What is a typical day for a police officer?

Being a police officer is a great way to serve your community. There are several paths you can take to becoming a police officer, from on-the-job training and police academies to post-secondary degrees.

While being a police officer is a career in and of itself, it can also be a stepping stone to other careers in law enforcement.

In a small town or small jurisdiction, becoming a police officer can be as simple as graduating high school or earning your GED, then attending a short training academy and then getting on-the-job training.

In larger areas, the standard of required education is usually, at least, an associate degree in law enforcement or a related field, such as criminal justice, criminology, or police science.

However, other routes to the profession do exist. For example, those who work as military police or in similar capacities while serving in the armed forces can sometimes move right into a position on a police force when they step back into civilian life.

No matter which path you take to qualify as an officer, you will almost always need to complete a police training academy. The exact length varies, but it is generally around six months.

The advantage of skipping formal post-secondary education and going straight to the academy is that it's the fastest route to serving in law enforcement.

The disadvantage is that you won't get the in-depth theoretical training and general educational experience that you might get with a degree, and if you ever want to advance your career, you will likely have to go back to school to get a degree anyway.

How much a police officer makes varies depending on their location and the cost of living in that region. However, most police officers make above the average salary for their location, allowing them and their families to live comfortably. In the United States, the average salary for a police officer is $55,601 per year.