Kids becoming Firefighters and Cops

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My buddy went to JMU and ended up as a detective in PW County PD...

There are police with degrees from GW and Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why people here are trying to make these jobs sound like they are some sort of undiscovered gold rush. They are a decent/good option for some people. And not for many others.

In a climate where recent grads can’t find jobs policing is a much better option than being unemployed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, few recent grads are grinding out 60 hour weeks, and if they are they are usually in a very well paid industry.

How many hours does the average, fully employed recent grad work each week?

I’m in the office before 8 and I leave around 6:00. I can tell you that those employees that arrive an hour after me and leave before me have limited growth potential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, few recent grads are grinding out 60 hour weeks, and if they are they are usually in a very well paid industry.

How many hours does the average, fully employed recent grad work each week?

I’m in the office before 8 and I leave around 6:00. I can tell you that those employees that arrive an hour after me and leave before me have limited growth potential.

The average work week for new grads (or anyone) is not anywhere close to 60. Plenty still move up the ranks. Even what you describe is 50, not 60.

The industries where hours are notoriously long are finance, law, and medicine. And those jobs vastly outpay firefighting and law enforcement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why people here are trying to make these jobs sound like they are some sort of undiscovered gold rush. They are a decent/good option for some people. And not for many others.

In a climate where recent grads can’t find jobs policing is a much better option than being unemployed.

Well, yeah I guess. I suppose you could also become a union electrician or welder…there was an article about the starting pay of 91/hour working in those jobs in SV. Of course, it isn’t cheap to live in SV.

The problem you find with most things is that companies also are looking to automate blue collar jobs, so now you have welding robots in the field and other similar automation.

[Anonymous]

Parents should pay close attention to the pain and suffering of federal employees that are currently out of work, as well as the new, unemployed grads. Technology is advancing faster than people can pivot. Corporations would love to decrease headcount, and innovations like AI will give them the opportunity. Your children can’t all be titans of industry. The vast majority here will be worker bees with no employment safety net.

People better find jobs that are hands on and shielded from AI.

[Anonymous]

There are less open firefighter jobs, and the ones that pay well are hard to get. There are also A LOT of volunteer firefighter companies in the U.S. Those jobs generally don’t pay that well.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind that you don’t need a Criminal Justice degree to become law enforcement. They teach you what you need to know in the academy. Major in whatever you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your BIL made $240k taking every overtime hour available and never saw his family. I made $500k sitting at a desk and picked up my DC's from school every day. Call me crazy, but I think that I won.

Fire fighters are hot. You…are not.😁

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your BIL made $240k taking every overtime hour available and never saw his family.

No, that’s what the Baltimore paramedic did to earn $358,586 in 2024.

“Baltimore’s top 10 highest-paid city employees in FY 2024 were all from the fire and police departments, with most earning $150,000–$250,000 over their base salaries. A paramedic topped the list, making $358,586 — $245,000 beyond his listed pay.”

https://www.ems1.com/emt-ems-paramedic-jobs-and-careers/358k-baltimore-paramedic-is-citys-highest-paid-employee-in-2024-fiscal-year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your BIL made $240k taking every overtime hour available and never saw his family.

No, that’s what the Baltimore paramedic did to earn $358,586 in 2024.

“Baltimore’s top 10 highest-paid city employees in FY 2024 were all from the fire and police departments, with most earning $150,000–$250,000 over their base salaries. A paramedic topped the list, making $358,586 — $245,000 beyond his listed pay.”

https://www.ems1.com/emt-ems-paramedic-jobs-and-careers/358k-baltimore-paramedic-is-citys-highest-paid-employee-in-2024-fiscal-year

My neighbor is the Fire Chief. He said there is a massive need for certified paramedics in the fire service nationwide. They can get a job anywhere, anytime. A qualified applicant in his department would be paid the aggregation of a firefighter salary AND a paramedic salary.

[Anonymous]

Highly ranked Criminal Justice programs:

1. Boston University
2. Northeastern
3. Rutgers New Brunswick
4. University of Georgia
5. Florida State
6. Penn State
7. San Diego State
8. Cal State Long Beach
9. Indiana University
10. Rutgers Newark
11. GW
12. Michigan State
13. George Mason
14. Texas Christian University
15. Saint Louis University

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that you don’t need a Criminal Justice degree to become law enforcement. They teach you what you need to know in the academy. Major in whatever you want.

This. The other thing is that the organizations that actually work in criminal justice don’t really care about criminal justice degrees. For Prosecutors and Public Defenders, they need attorneys. For the investigator and victim/witness counselor jobs you don't need a Criminal Justice degree and very much need you to respect attorney direction on legal issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, few recent grads are grinding out 60 hour weeks, and if they are they are usually in a very well paid industry.

How many hours does the average, fully employed recent grad work each week?

I’m in the office before 8 and I leave around 6:00. I can tell you that those employees that arrive an hour after me and leave before me have limited growth potential.

I’m actually happy that this generation has boundaries and doesn’t give their souls to an employer who could give 2 craps about them.

[Anonymous]

Good pay. Great pensions.