How to hire a law enforcement officer

How to hire a law enforcement officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step law enforcement officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a law enforcement officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new law enforcement officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a law enforcement officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The law enforcement officer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A law enforcement officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, law enforcement officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of law enforcement officer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Law Enforcement Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Law Enforcement Officer	Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.	$14-24
   Detective	A detective is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations for criminal activities, potential threats, and other law-violating incidents, coordinating closely with law-enforcement agencies and crime intelligence analysts. Detectives often work on the field, gathering data and related evidence to support claims and connect the timeline of events... Show more	$16-45
   Deputy	The duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat... Show more	$14-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patrol
   • Public Safety
   • Emergency Situations
   • Criminal Justice
   • CPR
   • Metal Detectors
   • Computer Aided Dispatch
   • Crime Scenes
   • Firearms
   • Law Enforcement Agencies
   • Motor Vehicle Accidents
   • Field Training
   • State Laws
   • Traffic Control

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Attend NCO leadership school and receive training on how to properly, and effectively manage personnel.
   • Accomplish scheduled and random security checks of control and classify areas to ensure compliance with DOD resource protection guidelines.
   • Develop and manage firearms training programs, including weapons selection and qualification standards.
   • Operate QRV solo, backing up BLS ambulances.
   • Certify in defensive tactics, firearms, driver's training, professional first aid and CPR.
   • DOT and FMCSA regulation enforcement.

   More law enforcement officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your law enforcement officer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A law enforcement officer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, law enforcement officers' average salary in louisiana is 50% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level law enforcement officers earn 40% less than senior-level law enforcement officers.
   • Certifications. A law enforcement officer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a law enforcement officer's salary.

   Average law enforcement officer salary

   $39,219yearly

   $18.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level law enforcement officer salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average law enforcement officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$54,004	$26
   2	New York	$49,904	$24
   3	California	$48,054	$23
   4	Colorado	$43,896	$21
   5	Minnesota	$42,584	$20
   6	District of Columbia	$41,878	$20
   7	Illinois	$41,112	$20
   8	Hawaii	$40,199	$19
   9	Massachusetts	$40,016	$19
   10	Utah	$38,646	$19
   11	Arizona	$37,656	$18
   12	Maryland	$37,453	$18
   13	Montana	$37,286	$18
   14	Virginia	$36,552	$18
   15	Ohio	$36,012	$17
   16	Nebraska	$35,458	$17
   17	Texas	$34,158	$16
   18	Florida	$33,848	$16
   19	Missouri	$33,133	$16
   20	North Carolina	$31,572	$15

   Average law enforcement officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of Nebraska System	$47,733	$22.95
   2	Saint Luke's Health System	$44,646	$21.46	5
   3	Medical University of South Carolina	$44,260	$21.28	6
   4	Delaware State Government	$43,772	$21.04	5
   5	Gavin de Becker & Associates	$43,557	$20.94	47
   6	Foxwoods Resort Casino	$42,402	$20.39	1
   7	Federal Reserve Bank	$42,344	$20.36	8
   8	San Diego Humane Society	$41,072	$19.75
   9	City of Durham	$40,883	$19.66	3
   10	University of Nebraska at Omaha	$40,773	$19.60	10
   11	Virginia's Community Colleges	$40,473	$19.46	12
   12	CITY OF PLEASANTVILLE	$40,124	$19.29
   13	American Security	$39,473	$18.98	33
   14	Florida Gulf Coast University	$39,414	$18.95
   15	Allied Universal	$39,325	$18.91
   16	G4s Secure Solutions International Inc.	$39,290	$18.89
   17	MSSG	$38,826	$18.67
   18	G4S	$38,571	$18.54	16
   19	Metro One LPSG	$38,487	$18.50
   20	State Of South Dakota	$38,436	$18.48	23

4. Writing a law enforcement officer job description

   A law enforcement officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a law enforcement officer job description:

   Law enforcement officer job description example

   Metro One is the nation's premier Loss Prevention and Security Organization, with more than 100 National Clients and 3,000 security personnel. Our employees are largely security officers, unarmed and armed, concierge officers, special event security, and trained and licensed personnel who work in retail, logistics, corporate, education and other industries and settings. Importantly, we are a Living Wage Employer, which elevated our wage and bill levels, and demands that we deliver superior service to our clients.
   
   While working for Metro One, you will be given the opportunity to exercise your mind for business in an environment that values advancement. Salary range is based on experience.Armed Security Officer Benefits:· Health, Dental, Vision offered.· Opportunity for advancement and growth.· Company paid uniforms.· Extensive training program.
   
   Armed Security Officer Qualifications/Requirements:· Must have a Blue Card Security License.· Must have a flexible schedule· Must be active or retired Law Enforcement Officer· Must have conceal and carry license· Must be available on weekends for events· Must be able to stand for a full shift· Clean cut business attire· Retired Police Officer preferred· Retired Law Enforcement Officer preferred· Active Police Officer preferred· Active Law Enforcement Officer preferred· Active / Retired Correction Officer preferred· Must have up to date identification in order to complete an I-9 form.· Must be able to work a standing post for 8 hour shifts or longer.· Ability to interact with the public in a direct and professional manner, strong interpersonal skills.· Must be willing to participate in the company's pre-employment screening process and continuously meet the any applicable State, County and Municipal requirements for Armed Security OfficersArmed Security Officer Responsibilities:· Provide assistance to customers, employees and visitors in a professional manner.· Perform security patrols of designated areas on foot or vehicle.· Since there's no previous experience required, cashiers and bank tellers often excel in this role.If you meet the above requirements for our Armed Security Officer position, please apply today.Metro One LPSG is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to embrace diversity.
   Requirements
   
   Armed Security Officer Qualifications/Requirements:
   
   They must be fully Retired (15 years) with a LE Department Retired ID or currently working for a Police Agency . This is Metro One's requirement.
   
   If you are currently Active or Retired with an Law Enforcement agency, you Must be able to comeplete the Georgia Secretary of State's Office Security Guard Application and get approved before you can start working with Metro One LPSG as an Armed Security Officer.
   
   The following is the Georgia armed officer requirements:
   
   + Must attend a 24 Ga Security Class
   
   + Use of Force
   
   + Firearms Qualification
   
   + Yearly firearms qualification
   
   This will get them a "blue card" and allow them to work in an Armed Security capacity.
   
   · Must have a flexible schedule· Must be available on weekends for events· Must be able to stand for a full shift· Clean cut business attire· Retired Police Officer preferred· Active Police Officer preferred· Must have up to date identification in order to complete an I-9 form.· Must be able to work a standing post for 8 hour shifts or longer.· Ability to interact with the public in a direct and professional manner, strong interpersonal skills.· Must be willing to participate in the company's pre-employment screening process and continuously meet the any applicable State, County and Municipal requirements for Armed Security OfficersArmed Security Officer Responsibilities:· Provide assistance to customers, employees and visitors in a professional manner.· Perform security patrols of designated areas on foot or vehicle.· Since there's no previous experience required, cashiers and bank tellers often excel in this role.If you meet the above requirements for our Armed Security Officer position, please apply today.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right law enforcement officer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with law enforcement officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit law enforcement officers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your law enforcement officer job on Zippia to find and recruit law enforcement officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting law enforcement officers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new law enforcement officer

   Once you've found the law enforcement officer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new law enforcement officer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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