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It is only natural to be interested in learning about the salary of a sheriff in the U.S. if you are interested in this career path.
You’ll be amazed to know that the salary of a sheriff is influenced by factors, such as location, years of experience, and field.
Makedailyprofit has compiled the salary of a sheriff in the United States in 2023, alongside hints on how to begin this career.
Stay with us!
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What is a Sheriff?
A sheriff is typically the top law enforcement officer of a county and an elected county official.
They have a law enforcement role and have the power to make arrests within their own jurisdiction.
They may also perform other functions, such as the maintenance and transportation of prisoners, traffic control and enforcement, and accident investigations.
Larger sheriff’s departments may carry out criminal investigations or engage in other specialized law enforcement activities.
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What does a Sheriff do?
Sheriffs carry out a lot of responsibilities, some of which include:
- Enforce laws
- Respond to calls for service
- Patrol assigned areas
- Conduct traffic stops and issue citations
- Arrest suspects
- Write detailed reports and fill out forms
- Prepare cases and testify in court
- Investigate crimes
- Collect evidence of crimes
- Conduct interviews with suspects and witnesses
- Observe the activities of the suspects
- Arrest suspects
- Write detailed reports and fill out forms
- Prepare cases and testify in court
Also, the daily activities of sheriffs vary with their occupational specialty and whether they are working for a local or government agency.
Duties also differ among federal agencies, which enforce different aspects of the law.
Regardless of job duties or location, sheriffs at all levels must write reports and keep detailed records that will be needed if they testify in court.
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How to Become a Sheriff
Your desire alone can’t make you a sheriff, You may need the following qualifications to become a sheriff:
Education
A sheriff is typically required to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as; business administration, finance, or accounting.
Some employers may consider candidates with a related master’s degree or certification. Statistics, economics, business law, finance, accounting, and marketing are all relevant courses.
Training & Experience
Most sheriffs will be trained on the job. This training will assist them in learning the specialized processes and procedures.
Certifications & Licenses
Although certifications are not necessary for the position of sheriff, they can help you stand out from the crowd and demonstrate your abilities and qualities.
Additional Skills
To be effective, the sheriff must possess the following abilities:
- Technical skills: Technical skills are the qualities that enable you to carry out overall given tasks. Technical abilities can also include the ability to operate certain software applications, operate a computer system, or use data to make reports.
- Communication skills: Communication skills are vital for every consulting profession since you must often communicate with customers and coworkers. Active listening, speaking clearly and concisely, and utilizing body language to express your message are all examples of effective communication abilities.
- Organizational skills: Organization skills can assist you to handle several projects and duties at the same time. As a sheriff, you may be in charge of many projects at once.
- Leadership skills: Leadership skills will assist you in becoming a sheriff. Leadership potential might include the ability to distribute responsibilities, motivate people, and facilitate cooperation.
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What Factors Affect the Salary of a Sheriff?
There are three main external factors that influence the salary you may receive as a law enforcement officer working in the Sheriff’s Department and even lead to a better rank. These are education, law enforcement experience, and military experience, and here is why:
- Education – if you have completed an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree program it means that you have advanced skills and knowledge about communication, law enforcement subject, or critical thinking, which will help you better perform your duties. Therefore, the sheriff’s office is willing to pay a bonus to such employees. In some cases, the departments even offer to reimburse tuition fees and offer flexible working time to officers who decide to study part-time.
- Law Enforcement Experience – if you have experience in law enforcement those skills and training are valuable to the agency you are applying with. This can include a bonus and/or a higher starting salary.
- Military experience – if you are a veteran who has served in the military your experience will be much valued, especially as a deputy sheriff. No matter if you have actual combat experience or not, you have acquired many qualities to help you deal with potentially violent confrontations that may occur while on duty. Besides, veterans are used to taking orders from superiors and know how to serve in a unit. Quite often you will receive a bonus to your salary if you have previous military experience.
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How Much Does A Sheriff Make in 2023?
In considering the salary of a sheriff in 2023, it is important to know that a sheriff earns on different payment scales, which are stated below:
Sheriff Salary Per Year
A Sheriff will normally receive a salary between $38,420 and $109,040 depending on tenure level.
It will most likely receive a wage of seventy thousand dollars per year.
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| Average | $46,399 | $3,867 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
How Much Do Sheriff Jobs Pay per Month?
As of Jun 21, 2022, the average monthly payment for a Sheriff in the United States is $4,175 a month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing monthly salaries as high as $7,083 and as low as $2,042, the majority of Sheriff salaries currently range between $3,000 (25th percentile) to $4,875 (75th percentile) across the United States.
The average pay range for a Sheriff varies greatly (by as much as $1,875), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location, and years of experience.
A Sheriff in your area makes on average $4,172 per month or $3 (0%) less than the national average monthly salary of $4,175. ranks number 1 out of 50 states nationwide for Sheriff salaries.
To estimate the most accurate monthly salary range for Sheriff jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
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How Much Do Sheriff Jobs Pay per Hour?
As of Jun 21, 2022, the average hourly pay for a Sheriff in the United States is $24.09 an hour.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing hourly wages as high as $40.87 and as low as $11.78, the majority of Sheriff’s wages currently range between $17.31 (25th percentile) to $28.12 (75th percentile) across the United States.
The average pay range for a Sheriff varies greatly (by as much as $10.82), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location, and years of experience.
A Sheriff in your area makes on average $24 per hour or $0.02 (0%) less than the national average hourly salary of $24.09. ranks number 1 out of 50 states nationwide for Sheriff salaries.
To estimate the most accurate hourly salary range for Sheriff jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
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Sheriff Salary Based on Location
When it comes to the issue of salary, you must know that location greatly influences the pay of an employee, including sheriffs in the U.S.
Let’s take a look at the different locations by state:
What are the Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Sheriff Jobs?
We’ve identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Sheriff’s job is above the national average. Topping the list is San Mateo, CA, with Boston, MA, and Daly City CA close behind in the second and third positions.
Daly City, CA beats the national average by $7,178 (14.3%), and San Mateo, CA furthers that trend with another $8,277 (16.5%) above the $50,101 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Sheriff appear to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top ten cities varies very little at 3% between San Mateo, CA and Green River, WY, reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement.
The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Sheriff’s role.
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo, CA | $58,378 | $4,865 | $1,123 | $28.07 |
| Boston, MA | $57,659 | $4,805 | $1,109 | $27.72 |
| Daly City, CA | $57,279 | $4,773 | $1,102 | $27.54 |
| Berkeley, CA | $57,249 | $4,771 | $1,101 | $27.52 |
| Santa Monica, CA | $56,876 | $4,740 | $1,094 | $27.34 |
| Renton, WA | $56,858 | $4,738 | $1,093 | $27.34 |
| Juneau, AK | $56,776 | $4,731 | $1,092 | $27.30 |
| Queens, NY | $56,651 | $4,721 | $1,089 | $27.24 |
| Quincy, MA | $56,473 | $4,706 | $1,086 | $27.15 |
| Green River, WY | $56,472 | $4,706 | $1,086 | $27.15 |
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We found at least five jobs related to the Sheriff job category that pay more per year than a typical Sheriff’s salary.
Top examples of these roles include Deputy Medical Examiner, Deputy County Administrator, and Chief Deputy Sheriff.
Importantly, all of these jobs are paid between $20,568 (41.1%) and $58,732 (117.2%) more than the average Sheriff’s salary of $50,101.
If you’re qualified, getting hired for one of these related Sheriff jobs may help you make more money than that of the average Sheriff position.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deputy Medical Examiner | $108,833 | $9,069 | $2,093 | $52.32 |
| Deputy County Administrator | $99,737 | $8,311 | $1,918 | $47.95 |
| Chief Deputy Sheriff | $73,767 | $6,147 | $1,419 | $35.46 |
| Remote Sheriff | $71,259 | $5,938 | $1,370 | $34.26 |
| Custody Deputy | $70,669 | $5,889 | $1,359 | $33.98 |
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Sheriff Salary Based on Level
When looking for a job, one of the factors that influence our decision, besides career growth, is the salary we are going to receive.
So, if you are planning to work in a Sheriff’s department, here is an idea of what salary you can expect. Keep in mind that there are differences between the departments and the states.
The figures given as per the information submitted on Pay Scale show that the starting salary for a deputy or officer is a median of $43,270, ranging from $30,270 to $74,086.
The amounts given by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2016 are a bit higher, showing a median wage of $59,680.
According to their statistics, the highest paying states are California and New Jersey, while the highest concentration of jobs in the sphere (police and sheriff’s patrol officers) are in the District of Columbia and Mississippi.
New York and Los Angeles are the metropolitan areas that offer the highest employment level for this occupation.
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Entry Level Sheriff Salary
As of Jun 21, 2022, the average annual pay for an Entry Level Sheriff in the United States is $43,097 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $20.72 an hour. This is the equivalent of $829/week or $3,591/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $70,000 and as low as $20,500, the majority of Entry Level Sheriff salaries currently range between $34,000 (25th percentile) to $49,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $58,500 annually across the United States.
The average pay range for an Entry Level Sheriff varies greatly (by as much as $15,000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location, and years of experience.
Entry Level Sheriff Salary
| Annual Salary | Weekly Pay | |
|---|---|---|
| Top Earners | $58,500 | $1,125 |
| 75th Percentile | $49,000 | $942 |
| Average | $43,097 | $828 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $653 |
Senior Level Sheriff Salary
The highest position that you can occupy is that of the Sheriff itself. As such you can expect to receive a median pay of $102,705 (according to the data as of October 30, 2017) as per the information provided on Salary.com. The range given is between $96,980-$108,940.
Naturally, your salary will increase with each promotion to a higher rank, along with your responsibilities.
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Interested in becoming a sheriff? You should also look out for the salary of those in similar fields.
Let’s consider the salary of a deputy sheriff. in the United States.
Deputy Sheriff Salary
As of Jun 21, 2022, the average annual pay for a Deputy Sheriff in the United States is $45,227 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $21.74 an hour. This is the equivalent of $870/week or $3,769/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $71,500 and as low as $27,500, the majority of Deputy Sheriff’s salaries currently range between $36,500 (25th percentile) to $52,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $62,000 annually across the United States.
The average pay range for a Deputy Sheriff varies greatly (by as much as $16,000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location, and years of experience.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deputy | $54,633 | $4,553 | $26.27 |
| Deputy Sheriff | $53,085 | $4,424 | $25.52 |
Frequently Asked Questions on sheriff salary
How much do sheriffs make us?
The national average salary for a Deputy Sheriff is $55,400 in the United States.
Filter by location to see Deputy Sheriff salaries in your area.
How much does the top sheriff make?
The salaries of Sheriffs in the US range from $10,177 to $257,821, with a median salary of $47,070.
The middle 57% of Sheriffs make between $47,070 and $116,773, with the top 86% making $257,821.
How much money do sheriffs make in California?
The average salary for a deputy sheriff is $74,392 per year in California. 77 salaries reported, updated on June 15, 2022.
What are the benefits of being a sheriff?
Benefits packages for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers are very good. They usually include Medical, dental, and life insurance and retirement plans.
Vacation, sick leave, family leave, and long-term disability pay.
How much do sheriffs make us?
The national average salary for a Deputy Sheriff is $55,400 in the United States.
Filter by location to see Deputy Sheriff salaries in your area.
How much does the top sheriff make?
The salaries of Sheriffs in the US range from $10,177 to $257,821, with a median salary of $47,070.
The middle 57% of Sheriffs makes between $47,070 and $116,773, with the top 86% making $257,821.
How much money do sheriffs make in California?
The average salary for a deputy sheriff is $74,392 per year in California. 77 salaries reported, updated on June 15, 2022.
What are the benefits of being a sheriff?
Benefits packages for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers are very good. They usually include Medical, dental, and life insurance, and retirement plans.
Vacation, sick leave, family leave, and long-term disability pay.
Conclusion
When beginning your career as a sheriff, keep in mind that you are still learning the ropes. You should be open to new ideas and prepared to explore. Prepare to work hard and put in long hours as needed.
Remember, your earnings would grow as you climb the career ladder.
You can send us feedback in the comment section. Cheers.
References
- zippia.com– Average Sheriff Salary
- ziprecruiter.com– What Is the Average Senior Sheriff Salary by State
- ziprecruiter.com– Entry Level Sheriff Salary
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