
Major incident response (active shooter, barricaded subject, mass casualty) — function effectively as part of a coordinated response.Complex investigations within patrol scope — develop, document, and present cases that hold up at trial.Field Training Officer role for new recruits — train, evaluate, and progress through structured curricula.De-escalation in dynamic high-stress encounters — lead the contact and bring volatility down without force.Specialty unit assignments (K-9, traffic, school resource, mental health response) — operate within specialty roles.Tactical-team or critical-incident-team participation — train and respond as a tier-2 member.Community partnerships with neighborhood, schools, and businesses — develop trust over years on a beat.Internal-affairs and use-of-force reviews — represent oneself with documentation that withstands scrutiny.Mentorship of mid-tenure officers — provide on judgment, career, and ethics across the watch.Department initiatives (training programs, equipment evaluations) — contribute substantively from a senior officer perspective.
advanced
Patrol-supervisor or sergeant role — lead a squad with discipline, training, and operational responsibilities.Critical incidents on a shift — command on scene until the formal incident commander arrives.Use-of-force investigations and reviews — conduct or contribute as a peer reviewer with rigor and fairness.Department training program — develop and deliver across the agency.Community-trust and reform-oriented programs — lead with credibility on both the officer and community sides.Hiring, FTO, and probationary-officer development — shape the next generation of officers.Inter-agency operations (regional task forces, mutual aid) — represent the department credibly.Internal-policy authorship and revision — contribute with command staff to evolving department practice.Ethics and integrity culture — set the tone through example, mentorship, and intervention.Career-track development for officers — sponsor toward investigations, specialty units, and command.
Also known as
94 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Accident Prevention Squad Police OfficerAlcohol Law Enforcement Agent (ALE Agent)Animal CopBorder GuardBorder Patrol AgentBorder Patrol OfficerCampus Police OfficerCanine Deputy (K-9 Deputy)Canine Handler (K-9 Handler)Canine Police Officer (K-9 Police Officer)Certified Police OfficerCity ConstableCity MarshalCivil Division Deputy SheriffCivil Process ServerCommunity Service Officer (CSO)Community Service Patrol OfficerComplaint Evaluation OfficerConstableCopCounty SheriffCourt Security Deputy SheriffCrime Prevention Police OfficerCustody Deputy SheriffCustoms Patrol OfficerDeputyDeputy Certified SheriffDeputy SheriffDeputy Sheriff GeneralistDeputy Sheriff LieutenantDesk OfficerDrug Abuse Resistance Education Officer (DARE Officer)Drug Enforcement AgentEnforcement OfficerFederal Police OfficerGrand Jury Deputy SheriffHighway Patrol OfficerHighway Patrol PilotImmigration GuardLateral Police Officer