An official website of Washington State government
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.
What a police and sheriff’s patrol officer does
Become a police and sheriff’s patrol officer
If you enjoy doing these activities, you might make a good police and sheriff’s patrol officer
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Talking to others.
- Understanding people's reactions.
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Discover what you could earn in Washington
- Average hourly rate is $61 per hour with an average salary of $92,200 per year.
- Half of workers earn between $47 and $69 per hour.
- Half of workers earn an annual salary between $81,700 and $149,500 per year.
- 76% of individuals in this occupation have been employed in every quarter of the past year.
Part-time
- The average hourly rate for part-time workers is $81 per hour with an average salary of $71,200 per year.
Police And Sheriff’s Patrol Officer job outlook
- There are 8,960 workers in this occupation in Washington.
- There are 1,029 openings per year in this occupation in Washington.
Multiple Jobs
- 5% of individuals in this occupation worked for more than one employer.
- 12% of individuals in this occupation held a position in another.