***Currently offering $25,000 incentive for lateral hires***
Summary
The King County Sheriff's Office proudly provides public safety services to over three million community members in unincorporated areas of King County as well as our sixteen contract-city and transit partners. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of law enforcement and community protection.
Who we are: https://vimeo.com/814813977
Role Description
Deputies are responsible for law enforcement duties, criminal investigations, ensuring public safety, and working collaboratively with local police departments and community members. This role involves safeguarding the community and enforcing laws to maintain peace and order in the region. This is a full-time in person commissioned position, including overnight, weekend and holiday shifts.
Required Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED
- At least 20.5 years of age at time of application
- Valid driver's license
- Be a lawful permanent resident or citizen of the United States
- Ability to pass a detailed background investigation, polygraph, medical and phycological examination
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to handle stressful situations and make quick decisions
- Physical fitness and agility
- Attention to detail and problem-solving abilities
- Ability to read, write and speak English fluently
- High moral standards
- Desire to serve the community
If you have questions about job requirements, email kcsorec@kingcounty.gov or call 206-263-5276.
Benefits of working for the King County Sheriff’s Office include:
- The opportunity to work in a large diverse county with 16 different contract cities.
- Specialty units including TAC-30 (SWAT), negotiation team, major crime detectives, multiple K9 teams, air support unit, special assault detectives, marine and dive unit, burglary detectives, explosive technicians, drone operators, firearm instructors and more.
- Low to no cost premiums for medical, dental and vision for you and your dependents.
- Take-home car upon completion of training, all gas and maintenance paid for.
- Liberal accrual of compensation time.
- All required uniforms and equipment provided.
- All training paid at your full hour rate.
- No jail service required.
2025 Pay Steps:
Step 1 – Start $92,215 - $44.33/hr
Step 2 – 12 months $103,344 - $49.68/hr
Step 3 – 24 months $112,526 - $54.10/hr
Step 4 – 36 months $117,727 - $56.60/hr
Step 5 – 48 months $122,705 - $58.99/hr
Step 6 – 60 months $129,121 - $62.08/hr
These steps will increase 4% each year until 2027, per our current union contract.
We also offer incentive pay for education and specialty units:
- Associate’s degree: 2%
- Bachelor’s degree: 4%
- Master’s degree: 6%
- Specialty units: 2%-10%
- Patrol incentive: 2%
- Longevity incentive: 2-16%
Foreign language incentive:
$0.95 ($1.90 for two or more languages) added to hourly base rate on all compensated hours. *Not all languages apply at this time*
Want to learn more about our hiring process? https://linktr.ee/willyoujoinus
Got questions or want to talk to a recruiter? Email kcsorec@kingcounty.gov or call 206/263-5276
Ready to join us? Take the First Step (Entry Level):
The first step of our application process for entry level deputies is the Public Safety Test. Go to publicsafetytesting.com to sign up. Select King County Sheriff’s Office as the department you wish to test for. There are options for in-person or virtual testing. PST is currently updating the written test, please pick a testing date for after the first week of March 2025, to avoid any delays in your applicaiton. You will need to complete and pass (70% or higher) both the written and physical test in order apply for KCSO. There is usually a cost associated with this testing. However, we will pay for your test! Use code: KCSO2022 at checkout to pay for the testing. Do not apply directly through govermentjobs.com.
Lateral Application Information:
Some federal law enforcement may apply as a lateral. If you have questions about job requirements, email kcsorec@kingcounty.gov or call 206/263-5276.
Requirements for All Lateral Applicants:
• Experience as a full-time commissioned police officer with at least 12 months of active patrol after completion of all academy training. Time training on active patrol (PTO/FTO or similar) will count towards the 12 months of active patrol requirement.
• Successful completion of probation as a commissioned officer with a city, county or state police or sheriff's department.
• Less than a two-year break in service from a former police officer position.
• Academy training that meets or exceeds the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center's standards (720 hours).
• Verification that you do not meet any of the Sheriff’s Office Automatic Disqualifying Behaviors.
Additional Lateral Benefits Include:
- All opportunities and benefits listed above
- Take-home car after weapon qualification
- Time at previous agencies counts for minimum experience required for specialty assignments.
- Accelerated PTO/FTO program.
- Time at previous agencies counts for pay steps, vacation and sick leave accrual.
No written or physical test required.
1. Direct apply: https://linktr.ee/willyoujoinus (go to careers page)
• Do not type "see resume"
• Review the Sheriff's Office Automatic Disqualifiers and
answer all supplemental questions
2. Application Review – Applications will be screened for accuracy and completeness to ensure you meet the minimum qualifications to be considered as a lateral candidate. Civil Service reviews applications every week and will contact you within 5 to 7 business days of receiving your application.
3. Oral Board Exam – Qualified candidates will be invited to self-schedule for an oral board examination. This is a formal interview with of a panel of King County deputies, detectives, and/or sergeants. The panel will evaluate you on the following criteria: communication skills, background, skill in serving diverse communities, experience, integrity, motivation, interpersonal skills, and problem solving.
4. Civil Service Eligibility List – Upon successfully passing the oral board examination, qualified candidates will be placed on the lateral eligibility list. The final score is based on your oral board interview and, if applicable, one of the approved preference points (see below). Ranking on this list determines the order in which background investigations are conducted.
Veteran's Preference: you must provide a valid copy of your DD214 prior to or at the time of your oral board appointment apply preference points. To learn more, review RCW 41.04.010.
5. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION– Upon successful completion of the Oral Board Interview candidates will;
• Receive a background packet that must be completed within two weeks.
• Once the background packet is submitted it will be assigned to detective for the investigation process.
• The background investigation process takes approximately six weeks to complete for qualified lateral candidates.
6. After the background is complete, you will be required to complete a polygraph, medical and psychological exams.
Out of State Laterals: there is a required equivalency academy that is 2 weeks long that must be completed within your first 6 months on the job.
Supplemental Information
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.
Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
Any questions regarding this position please reach out to our recruiter at: kcsorec@kingcounty.gov
This is a Civil Service position; you can access the Civil Service Rules on our website, kingcounty.gov