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What is a highway patrol officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a highway patrol officer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.42 an hour? That's $38,315 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 20,600 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreHighway Patrol OfficerUS Average
Salary
3.0

Avg. Salary $38,315

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.97%

Asian 2.90%

Black or African American 9.99%

Hispanic or Latino 21.73%

Unknown 4.58%

White 59.83%

Gender

female 15.12%

male 84.88%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a highway patrol officer

  1. Explore highway patrol officer education requirements

    Most common highway patrol officer degrees

    Associate

    42.6 %

    Bachelor's

    36.2 %

    High School Diploma

    8.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific highway patrol officer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patrol45.77%
    Highway Patrol14.73%
    Public Safety13.40%
    Field Training7.42%
    Vehicle Inspections6.89%
  3. Complete relevant highway patrol officer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New highway patrol officers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a highway patrol officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real highway patrol officer resumes.
  4. Research highway patrol officer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage surveillance of DUI traffic offenders in Jacksonville
    • Patrol an assign area on a departmentally issue motorcycle in the protection of life and property.
    • Handle security patrols, civil disturbance, criminal investigation, accident investigation and firearms certification training to local officers.
    • Manage surveillance of DUI traffic offenders in Jacksonville
  5. Prepare your highway patrol officer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your highway patrol officer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a highway patrol officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable highway patrol officer resume templates

    Build a professional highway patrol officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your highway patrol officer resume.
    Highway Patrol Officer Resume
    Highway Patrol Officer Resume
    Highway Patrol Officer Resume
    Highway Patrol Officer Resume
    Highway Patrol Officer Resume
    Highway Patrol Officer Resume
    Highway Patrol Officer Resume
    Highway Patrol Officer Resume
    Highway Patrol Officer Resume
  6. Apply for highway patrol officer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a highway patrol officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first highway patrol officer job

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Average highway patrol officer salary

The average highway patrol officer salary in the United States is $38,315 per year or $18 per hour. Highway patrol officer salaries range between $30,000 and $48,000 per year.

Average highway patrol officer salary
$38,315 Yearly
$18.42 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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