Being a police officer has various intangible benefits. Mainly, helping and serving others and the community is the main purpose. And the rewarding praise from citizens are more than enough reason to be a police officer, but what about the practical benefits of working in law enforcement?
If you are looking for a job that serves the community and meets your financial needs and lifestyle then here are five practical reasons and benefits of training to become a police officer.
1) Salary
The starting salary of law enforcement officers ranges from $30,000 to $45,000 per year including benefits for the length of service, differing shifts and additional training.
Though most departments offer competitive salaries and a police officer may not feel that they are getting paid enough for the work they have done, it is possible to earn $75,000 or more depending on your department. This may include promotion in which you could earn more.
2) Health and Retirement Benefits
Careers in the government are best known for their excessive health benefits in spite of the salaries that are not equivalent to private sector jobs. With police officers that have families and relatives, there is an affordable health insurance.
Retirement benefits in law enforcement careers are the one of the benefits most police officers are after. If police officers rendered 20 or 25 years of service, they can have the opportunity to retire earlier than most other people.
3) Never-ending Learning
In the law enforcement, you will always learn due to the dynamic and diverse environment. It’s fun to learn new things as a police officer such as techniques and tactics throughout your career, other methods including languages, physical fitness, defensive tactics and many more at no cost to you.
4) The Excitement
The job is fun. The excitement is one of the practical benefits of being a police officer. It’s rare to hear an officer complain about his job, as police officers have an intimate understanding of what it means to track suspects, guard perimeters, and venture into dangerous crime scenes. However, it is important to keep both professional and personal enjoyment at hand to have a rewarding outcome.
5) Road to Opportunities and Promotion
There is a tremendous growth and opportunity to be promoted through the ranks. In law enforcement agencies, the rank structures resemble similarly to the armed forces. For instance, if there are vacancies, they are filled from the lower ranks.
Though some agencies promote from outside the department, there is still an objective promotional process for file and rank officers. Larger agencies often have numerous promotions throughout the year, which means there is an opportunity for aspiring police officers to advance their careers.
A Great Career Choice Can Be Found In Law Enforcement
From all of the practical benefits: decent salary, never-ending learning, internal growth and opportunity, health and retirement benefits, starting a career in law enforcement is a great career path. Though it can be difficult, these benefits are hard to find in other careers.
