Enforcement officer demographics and statistics in the US
Enforcement officer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates enforcement officer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our enforcement officer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about enforcement officers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 7,678 enforcement officers currently employed in the United States.
- 29.1% of all enforcement officers are women, while 70.9% are men.
- The average enforcement officer age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of enforcement officers is White (61.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.5%), Black or African American (12.7%) and Unknown (4.7%).
- Enforcement officers are most in-demand in Anchorage, AK.
- Anchorage, AK pays an annual average wage of $65,530, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women enforcement officers earned 94% of what men earned.
- North Dakota is the best state for enforcement officers to live.
- Enforcement officers are 45% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Enforcement officer demographics by:
Enforcement officer gender statistics
29.1% of enforcement officers are women and 70.9% of enforcement officers are men.
- Male, 70.9%
- Female, 29.1%
Enforcement officer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 70.9% |
| Female | 29.1% |
Enforcement officer gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$39,574
Female income
$37,394
Enforcement officer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in enforcement officer positions over time. Currently, 29.1% of enforcement officers are female.
Enforcement officer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 72.35% | 27.65% |
| 2011 | 72.31% | 27.69% |
| 2012 | 72.02% | 27.98% |
| 2013 | 72.97% | 27.03% |
| 2014 | 72.78% | 27.22% |
| 2015 | 73.45% | 26.55% |
| 2016 | 73.92% | 26.08% |
| 2017 | 73.46% | 26.54% |
| 2018 | 71.58% | 28.42% |
| 2019 | 70.71% | 29.29% |
| 2020 | 73.72% | 26.28% |
| 2021 | 70.92% | 29.08% |
Enforcement officer related jobs gender ratio
We compared enforcement officers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, deputy sheriff-k9 handler and fugitive investigator have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Matron | 8% | 92% |
| Deputy Treasurer | 19% | 81% |
| Unemployment Examiner | 29% | 71% |
| Enforcement Officer | 71% | 29% |
| Town Marshal | 96% | 4% |
| Fugitive Investigator | 97% | 3% |
| Deputy Sheriff-K9 Handler | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Enforcement officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among enforcement officers is White, which makes up 61.0% of all enforcement officers. Comparatively, 17.5% of enforcement officers are Hispanic or Latino and 12.7% of enforcement officers are Black or African American.
- White, 61.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.5%
- Black or African American, 12.7%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- Asian, 3.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
Enforcement officer race
| Enforcement officer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 61.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.5% |
| Black or African American | 12.7% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| Asian | 3.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
Enforcement officer race and ethnicity over time
See how enforcement officer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Enforcement officer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.84% | 13.03% | 2.41% | 14.90% |
| 2011 | 67.01% | 13.08% | 2.65% | 14.25% |
| 2012 | 66.70% | 13.14% | 2.21% | 14.32% |
| 2013 | 67.20% | 12.52% | 2.36% | 14.45% |
| 2014 | 66.59% | 12.59% | 2.55% | 14.71% |
| 2015 | 65.96% | 12.93% | 2.76% | 15.31% |
| 2016 | 65.82% | 13.04% | 2.42% | 15.68% |
| 2017 | 65.40% | 13.11% | 2.45% | 15.61% |
| 2018 | 64.52% | 12.39% | 2.95% | 16.56% |
| 2019 | 65.93% | 11.94% | 2.75% | 16.12% |
| 2020 | 62.89% | 13.19% | 2.98% | 16.08% |
| 2021 | 61.00% | 12.75% | 3.10% | 17.45% |
Enforcement officer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian enforcement officers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american enforcement officers have the lowest average salary at $37,762.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $38,814 |
| White | $39,252 |
| Black or African American | $37,762 |
| Asian | $41,146 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $41,002 |
Average enforcement officer age
See how the average age of enforcement officers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Enforcement officer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 42 | 43 |
| Unknown | 38 | 37 |
| Asian | 38 | 43 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 36 |
| White | 39 | 39 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 41.5 |
Enforcement officer age breakdown
The average age of enforcement officers is 40+ years years old, representing 50% of the enforcement officer population.
Enforcement officer age breakdown
| Enforcement Officer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 50% |
| 30-40 years | 34% |
| 20-30 years | 16% |
Enforcement officer educational attainment
The most common degree for enforcement officers is bachelor's degree, with 47% of enforcement officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 22% and associate degree degree at 15%.
- Bachelor's, 47%
- Associate, 22%
- High School Diploma, 15%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 10%
Enforcement officers by degree level
| Enforcement officer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 47% |
| Associate | 22% |
| High School Diploma | 15% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 10% |
Enforcement officer jobs you might like
Enforcement officer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, enforcement officers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $43,830 annually. With a Doctorate degree, enforcement officers earn a median annual income of $43,034 compared to $41,540 for enforcement officers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $43,830 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $36,374 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,540 |
| Doctorate Degree | $43,034 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $39,510 |
Enforcement officer employment statistics
Most enforcement officers work for a private in the government industry.
Company size where enforcement officers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where enforcement officers work.
Enforcement officer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 27% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 32% |
| > 10,000 employees | 11% |
Enforcement officer jobs by company type
Employees with the enforcement officer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most enforcement officers prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Enforcement officer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 8% |
| Public | 6% |
| Private | 45% |
| Government | 40% |
Enforcement officer jobs by industry
The most common industries for enforcement officers are government, professional and utilities.
Enforcement officer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 37% |
| Professional | 11% |
| Utilities | 10% |
| Education | 8% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Enforcement officer turnover and employment statistics
Enforcement officer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for enforcement officers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Enforcement officer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Enforcement officer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.07% |
| 2011 | 2.19% |
| 2012 | 1.94% |
| 2013 | 1.72% |
| 2014 | 1.41% |
| 2015 | 1.11% |
| 2016 | 1.02% |
| 2017 | 1.12% |
| 2018 | 0.98% |
| 2019 | 1.03% |
| 2020 | 1.37% |
| 2021 | 1.40% |
Average enforcement officer tenure
The average enforcement officer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,136 enforcement officers resumes in Zippia's database.
Enforcement officer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 19% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 14% |
Enforcement officer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of enforcement officers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Reserve Officer | 5.55% | 57,365 |
| Enforcement Officer | 7.15% | - |
| Station Detective | 8.65% | 1,521 |
| Court Deputy | 11.11% | 2,480 |
Similar enforcement officer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Reserve Officer | 5.55% | 57,365 |
| Station Detective | 8.65% | 1,521 |
| Court Deputy | 11.11% | 2,480 |
Foreign languages spoken by enforcement officers
The most common foreign language among enforcement officers is Spanish at 59.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Carrier at 10.9% and French is the third-most popular at 6.3%.
- Spanish, 59.4%
- Carrier, 10.9%
- French, 6.3%
- German, 3.1%
- Japanese, 3.1%
- Other, 17.2%
Enforcement officer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 59.4% |
| Carrier | 10.9% |
| French | 6.3% |
| German | 3.1% |
| Japanese | 3.1% |
| Other | 17.2% |
