33-3051.03 - Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs

Updated 2010

Summary Report for:
33-3051.03 - Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs

Enforce law and order in rural or unincorporated districts or serve legal processes of courts. May patrol courthouse, guard court or grand jury, or escort defendants.

Sample of reported job titles: Deputy Sheriff, Deputy, Civil Division Deputy Sheriff, Sergeant, Canine Deputy (K-9 Deputy), Detective, Lieutenant, Civil Process Server, Investigator, Narcotics Detective

View report: Summary Details Custom

Tasks

Drive vehicles or patrol specific areas to detect law violators, issue citations, and make arrests.
Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
Verify that the proper legal charges have been made against law offenders.
Execute arrest warrants, locating and taking persons into custody.
Record daily activities and submit logs and other related reports and paperwork to appropriate authorities.
Patrol and guard courthouses, grand jury rooms, or assigned areas to provide security, enforce laws, maintain order, and arrest violators.
Notify patrol units to take violators into custody or to provide needed assistance or medical aid.
Place people in protective custody.
Take control of accident scenes to maintain traffic flow, to assist accident victims, and to investigate causes.
Serve statements of claims, subpoenas, summonses, jury summonses, orders to pay alimony, and other court orders.

Tools & Technology

Tools used in this occupation:

Handcuffs — Metal handcuffs; Plastic handcuffs

Handguns — Semiautomatic pistols; Service revolvers

Notebook computers — Laptop computers; Mobile data computers

Police vehicles — Police motorcycles; Police patrol cars

Surveillance video or audio recorders — Audio recording equipment; Digital voice recorders

Technology used in this occupation:

Data base user interface and query software — Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS; Law enforcement information databases; National Crime Information Center NCIC database; National Integrated Ballistics Information Network NIBIN *

Electronic mail software — Email software; Microsoft Outlook

Graphics or photo imaging software — DesignWare 3D EyeWitness; SmartDraw.com SmartDraw Legal; The CAD Zone The Crime Zone

Map creation software — Crime mapping software; ESRI ArcView

Spreadsheet software — IBM Lotus 1-2-3; Microsoft Excel

* Software developed by a government agency and/or distributed as freeware or shareware.

Knowledge

Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Telecommunications — Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Personnel and Human Resources — Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.

Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Negotiation — Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Persuasion — Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Work Activities

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Work Context

Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment — How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?

Deal With External Customers — How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?

Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People — How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

Outdoors, Exposed to Weather — How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?

Job Zone

Title	Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Education	Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related Experience	Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job Training	Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Job Zone Examples	These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include food service managers, electricians, agricultural technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.
SVP Range	(6.0 to < 7.0)

Education

Percentage of Respondents	Education Level Required
39	High school diploma or equivalent
34	Some college, no degree
28	Associate's degree

Interests

Interest code: ERS

Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Work Styles

Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.

Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Work Values

Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Related Occupations

33-2021.01	Fire Inspectors
33-2021.02	Fire Investigators
33-3011.00	Bailiffs
33-3012.00	Correctional Officers and Jailers Bright Outlook
33-3021.01	Police Detectives
33-3021.03	Criminal Investigators and Special Agents
33-3052.00	Transit and Railroad Police
33-9021.00	Private Detectives and Investigators
33-9032.00	Security Guards

Wages & Employment Trends

National

Median wages data collected from Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Employment data collected from Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.
Industry data collected from Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers.

Median wages (2010)	$25.74 hourly, $53,540 annual
Employment (2008)	662,000 employees
Projected growth (2008-2018)	Average (7% to 13%)
Projected job openings (2008-2018)	227,900
Top industries (2008)	Government

State & National

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2010 wage data and 2008-2018 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2008-2018). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Sources of Additional Information

Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

Police and detectives . Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition.

Summary Report for: 33-3051.03 - Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs