Police Patrol Officer

Explore This Path

Serve your community by maintaining safety and enforcing laws.
Make a real impact by protecting lives and ensuring public order.
Experience diverse challenges, from traffic control to crime investigation.

💰 Earn $91K-$135K

📚 High School Diploma or GED

⏱️ 12–24 MONTH TRAINING

📈 3.9% JOB GROWTH

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What You’ll 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.

Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
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.
Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
Render aid to accident victims and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.

Scoop

Minimum Education

High School Diploma or GED

Career Prospects

Good (Increasing by 1-5%)

Training Time

1 to 2 years

Job Openings

53,800 Annually

Median Earnings

$113,460 in California

$72,280 Nationally

$25K

$50K

$75K

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$125K

$150K

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$250K

Best For You If...

YOU Like 💕

Influencing or leading others
Relating with or serving others
Working with my hands

You are skilled in 💫

Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Reading Comprehension
Service Orientation
Speaking

You value 🙏

Accomplishing things
Having support
Having freedom

Deep Dive

Police Patrol Officer

Explore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

Pathways to this Career

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Vocational School

A vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Associate's Degree

An associate's degree typically provides graduates with foundational knowledge and skills for entry-level jobs in the graduate's industry, or serves as a stepping stone towards further education.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 2-3 years

Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree typically results in increased knowledge about a variety of academic subjects, specialized knowledge in a focused field of study, and is considered the foundational qualification for many careers.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 4-5+ years