Public Safety & Government
Police Officer
Serve and protect at the city, county, or state level. Pension after 20–25 years can equal half your salary for life. Overtime regularly doubles base pay.
no-degree-requiredpaid-traininghelping-peoplestable
70
ROI · Strong
Investment vs return
Cost · time · demand normalized 0–100
Salary progression
What you'll earn over your career
$52k
$78k
$115k
Entry
Mid-career
Senior
10-yr outlook
+3%
+3% (Average)
Open positions
67,000
Estimated nationwide
Entry paths
How to get here
Multiple paths lead to this career. Compare time, cost, online vs in-person delivery, and program links.
Fastest ROI
Apprenticeship In Person
Police Academy (paid, 6 months)
Time
5–7 months (paid academy)
Cost
Paid / Free
Paid from day 1 of academy. Federal Law Enforcement Officer (FLEO) retirement at age 50.
Degree Hybrid
AA/BS Criminal Justice + Academy
Time
2–4 years + academy
Cost
$5,000 – $80,000
Degree adds 5–15% pay bump in many departments + promotes faster.
Affiliate disclosure: Some of the program links above may be affiliate partnerships. If you enroll, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only link to programs we have actually reviewed against our methodology. See our methodology for how we evaluate schools.
Quick math
If you took the fastest path…
You'd train for
5–7 months (paid academy)
You'd spend (avg)
Paid / Free
Starting salary
$52,000
Mid-career
$78,000
Read more
Articles & resources
Sources: BLS OOH 2024