Police Officer

What it pays in the U.S.

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.

Wage figures are 2025 survey data for United States, shown nationally because no state figure was reported. They describe what people in this job earn now, not what any one person will be offered.

What the work actually is

• Drive vehicles or patrol specific areas to detect law violators, issue citations, and make arrests.
• Provide road information to assist motorists.
• Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
• Locate and confiscate real or personal property, as directed by court order.
• Patrol specific area on foot, horseback, or motorized conveyance, responding promptly to calls for assistance.
• Inform citizens of community services and recommend options to facilitate longer-term problem resolution.

Read the full Occupational Outlook Handbook entry from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Licensing, by state

Licensing is set by each state, so there is no national answer. Choose a state above to see which licenses it requires for this career, or look one up with the CareerOneStop License Finder.

Certifications employers recognize

These are national certifications, issued by industry bodies rather than a state. Most are optional, but they are how you prove skill to an employer.

• Law and Public Safety Introductory Level

  Law and Public Safety Education Network · Core

• National Law Enforcement

  Law and Public Safety Education Network · Core

• Firearms Detection Test

  Eastern States Working Dog Association, Inc. · Specialty

• WSO - Certified Hazardous Materials Technician Level II

  World Safety Organization · Advanced

• Accredited Traffic Accident Reconstructionist

  Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction · Core

• Sartech III

  National Association for Search and Rescue · Advanced

• Search and Rescue K-9 Team Test

  Eastern States Working Dog Association, Inc. · Specialty

• Narcotic Detection K-9 Team Test

  Eastern States Working Dog Association, Inc. · Specialty

• WSO - Certified Hazardous Materials Technician I

  World Safety Organization · Core

• Certified Workplace Violence and Threat Specialist

  McAfee Institute · Advanced

• Trailing Dog Test

  Eastern States Working Dog Association, Inc. · Specialty

• Human Remains K-9 Team Test

  Eastern States Working Dog Association, Inc. · Specialty

Apprenticeships, by state

Registered apprenticeships pay you while you train. Each state runs its own registration office, which is where to start when you want to find an open program.

Choose a state above to see the offices that register apprenticeships there.

Search open programs directly at apprenticeship.gov.