By: Milly Cantu

Quick Facts: Police and Detectives

State and Local Law

Enforcement:

Uniformed police officers

State patrol officers

Transit and railroad police

Sheriffs and deputy sheriffs

Detectives and criminal investigators

2015 Median Pay

$60,270 per year

$28.97 per hour

Typical Entry-Level
Education

See How to Become One

Work Experience in a
Related Occupation

See How to Become One

On-the-job Training

Moderate-term on-thejob training

Number of Jobs, 2014

806,400

Job Outlook, 2014-24

4% (Slower than average)

Employment Change,
2014-24

33,100

Fish and game wardens

Federal Law Enforcement:

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Drug Enforcement Administration

United States Secret Service

Federal Air Marshals

U.S. Border Patrol

For more information:

www.bls.gov
www.sheriffs.org
www.theiacp.org
www.bja.gov

Police and
Detectives

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Summary

Police
protect the
lives and
property.
Detectives
and criminal investigators gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes. They enforce laws, patrol assigned areas, obtain warrants, and arrest suspects. Police officers and detectives prepare
cases, and testify in court. Job duties
differ at local, state, and federal, levels. Detectives and criminal investigators conduct interviews, examine records, and observe the activities of suspects.

How to become one

Pay

To become a police officer or a detective you have

to have a high school diploma. Besides that you
will need a college degree if you decide to got into
a higher level of work. Federal levels require a
bachelors degree . State and local levels require a
high school diploma with additional training. Some
important skills to have would include: communication skills, empathy, good judgement, leadership
skills, perceptiveness, physical stamina, and physical strength.

The median annual wage for police

and detectives was $60,270 in May
2015. the annual wage for detectives
and criminal investigators is $77,210 .
The annual wage for railroad police is
$59,670. the annual wage for police an
sheriff's patrol officers is $58,320. The
annual wage for game wardens is
$52,780.

Training
Before becoming an officer you must attend a
training academy. In training you will go through
classroom instructions. You will learn about local
and state laws, constitutional laws, civil rights and
police ethics.
Recruits also
receive training
and supervised
experience in
areas including:
patrol, traffic
control, firearm
use, selfdefense, first
aid, and emergency response.

Job Outlook
Employment of police and detectives
is projected to grow 4 percent from
2014 to 2024, slower than the average
for all occupations. Even though the
crime rates have fallen, the demand
for public safety service is to improve
will continue.