Sheriff Officer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary: $58,727.00 - $64,944.00 Annually
Location : 95 Franklin Street, Buffalo NY 14202, NY
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 60071640
Department: Sheriff
Opening Date: 08/28/2026
Closing Date: 10/12/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Exam fee: $30.00
Description
Erie County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to workplace diversity.
All correspondence regarding online applications will be via email.
Paper applications containing an email address will also receive email correspondence.
If no email is provided, paper notification will arrive via USPS.
CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY FOR AT LEAST ONE MONTH IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE WRITTEN TEST AND MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY AT THE TIME OF APPOINTMENT. The eligible list resulting from this examination will be used to fill future Deputy Sheriff - Officer and Correction Officer positions in Erie County Sheriff's Department. The starting salary for Correction Officer is $58,727 (CSEA Corrections Facility JG XI) and the starting annual salary for Deputy Sheriff - Officer is $64,944 (Teamster's JG VIII). Permanent appointment to either title will remove a candidate from this eligible list.
The eligible list resulting from this examination will not supersede currently existing eligible lists for this title, if any. The duration of all eligible lists is a minimum of one year and maximum of four years from date of establishment, unless otherwise exhausted.
Examples of Duties
A Correction Officer guards incarcerated individuals confined to the County Correctional Facility, after sentencing by the courts for the lesser criminal violations
Supervises and guards incarcerated individuals sentenced by the courts to confinement in the County Correctional Facility for the lesser violations under Criminal Law;
Guards and escorts incarcerated individuals to clinics, recreation activities, church services, barber shops, mess halls, etc., and to interviews with relatives and attorneys;
Supervises and guards incarcerated individuals during work assignments outside the Correctional Facility proper, such as farm and general maintenance work; issues work equipment and supplies as necessary;
Supervises and guards incarcerated individuals during assigned general laboring work inside the facility such as cleaning, kitchen work or during work assignments in the various shops;
Guards incarcerated individuals during their transfer to the County Medical Center;
Maintains discipline; enforces rules and regulations; maintains constant alert for attempts to escape, incarcerated individual disturbances or other unusual incidents;
Reports any such incident to Sergeant or other officer immediately and initiates corrective action, as appropriate; prepares incident reports for higher authority;
Performs duties related to receiving and discharge of incarcerated individuals, such as searching incarcerated individuals upon admittance and collecting information for the preparation of incarcerated individuals records; delivers incarcerated individuals' mail; answers phone inquiries;
Prepares and maintains records and files.
A Deputy Sheriff-Officer performs routine security and guard work which involves responsibility for providing for the custody and well-being of incarcerated individuals while under detention in the County Holding Center, while in State and County courts for trial or hearing;
Performs guard duties at various locations in the Holding Center, ECMC Lockup, County courts, State courts and Family courts, such as entrance and exits, receiving and detention rooms, court rooms, District Attorneys' offices, floors and galleries of the Holding Center, the clinic rooms, elevators, jury rooms and other County buildings and offices;
Maintains security and discipline in the Holding Center courts, and ECMC Lockup; makes regular inspections in the Holding Center and courts, including checking locking devices and punching clocks; makes counts and prepares report sheets; maintains order and settles disturbances; notifies supervisor of all unusual incidents;
Attends to the care and well-being of incarcerated individuals; secures and delivers sundries; delivers medical supplies; secures medical services and dispenses medicines; escorts incarcerated individuals for interviews with attorneys, relatives and law enforcement agencies; directs the serving of meals; directs the maintenance of incarcerated individuals' sanitation and hygiene; attends incarcerated individuals' phone calls;
Performs clerical duties connected with the receiving, booking, searching and release of incarcerated individuals; accepts and records clothing and property; issues uniforms and assigns cell blocks; makes out composite census reports; maintains records on incarcerated individuals; arranges for clothing and records for transfer of persons to courts, penal institutions and hospitals;
Guards prisoners of the Erie County Holding Center who are transferred to a hospital for treatment during confinement, or to the court lockup for trial or hearing; escorts prisoners to jail and courts; transports prisoners both in and out of State;
Provides security for charges juries; serves as Court Crier during the Crier's absence; retrieves papers for Court Clerks;
May assist the training instructor in training activities;
Performs duties and successfully completes the training that meets the standards of the New York State Commission of Corrections.
Minimum Qualifications
Candidates must meet the following requirements on or before the date of the written test:
Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma.
NOTES:
1. Educational and/or age requirements must be met no later than 12 months past the announced exam date. Eligibility for appointment will be subject to candidates providing proof that education and/or age requirements have been met within one year of the announced exam date. Documentation/proof of education and/or age should be provided at time of interview. If documentation does not prove that requirements were met within one year of exam date candidates will be removed from further eligibility for appointment.
2. Candidates must have a high school diploma or possess a high school equivalency diploma issued by an education department of any State of the United States or hold a comparable diploma issued by any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States or by the Canal Zone or hold a report from the United States armed forces certifying successful completion of the tests of general education development, high school level.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. Vision - The candidate must have uncorrected vision of no less than 20/40 binocular, with neither eye less than 20/70, and must be correctable to 20/20 binocular. Left and right lateral (horizontal) field of vision shall be no less than 85 degrees in each direction to produce a binocular horizontal field of vision of at least 170 degrees. Peripheral vision determination is to be made without correction.
2. Candidates must have attained their twenty first (21) birthday at the time of original appointment and must have satisfactory hearing.
3. Chapter 134 of New York State Law of 1984, under Section 22-A of the Corrections Law, and Section 217-A of County Law provides that conviction for a felony automatically bars appointment as a Correction Officer or Deputy Sheriff Officer; and that prior conviction of a misdemeanor may be disqualifying for these titles, after a review of the material facts of the individual case.
4. Possession of a valid New York State motor vehicle operator's license at time of appointment and maintenance throughout duration of employment.
5. Applicants will be required to successfully complete a Physical Fitness Test prior to appointment.
6. Permanent appointment shall be contingent upon satisfactory completion of required training program.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION/PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION:
Applicants will be subject to an extensive pre-employment background investigation and psychological evaluation. CONVICTION OF A FELONY WILL BAR AND CONVICTION OF A MISDEMEANOR OR OTHER OFFENSE MAY BAR PARTICIPATION IN EXAMINATION AND APPOINTMENT. Criminal convictions or other offense are subject to evaluation and may result in disqualification pursuant to Section 50 of the New York State Civil Service Law. The psychological evaluation will consist of a combination of psychological tests and interviews. Candidates must pass the psychological evaluation. In addition, a negative report or failing psychological evaluation may result in disqualification pursuant to Section 50 of New York State Civil Service Law. Candidates must be a United States Citizen and an Erie County Resident (See Erie County Policies and Procedures).
Supplemental Information
Online Examination date: November 1 - November 30, 2026
Applications Must Be Postmarked or Hand Delivered By: October 12, 2026
HOW TO APPLY:
Either online by clicking "Apply" on the top right of the online exam announcement or by printing a paper application from , , or if you do not have internet access you may pick up an application form at the Erie County Personnel Department, 95 Franklin Street, Room 604, Buffalo, New York 14202. Forms are also available at Buffalo and Erie County Public Libraries and at Town, Village and School District administrative offices. Completed forms should then be returned to the Erie County Personnel Department.
Scopes / Subjects of examination:
SCOPE OF THE EXAMINATION There is no written multiple-choice test. This is an online examination questionnaire that asks questions about your education, training, and work experience. ****This online questionnaire IS YOUR EXAMINATION.***** If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will receive a rating based upon an evaluation of your training and experience against the duties of the position being tested.
Approved candidates will be sent a notice containing directions needed to complete the Training and Experience Questionnaire.
The Training and Experience (T&E) Questionnaire will be available on November 1, 2026, and approved candidates will be required to complete and submit this questionnaire between November 1, 2026 and midnight, November 30, 2026. Candidates will not be able to claim any credit for training or experience to be gained after the application filing deadline of October 12, 2026.
Candidates who fail to submit their questionnaire by November 30, 2026 will not receive a score and not be added to the eligible list.
TAKING THE ONLINE T&E EXAMINATION AND PERSONAL NY.GOV ID ACCOUNTS Approved applicants will need to access the T&E examination on the NYS Department of Civil Service website. Each applicant will need a personal NY.GOV ID to participate in the examination. Applicants may already have a personal NY.GOV ID account if they have used online services for other agencies, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles. They should use the same personal NY.GOV ID for civil service examination purposes.
Applicants should not create a new personal NY.GOV ID. More information about personal NY.GOV ID's is available at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount/. There is a helpful video for applicants at this link. Applicants that require technical assistance with their personal NY.GOV ID can contact New York State Office of Information Technology (ITS) Service Desk directly at 844-891-1786 or at fixit@its.ny.gov.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
MILITARY STATUS: Active-duty military personnel may file an application for this exam. A special military make-up examination will be conducted for any member of the armed forces of the United States who has duly filed a timely application but who was deprived of the opportunity to compete in the scheduled exam due to active military duty. Special conditions apply to these requests and may be reviewed at the Erie County Department of Personnel.
VETERANS: Disabled and non-disabled veterans as defined in Section 85, New York State Civil Service Law, will have 10 and 5 points, respectively added to their earned scores if successful in the examination. You must claim these credits when you file application but you have an option to waive them any time prior to appointment. If you have already used these credits for a permanent position in NYS, you may not claim them again.
In conformance with section 85-a of the Civil Service Law, CHILDREN AND SIBLINGS OF FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS AND PARAMEDICS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY shall be entitled to receive an additional ten points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent/sibling has served. If you are qualified to participate in this examination and are a child or sibling of a firefighter, police officer, EMT or paramedic killed in the line of duty in this municipality, please inform this office of this matter when you submit your application for examination. A candidate claiming such credit has a minimum of two months from the application deadline to provide the necessary documentation to verify additional credit eligibility. However, no credit may be added after the eligible list has been established.
RATINGS REQUIRED: Tests are rated on a scale of 100 with a passing mark at 70. Unless the announcement states otherwise, you must pass the written test and the oral test, if any. Test instructions may further divide the tests into parts and set minimum standards for each part.
In accordance with State Law, Governor's Executive Order 6, and Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended the County of Erie does not discriminate against handicapped persons in access to employment, during employment, or in any of its programs and activities.
VERIFICATION OF QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates may be investigated or called for