Sheriff officer demographics and statistics in the US
Sheriff officer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates sheriff officer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our sheriff 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 sheriff officers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 71,732 sheriff officers currently employed in the United States.
- 15.0% of all sheriff officers are women, while 85.0% are men.
- The average sheriff officer age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of sheriff officers is White (58.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (19.9%), Black or African American (13.6%) and Unknown (4.3%).
- In 2022, women earned 92% of what men earned.
- 7% of all sheriff officers are LGBT.
- Sheriff officers are 79% more likely to work at government companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Sheriff officer demographics by:
Sheriff officer gender statistics
15.0% of sheriff officers are women and 85.0% of sheriff officers are men.
- Male, 85.0%
- Female, 15.0%
Sheriff officer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 85.0% |
| Female | 15.0% |
Sheriff officer gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$48,652
Female income
$44,753
Sheriff officer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in sheriff officer positions over time. Currently, 15.0% of sheriff officers are female.
Sheriff officer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 85.92% | 14.08% |
| 2011 | 85.89% | 14.11% |
| 2012 | 85.72% | 14.28% |
| 2013 | 86.28% | 13.72% |
| 2014 | 86.17% | 13.83% |
| 2015 | 86.57% | 13.43% |
| 2016 | 86.85% | 13.15% |
| 2017 | 86.58% | 13.42% |
| 2018 | 85.45% | 14.55% |
| 2019 | 84.91% | 15.09% |
| 2020 | 86.74% | 13.26% |
| 2021 | 85.04% | 14.96% |
Sheriff officer related jobs gender ratio
We compared sheriff 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% |
| Sheriff Officer | 85% | 15% |
| 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%
Sheriff officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among sheriff officers is White, which makes up 58.5% of all sheriff officers. Comparatively, 19.9% of sheriff officers are Hispanic or Latino and 13.6% of sheriff officers are Black or African American.
- White, 58.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 19.9%
- Black or African American, 13.6%
- Unknown, 4.3%
- Asian, 2.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Sheriff officer race
| Sheriff officer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 58.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.9% |
| Black or African American | 13.6% |
| Unknown | 4.3% |
| Asian | 2.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Sheriff officer race and ethnicity over time
See how sheriff officer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Sheriff officer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.33% | 13.85% | 2.14% | 17.35% |
| 2011 | 64.50% | 13.90% | 2.39% | 16.71% |
| 2012 | 64.19% | 13.95% | 1.94% | 16.77% |
| 2013 | 64.69% | 13.33% | 2.10% | 16.91% |
| 2014 | 64.08% | 13.41% | 2.29% | 17.17% |
| 2015 | 63.45% | 13.74% | 2.49% | 17.77% |
| 2016 | 63.30% | 13.86% | 2.16% | 18.14% |
| 2017 | 62.89% | 13.92% | 2.19% | 18.06% |
| 2018 | 62.00% | 13.20% | 2.68% | 19.02% |
| 2019 | 63.42% | 12.76% | 2.49% | 18.58% |
| 2020 | 60.38% | 14.00% | 2.72% | 18.54% |
| 2021 | 58.49% | 13.56% | 2.84% | 19.91% |
Sheriff officer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian sheriff officers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american sheriff officers have the lowest average salary at $45,401.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $47,280 |
| White | $48,067 |
| Black or African American | $45,401 |
| Asian | $51,538 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $51,261 |
Average sheriff officer age
See how the average age of sheriff officers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Sheriff 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 |
Sheriff officer age breakdown
The average age of sheriff officers is 40+ years years old, representing 50% of the sheriff officer population.
Sheriff officer age breakdown
| Sheriff Officer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 50% |
| 30-40 years | 34% |
| 20-30 years | 16% |
Sheriff officer educational attainment
The most common degree for sheriff officers is bachelor's degree, with 45% of sheriff officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 17%.
- Bachelor's, 45%
- Associate, 25%
- High School Diploma, 17%
- Master's, 9%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Sheriff officers by degree level
| Sheriff officer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 45% |
| Associate | 25% |
| High School Diploma | 17% |
| Master's | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Sheriff officer jobs you might like
Sheriff officer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, sheriff officers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $56,587 annually. With a Doctorate degree, sheriff officers earn a median annual income of $55,164 compared to $52,269 for sheriff officers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,587 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,980 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,269 |
| Doctorate Degree | $55,164 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $48,547 |
Sheriff officer employment statistics
Company size where sheriff officers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where sheriff officers work.
Sheriff officer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 10% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 43% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 16% |
| > 10,000 employees | 7% |
Sheriff officer jobs by company type
Employees with the sheriff officer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most sheriff officers prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
Sheriff officer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 5% |
| Private | 9% |
| Government | 79% |
Sheriff officer turnover and employment statistics
Sheriff officer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for sheriff officers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sheriff officer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Sheriff 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 sheriff officer tenure
The average sheriff officer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 293 sheriff officers resumes in Zippia's database.
Sheriff officer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 10% |
| 1-2 years | 22% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 20% |
| 8-10 years | 10% |
| 11+ years | 25% |
Sheriff officer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of sheriff 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 |
|---|---|---|
| House Officer | 5.55% | 80,334 |
| Sheriff Officer | 7.15% | - |
| Investigators Assistant | 8.65% | 16,836 |
| Deputy Bailiff | 11.11% | 1,804 |
Similar sheriff officer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| House Officer | 5.55% | 80,334 |
| Investigators Assistant | 8.65% | 16,836 |
| Deputy Bailiff | 11.11% | 1,804 |
Foreign languages spoken by sheriff officers
- Spanish, 100.0%
Sheriff officer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 100.0% |
