Demand for police officers remains strong. This growth is primarily driven by attrition from the field and attention to public safety. Police officers must excel in leadership and good judgment, as their role involves a mixture of empathy, physical strength, physical stamina and perceptiveness skills. They must have a high school diploma or the equivalent of one; however, some federal agencies and police departments require a college degree or taking a college class.
Have you been looking for an exciting career in public safety? Police agencies are looking to hire new officers all over the country. Look for entry-level police officer jobs, supervisory and management jobs in law enforcement, as well as specialist roles such as investigator from some of the nation's most prestigious law enforcement agencies.
If you're just starting out in law enforcement, you can find public safety officer jobs that don't require the full POST certificate to do. Explore some of the great police dispatcher jobs and community support officer specialist careers. If you're working toward an advanced level of training, you might even find a job as a criminalist or digital forensics expert.
Once you've found a position that interests you, get yourself ready for the interview with some of the top police officer job interview questions, and develop a plan for how to answer them.
Whatever stage of your police officer career you're at, it's important to keep up on how much you can expect to be paid for the work that you do. Here's how to work out what you can expect in pay from your next police officer job:
In addition to your salary, look out for the additional perks and benefits of working in a police officer job. On top of your pay, your total compensation might include: