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What is a law enforcement director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a law enforcement director. For example, did you know that they make an average of $51.16 an hour? That's $106,413 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 189,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreLaw Enforcement DirectorUS Average
Salary
7.8

Avg. Salary $106,413

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.64%

Asian 7.43%

Black or African American 3.65%

Hispanic or Latino 7.50%

Unknown 3.88%

White 76.90%

Gender

female 18.65%

male 81.35%

Age - 52
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.0

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Law enforcement director career paths

Key steps to become a law enforcement director

  1. Explore law enforcement director education requirements

    Most common law enforcement director degrees

    Bachelor's

    56.4 %

    Master's

    15.3 %

    Doctorate

    14.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific law enforcement director skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Litigation25.37%
    Securities15.19%
    Law Enforcement Agencies11.85%
    Direct Reports11.09%
    Appeals7.34%
  3. Research law enforcement director duties and responsibilities

    • Manage training, evaluation and advise commander on issues affecting unit combat readiness in a highly dynamic environment.
    • Conduct operational planning analysis and equip combat forces for strategic nuclear deterrence and conventional global strike operations.
    • Develop and implement rapid training and replacement program to fill critical personnel shortages in support of combat logistics operations in Afghanistan.
    • Organize a statewide Medicaid expansion campaign by conducting policy research, and driving voter education, and community outreach.
  4. Get law enforcement director experience

    Generally, it takes more than 10 years to become a law enforcement director. The most common roles before becoming a law enforcement director include special agent, police officer team lead and attorney.
  5. Apply for law enforcement director jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a law enforcement director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first law enforcement director job

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Average law enforcement director salary

The average law enforcement director salary in the United States is $106,413 per year or $51 per hour. Law enforcement director salaries range between $75,000 and $150,000 per year.

Average law enforcement director salary
$106,413 Yearly
$51.16 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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