How hard is it to become a K9 officer?

It is somewhat hard to become a K9 officer. There is extensive training involved in this career. Initially, a person must graduate with a minimum of a high school diploma, but most law enforcement agencies require at least an associate's or bachelor's degree in criminal justice. The next step would be to check with local law enforcement about regulations. Most K9 officers often have to meet physical and age requirements.

How To Become A K9 Police Officer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a k9 police officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted Expert

Dr. Durmus Alper CAMLIBEL Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a k9 police officer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $19.98 an hour? That's $41,557 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 20,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a K9 Police Officer?

Dr. Durmus Alper CAMLIBEL Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

They need to avoid being overzealous officers. They should not put their career at the center of their life. They need to spend quality time with their family. In law enforcement, good relations with the public and colleagues are essential. They need to develop good relationships with the people and their colleagues and expand their professional network. They always try to be a "problem solver officer" rather than a "problem creator officer." If someone asks for help from them, they should treat this person with dignity and respect. They should avoid being arrogant in their interaction with the public. Because arrogance is the worst plague, and Humility is the greatest virtue.

ScoreK9 Police OfficerUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $41,557

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

10.0

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.89%

Asian 2.92%

Black or African American 12.30%

Hispanic or Latino 18.39%

Unknown 4.32%

White 61.17%

Gender

female 6.65%

male 93.35%

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

7.3

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.0

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a k9 police officer

Explore k9 police officer education requirements

Most common k9 police officer degrees

Bachelor's

41.9 %

Associate

26.5 %

High School Diploma

19.9 %

Start to develop specific k9 police officer skills

Skills	Percentages
Patrol	44.64%
Team Training	9.80%
Law Enforcement Agencies	5.69%
Public Safety	5.11%
Crime Scenes	4.62%

Complete relevant k9 police officer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New k9 police 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 k9 police officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real k9 police officer resumes.

Research k9 police officer duties and responsibilities

Patrol the perimeter of the facility for unauthorize activities.
Conduct routine criminal patrol in a highly populate urban type environment.
Mediate a property dispute along with police officers as well as participated in ride-alongs.
Work in life-threatening undercover operations, placing warrant information into the NCIC for want criminals.

Prepare your k9 police officer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your k9 police 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 k9 police 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 K9 Police Officer Resume templates

Build a professional K9 Police 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 K9 Police Officer resume.

Apply for k9 police officer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a k9 police officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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

How do k9 police officers rate their job?

-/5

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K9 Police Officer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2020

Pros

I enjoy the freedom I’m allowed.

Cons

How political the job has become. There isn’t a correct way to do your job. Almost everyone wants to get you fired. It’s annoying.