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Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
5 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for POLICE OFFICER (Alternate Title: Military Police) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| MASTER HOMELAND SECURITY SPECIALIST | 2003 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| POLICE OFFICER (Alternate Title: Military Police) | 0437 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 4,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| Protective Service Specialist | 2008 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| Security Specialist | 1137 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours Time-Based (V2): 2,000 hours |
| Working Dog Handler | 2023 | Competency-Based: 2,500 hours Hybrid: 2,500 to 3,125 hours Time-Based: 2,500 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What police and sheriff's patrol officers earn, by state
California has the highest state median for police and sheriff's patrol officers ($118,880) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($45,510), across the 53 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $118,880 | $57.15 | 65,940 |
| Washington | $102,080 | $49.08 | 9,160 |
| Illinois | $100,520 | $48.33 | 29,180 |
| Alaska | $99,130 | $47.66 | 1,260 |
| Colorado | $97,350 | $46.81 | 9,610 |
| Delaware | $92,970 | $44.70 | 1,800 |
| New York | $92,790 | $44.61 | 53,470 |
| New Jersey | $92,610 | $44.53 | 21,780 |
| District of Columbia | $88,650 | $42.62 | 4,720 |
| Oregon | $88,140 | $42.38 | 5,030 |
| Pennsylvania | $85,470 | $41.09 | 26,510 |
| Hawaii | $83,820 | $40.30 | 2,420 |
| Minnesota | $83,360 | $40.08 | 9,160 |
| Connecticut | $82,170 | $39.51 | 6,500 |
| Massachusetts | $78,940 | $37.95 | 17,040 |
| Arizona | $78,880 | $37.92 | 12,010 |
| Nevada | $78,140 | $37.57 | 5,720 |
| Wisconsin | $78,090 | $37.55 | 12,320 |
| Maryland | $77,970 | $37.49 | 9,720 |
| Utah | $77,310 | $37.17 | 5,500 |
| Rhode Island | $77,230 | $37.13 | 1,940 |
| Ohio | $77,020 | $37.03 | 23,430 |
| Texas | $75,900 | $36.49 | 63,100 |
| Nebraska | $74,620 | $35.88 | 3,490 |
| North Dakota | $74,500 | $35.82 | 1,630 |
| Florida | $74,470 | $35.81 | 43,630 |
| Iowa | $74,470 | $35.81 | 5,130 |
| Michigan | $73,730 | $35.45 | 16,750 |
| Indiana | $73,370 | $35.27 | 12,980 |
| New Hampshire | $71,640 | $34.44 | 2,460 |
| Montana | $70,050 | $33.68 | 2,160 |
| New Mexico | $69,180 | $33.26 | 4,580 |
| Vermont | $68,910 | $33.13 | 1,020 |
| Maine | $67,050 | $32.24 | 2,120 |
| Idaho | $66,990 | $32.21 | 2,810 |
| Wyoming | $66,140 | $31.80 | 1,310 |
| Virginia | $65,870 | $31.67 | 19,970 |
| Guam | $62,130 | $29.87 | 540 |
| South Dakota | $60,740 | $29.20 | 2,000 |
| Kentucky | $60,490 | $29.08 | 7,890 |
| Oklahoma | $59,700 | $28.70 | 9,660 |
| Missouri | $59,460 | $28.59 | 13,570 |
| North Carolina | $59,300 | $28.51 | 22,370 |
| Tennessee | $59,280 | $28.50 | 15,630 |
| Kansas | $59,230 | $28.48 | 6,130 |
| Georgia | $58,120 | $27.94 | 22,170 |
| South Carolina | $58,070 | $27.92 | 12,930 |
| West Virginia | $56,960 | $27.39 | 2,900 |
| Alabama | $51,270 | $24.65 | 11,710 |
| Louisiana | $48,380 | $23.26 | 12,400 |
| Arkansas | $47,670 | $22.92 | 5,710 |
| Mississippi | $46,140 | $22.18 | 8,070 |
| Puerto Rico | $45,510 | $21.88 | 11,640 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).