Salary Median—$45,210 per year
Employment Outlook Good
Police officers protect the lives and property of citizens. They maintain order, catch lawbreakers, and work to prevent crimes. In small towns they perform many duties. Larger cities have a more structured division of responsibility. Police officers may patrol the streets on foot or in squad cars; control traffic; or work as detectives investigating crimes. At the police station officers may be assigned to work in the crime laboratory or the records department. All officers file reports of incidents, and many testify at trials and hearings.
Police officers are supervised by senior officers. The chain of command is modeled after that of the armed services. In larger cities sergeants, lieutenants, and captains direct the work of squads or companies of officers. Ranking officers
Police officers in large cities may work as patrol officers assigned to either traffic control or crime prevention, as detectives who investigate crimes, or as officers in the crime laboratory.
generally report to police chiefs or commissioners. In small towns the chief of police may be the only ranking officer.
Education and Training Requirements
Many police departments require that applicants be high school graduates; an increasing number expect some college education. Applicants usually must be at least twenty-one years of age and U.S. citizens. In many communities, applicants must meet minimum requirements for height, weight, eyesight, and hearing.
Because most police departments fall under civil service regulations, applicants must pass written tests that measure their analytical skills. Rigorous physical examinations and background checks are also required. Senior officers screen applicants.
New recruits often participate in formal classroom training in police academies. After graduating they continue to train on the job with experienced officers for three to twelve months. In small communities there may be no formal training program. Officers are usually encouraged to continue their education by taking college courses in criminal justice.
Getting the Job
Those who want to be police officers must first take the civil service test. Many departments allow high school graduates and college students studying criminal justice to start out as cadets or trainees while still in their teens. If they meet all the requirements, cadets may be appointed to regular police work when they turn twenty-one.
Advancement Possibilities and Employment Outlook
For promotion to higher rank, officers must take civil service tests. Good work records and special honors help officers get ahead. Police officers who have investigation abilities may advance to detective. Other positions include sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and inspector.
The employment of police officers is expected to grow as fast the average for all jobs through 2014. Openings will depend on government funding and the number of experienced officers who retire or leave the profession. Competition for jobs will be stiff. The best opportunities will be found in urban areas.
Working Conditions
Police work can be dangerous and stressful. Officers often deal with violent criminals and may be injured or killed. They must make quick decisions while on duty, yet be tactful and patient with people who are in trouble or have been victims of terrible crimes and abuse.
Police protection is provided twenty-four hours a day, so officers may work outdoors in all kinds of weather. Work shifts are usually rotated; however, officers are on call at all times for emergencies. Overtime may be required. Most police departments provide uniforms or uniform allowances. Many officers belong to labor unions.
Earnings and Benefits
Earnings vary, depending on location. In 2004 the median salary for police officers was $45,210 per year. As officers advanced through the ranks, wages increased. The average minimum salary for police sergeants was $49,895 per year, while the average minimum for lieutenants was $56,115 per year.
Benefits include paid health and life insurance, sick days, and vacations. Many officers are covered by pension plans that allow them to retire at half their pay after twenty or twenty-five years of service.
User Comments Add a comment…
about 1 month ago
miimii t_dy1 ((at)) hotmail dot com
thankyou for the information, my step dad is a state patrol officer and i plan on pursuing him and becoming a state patrol officer when i graduate school, and go to college. the information is very good and the information needed was very much appreciated. i am elligable to become a state patrol officer when i am older. i have dedication to my goals and i plan on making this happen. it really isnt about driving fast, writing tickets and having people think your a jerk for doing it. when people dont obey the law thats when enforcment comes in to make sure that people dont get hurt and that they go by the law. every summer i go to the police station, and work there, and i am more and more dedicated and i cant wait to be a police officer. so thank you very much.
5 months ago
Julie spongiejs ((at)) aim dot com
My parents are police officers and they enjoy their job very much. The job isnt really about going in police cars and finding criminals, there are many different rankings: * Chief of Police/Commissioner: Four stars, similar to a full general. * Deputy Chief of Police/Deputy Commissioner: Three stars, similar to a lieutenant general. * Assistant Chief of Police/Assistant Commissioner: Two stars, similar to a major general. * Inspector/Commander/Colonel: a gold eagle. "Inspector" is also used as a term for "detective" in police departments such as San Francisco and Chicago but is two ranks above Captain in cities such as New York and Philadelphia. * Major: either a gold or silver oak leaf, similar to a major or lieutenant colonel, supervisor of a Police Station in larger cities such as Baltimore, New Orleans, and Atlanta. * Captain: two gold or silver bars ("Railroad tracks"), often supervises a Police station but can supervise an entire division (Detectives, Patrol, etc) in smaller departments and only certain sections of a police station in larger departments. * Lieutenant: a single gold or silver bar, who supervises two to three sergeants. Lieutenants can supervise an entire watch shift of a police station or detective squad (Narcotics, Homicide, etc.) in larger police departments and entire precincts in smaller police departments. * Sergeant: three inverted chevrons, a police officer who supervises an entire watch shift in smaller departments and areas of a precinct and individual detective squads in larger departments. * Detective: an investigatory specialist, usually working in plain clothes. This may be in several classes that correspond to higher supervisory and pay grades. * Officer: a normal police officer. Wears no rank insignia.
7 months ago
Robert Godmar godmarrobert ((at)) ymail dot com
thank you for the information
8 months ago
Hermin xwhiteboyscominx ((at)) aim dot com
thank's for the information i am board in careers class and playing some street sesh on addictinggames.com try it out good info exactly what i need it says the exact same answers as my sheet says.
9 months ago
Ashley orangeladyvols ((at)) yahoo dot com
thnks 4 da info it was very useful and I also give thnks to da police who protect and serve our neighborhoods
9 months ago
Nancy molinaycnan ((at)) hotmail dot com
I really would love to thank who ever wrote this article, it is the most easy reading material and was very useful for an essay of mine for the university. Please continue to keep us informed with other reading materials. Again thanks a million.
10 months ago
Kyle Kingkeo k_kingkeo ((at)) yahoo dot com
thanx 4 da information im doin a class project rite now n my career choice is becoming a police officer
12 months ago
Jack Klingler gkorgionals ((at)) aol dot com
I appreciate the information available on this website. It has proven useful as a good resource for a paper in one of my Criminal Justice core classes. The only thing I can see that I would do different if it were my website is include the name of an author for citing purposes whether the information is origonal or not, just make sure to site the sources any outside information came from to avoid plagarism. According to the American Psycological Association (APA) format, including the author when citing a reference is more effective. Though it is not a problem because if there is not an author available APA just requires the name of the institution or establishment information comes from listed first instead of an author. Other than that, this material was well organized, direct, and to the point. Well done!
about 1 year ago
art art51892 ((at)) aol dot com
thanx for the info.
about 1 year ago
jonathan moody_2555 ((at)) yahoo dot com
thanks for the infomation i needed
about 1 year ago
Jesse chysjesse ((at)) aol dot com
thasnks for the info
about 1 year ago
Jaime Jaime ((at)) yahoo dot com
Thank you for the information
about 1 year ago
Ado jake_the_celtic_fan1 ((at)) hotmail dot com
Thnx i need this for a school project and it has been a great help
about 1 year ago
lia kulia_kamanawa ((at)) yahoo dot com
im a freshman that lives in hawaii and this information is a lot of help...
about 1 year ago
nick rushingnickrushing ((at)) yahoo dot com
i have been looking for this kinda stuff and it is nice to finally find it in one site thanks!
about 1 year ago
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thanks for the info.
about 1 year ago
alandis skatergui_87 ((at)) yahoo dot com
thank you for the research i needed.