Police officers perform a number of duties to protect citizens and enforce laws. Most notably, police officers issue citations, warrants, and tickets when citizens break traffic and other laws. Additionally, police officers respond to emergency and non-emergency calls. They also investigate crimes. All of these duties are done in service to the community and to promote safety. If you’d like to become a police officer, learn about your salary outlook here.
Median
The median salary amount for all police officers is $56,980 per year or $27.40 per hour. If you’re a police officer fresh out of the academy with no experience, you are likely to make below this amount. If you have years of experience and work in a specialized unit, you are likely to make more than this amount.
Location
As with every occupation, location matters. If you are a police officer in a small town with very little crime activity, you aren’t likely to make as much as a police officer who works in New York City or Los Angeles. Starting salaries for police officers in big cities is likely to be much higher than starting salaries in small towns. This is simply based on the number of people in the jurisdiction and the crime rate.
Experience
Your salary will increase as your experience increases. The top 10% of police officers make around $93,450. This number is reflective of the police officer population with the most experience and specialized training. For instance, if you work in a specialty unit in a big city and you have more than 15 years experience, your salary is more likely to reach closer to the top 10% than the median.
Job Outlook
In 2012, there were approximately 780,000 police officer jobs through the entire United States. By 2022, this number is expected to grow by a rate of 5% and create around 41,400 new jobs. The rate of growth across all occupations by 2022 is 11%, which means that the rate of growth for police officers is slower than average.
