You Want to Fight Crime? (Part II)

earned between $25,700 and $45,300. Police officers and detectives in supervisory positions had a median yearly salary of about $41,200. Sheriffs and other law enforcement officers had a median annual salary of about $26,700 in 1996.

Outlook - Opportunities will be best in those urban communities whose departments offer relatively low salaries and where the crime rate is relatively high. The number of qualified candidates exceeds the number of job openings in Federal law enforcement agencies and in most State, local and special police departments.

Guards

• Entry - Most states require guards to be licensed. To be licensed as a guard, individuals usually must be 18 years old, pass a background exam, and complete classroom training in subjects such as property rights, emergency procedures, and detention of suspected criminals. Often, education levels are not specified, especially for unarmed guards. For armed guards, employers generally prefer high school graduates, ideally with prior experience in the military or in law enforcement. Good character references are needed, as well as good health (especially hearing and vision) and no serious law infractions.

• Earnings - Median annual earnings of full-time guards in 1996 were about $17,300. Guards tend to earn more in urban areas.

• Outlook - Job opportunities are expected to be favorable through the year 2006. High turnover and this occupation's large size ranks it among those providing the greatest number of job openings in the economy.

* * * * * * * * * *

What careers or career issues would you like to see discussed in this forum? What topics would you like to see future articles cover? Please write me at dlapoint@iea.com with your suggestions.

Go To Page: 1 2 3

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic