First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.
- Median pay
- $106,040
- Doing it now
- 160,200
- By 2035
- Up 3.3%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
a year
across the country
10,600 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Explain police operations to subordinates to assist them in performing their job duties.
- Inform personnel of changes in regulations and policies, implications of new or amended laws, and new techniques of police work.
- Supervise and coordinate the investigation of criminal cases, offering guidance and expertise to investigators, and ensuring that procedures are conducted in accordance with laws and regulations.
- Investigate and resolve personnel problems within organization and charges of misconduct against staff.
- Train staff in proper police work procedures.
- Maintain logs, prepare reports, and direct the preparation, handling, and maintenance of departmental records.
- Monitor and evaluate the job performance of subordinates, and authorize promotions and transfers.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Criminal Justice and CorrectionsSee 956 colleges that teach it
- Security Science and TechnologySee 201 colleges that teach it
- Homeland SecuritySee 124 colleges that teach it
- Environmental/Natural Resources Management and PolicySee 99 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Leading and persuading
Organised and precise
Helping and teaching
Careers like this one
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers$77,970
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers$55,940
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers$69,990
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers$48,520
- General and Operations Managers$105,770
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers$79,860
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $106,040 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.