0431-NOC

Police officers (except commissioned)

(NOC 4311)
High opportunity occupation High opportunity occupation
Annual Earnings
$93,247
Typical Education Background
Diploma/Certificate Excluding Apprenticeship
Job Openings
(2022-2032)
4,110

Career Overview

Police officers protect the public’s safety, make sure that federal, provincial and municipal laws are followed, and prevent and investigate crime.

This career group includes military police and railway police.

Police officers in B.C. work for police departments (PDs) that serve specific cities such as the Vancouver PD or Victoria PD. They also work for B.C. Transit Police or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which is run by the federal government. The RCMP provides contract policing to cities and towns that don’t have their own police force. In addition, they provide contract policing for the Province of B.C.

Duties

Police officers:

  • Patrol communities to keep the public safe, maintain order and enforce laws and regulations
  • Investigate crimes and accidents
  • Look for, find and manage evidence
  • Interview witnesses, people suspected of criminal activity and others involved in the activities they are investigating
  • Take notes and write reports
  • Provide testimony in courts of law
  • Arrest criminal suspects
  • Provide support and help to victims and witnesses of crimes, accidents and natural disasters
  • Create and participate in crime prevention, public information and safety programs
  • May oversee and co-ordinate the work of other police officers

 

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$93,247

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$61.06/hr
Median$44.71/hr
Low$28.85/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2022 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

9,800

% Employed Full Time

73%
Source: 2016 Census

Police officers work in indoor and outdoor settings and may have to deal with a range of weather conditions. They may spend their shifts in patrol cars, in an office setting at a police detachment or at different types of crime and accident scenes. Police work can be dangerous and has the potential for injuries.

Career Pathways

Police officers can progress in this career or work in specialized policing fields if they have the required work experience and have completed specialized courses.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Enterprising
Enterprising

Job Titles

Investigator, CSIS
Police detective / investigator
Police investigator
Police officer, canine team
Police officer, community relations
Police officer, desk / duty officer
Police officer, diver / search & rescue
Police officer, foot patrol / bike patrol
Police officer, highway patrol / harbour
Police officer, mounted / motorcycle patrol
Police officer, railway
Police officer, RCMP
Police officer, recruitment and training
Police officer, school liaison / safety
Police officer, security / bodyguard
Police technician - crime scene / evidence
Police, officer - uniform / plain-clothes

Education, Training and Skills

To be a police officer, a secondary school diploma is required. In addition, completion of a college program or university degree in law and security or in the social sciences is usually needed. A three- to six-month police training program is provided upon being hired.

Physical ability, strength, fitness and vision requirements must be met, and psychological or other tests may also be needed.

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Psychology (Arts)
  • Criminology/Criminal Justice
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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

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.

77%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

74%
Critical Thinking

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

74%
Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

70%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

68%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

66%
Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

65%
Complex Problem Solving

Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

65%
Active Learning

Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.

64%
Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

63%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

9,800
Source: 2016 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Employment (2022) % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 540 4.2%
Kootenay 220 2.8%
Mainland/Southwest 8,350 64.6%
North Coast and Nechako 90 3.1%
Northeast 50 1.3%
Thompson-Okanagan 990 9.8%
Vancouver Island/Coast 1,260 14.3%
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2022-2032)

4,110
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2022-2032)

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 120 0.4%
Kootenay 0 -0.5%
Mainland/Southwest 3,220 0.8%
North Coast and Nechako 0 0.0%
Northeast 0 0.0%
Thompson-Okanagan 210 0.6%
Vancouver Island/Coast 520 1.0%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2022-2032)
Public Administration49,200
Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction12,000
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Insights from Industry

The ability to remain calm during highly stressful situations is crucial for a person with this job. Police officers regularly interact with members of the public, including those accused of crimes and victims of crimes. For many people, contact with a police officer may come during an upsetting, scary or tragic time in their life and they may react with anger, fear or even act violently. Good communication skills and empathy are needed since police officers deal with many people each day.

Police officers often work in culturally diverse neighbourhoods and communities and it’s important for them to understand different cultures and ways of life. In addition, being able to speak a second language is a valuable skill.

Resources