Police officers keep the peace at public meetings, social events, processions, trade disputes and strikes.
Police officers uphold the laws that protect the safety of the public and property. They often work within communities, patrolling districts and disseminating information to help reduce the fear of crime. They identify the perpetrators of crimes and gather evidence to support prosecutions against them. Police officers may be required to present their evidence during legal proceedings. They also investigate accidents and uphold traffic ordinances. A police officer's monthly pay will depend upon factors such as location and employment sector.
Average Pay
For its survey of employment across the United States in May 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics classified police officers alongside sheriff's officers. It reported that across the profession the average annual salary was $55,180. From this, it can be calculated that the average monthly wage was $4,598. This is equivalent to an hourly pay rate of $26.53. Officers among the top 10 percent of earners received an average in excess of $6,963 per month, while those in the bottom 10 percent earned less than $2,617.
Pay by Employment
The BLS reports that most police officers work within government agencies. From its statistics, the monthly salary within government agencies at federal level was $4,255 as of 2009. At the state level, the figure was $4,905, while police officers employed by local government agencies earned an average of $4,593.
Pay by Location
From the BLS statistics, the states in which, across all industry sectors, a police officer is likely to achieve the highest monthly salaries are California, New Jersey and the District of Columbia, averaging $6,558, $6,472 and $5,653, respectively. Mississippi, by contrast, had an average monthly wage of $2,598. At the level of individual metropolitan districts, two areas in California topped the table -- the San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara area at $7,917, and the Oakland, Freemont, Hayward district at an average of $7,480. In contrast, Pine Bluff in Arizona was listed at $3,065 and the Hinesville, Fort Stewart district of Georgia at $3,022.
Prospects
If Bureau of Labor Statistics projections prove correct, employment opportunities for police officers should increase in line with growth across the country. The BLS expects the job market for the occupation to grow by around 10 percent through 2018, while the growth rate is expected to be between 7 and 13 percent for the nation as a whole. Demand will stem from a growing population and should mean that salary levels remain attractive. However, the BLS advises that competition for vacancies is likely for positions at the state and federal level.
Tags: police officers, government agencies, Police officers, average monthly, average monthly wage