We have a good friend that is a Virginia law enforcement officer. Her work schedule is enviable. It's broken up into 2 week segments. The first 7 days she works 2 days, then she's off 2 days, then she works 3 days. The second 7 days she's off 2 days, on 2 days, then off 3 days. She only works 2 days that week!!! She also gets a long weekend every other week. They recently bought a lake house and they pay the mortgage with her overtime money. I think she's received 4 raises in the last 3 years. I don't know what she makes but it's a lot.

National Association of Colleges and Employers projected compensation for 2025 graduates by major:

Engineering = $78,732
Computer Sciences = $76,251
Math and Sciences = $69,709
Social Sciences = $67,316
Business = $65,276
Agriculture and Natural Resources = $63,122
Communications = $60,353

The ROI for college gets worse and worse each year.

College majors with the highest unemployment rates:

Anthropology, 9.4%
Physics, 7.8%
Computer engineering, 7.5%
Commercial art & graphic design, 7.2%
Fine arts, 7.0%
Sociology, 6.7%
Computer science, 6.1%
Chemistry, 6.1%
Information systems & management, 5.6%
Public policy and law, 5.5%

Did people read the first post? Cops make another $4100 to $8800 more if they work in the evening or at night. They also get a $2500 tax credit. If your kid has to work late at their typical job they probably aren’t making any extra money.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think being a police officer is a good role for a woman or smaller man due to he fact you need to get physical with violent offenders. If I was a big strong man I might consider it

Same. I'm a 120# female. I'd need to gain another 50# to hold my own.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the take home car is likely more a burden than a benefit. You are likely restricted from using it other than to and from work and you probably can't install a car seat in it so don't plan on doing pick up or drop off on the way to work. You have to find a place to park it and you may need a second car since you can only use the car for to/from work (i.e. two kids in different activities). Maybe the take home car is optional though.

Police officers also have a personal car, usually something nice like a BMW or a Range Rover.

How would a take home car be a burden? They don’t pay for gas, insurance, maintenance or body work. How far do other people drive to and from work? That’s all on the police car. Their personal car ends up with a lot less mileage on it.

We have short commutes, but dh takes all 3 of our kids to 3 different schools in the morning and then goes to work. Coming back to get his police car and then driving to work would add an extra 20 min at least to his morning commute. He also runs errands and often meets us some place in the evenings on his way home.

Most of our gas and mileage is spent on kid commutes, not work commutes.

I don’t think being a police officer is a good role for a woman or smaller man due to he fact you need to get physical with violent offenders. If I was a big strong man I might consider it

check out www.theblueline.com and you can see all the police jobs and benefit packages available.

Anonymous wrote:That's good for year one, but it's not like they will get significant raises in the future like you will in private sector.

The example in the first post showed a guaranteed 3.5% raise per year. Then there is overtime. People don’r realize that in many cases any time spent in court is overtime. When they are at training it is overtime. They make an additional $50-$70 per hour for those things. Then they can work actual overtime shifts on top of that.

A recent college grad can easily make six figures as a police officer.

Which other careers offer a pension AND a deferred compensation plan with a match?

Cops get a lot of discounts as well. They don’t pay for that morning coffee. Most retailers offer 10%-20% discounts for first responders.

Anonymous wrote:I think the take home car is likely more a burden than a benefit. You are likely restricted from using it other than to and from work and you probably can't install a car seat in it so don't plan on doing pick up or drop off on the way to work. You have to find a place to park it and you may need a second car since you can only use the car for to/from work (i.e. two kids in different activities). Maybe the take home car is optional though.

Police officers also have a personal car, usually something nice like a BMW or a Range Rover.

How would a take home car be a burden? They don’t pay for gas, insurance, maintenance or body work. How far do other people drive to and from work? That’s all on the police car. Their personal car ends up with a lot less mileage on it.

Anonymous wrote:I think the take home car is likely more a burden than a benefit. You are likely restricted from using it other than to and from work and you probably can't install a car seat in it so don't plan on doing pick up or drop off on the way to work. You have to find a place to park it and you may need a second car since you can only use the car for to/from work (i.e. two kids in different activities). Maybe the take home car is optional though.

Some take their car and leave it at a closer fire department or other county owned property (with permission).

Anonymous wrote:I recently interviewed with Montgomery County. Not for a police officer position. They told me upfront that my previous years of experience in my field didn’t matter. Most of the interview was geared towards asking how I demonstrate diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Blah blah blah

4 days a week are 12 hour shifts -- sometimes it's two 12-hour days, 24 hour break, two 12-hour nights and four days off, rinse and repeat. Keep in mind the 12 hours does not include the pre-work all hands meeting or the clock out at the end of the shift (let alone finishing reports). The only other career I can think of that can retire late fourties is military personnel.

That's good for year one, but it's not like they will get significant raises in the future like you will in private sector.

Anonymous wrote:I think the take home car is likely more a burden than a benefit. You are likely restricted from using it other than to and from work and you probably can't install a car seat in it so don't plan on doing pick up or drop off on the way to work. You have to find a place to park it and you may need a second car since you can only use the car for to/from work (i.e. two kids in different activities). Maybe the take home car is optional though.

Right! I was wondering this too. Not sure how I could make that work in my family. Don't most spouses rotate pickup or drop off? And dh usually drives from work straight to coaching the kid's teams, or gets groceries on the way.

I think the take home car is likely more a burden than a benefit. You are likely restricted from using it other than to and from work and you probably can't install a car seat in it so don't plan on doing pick up or drop off on the way to work. You have to find a place to park it and you may need a second car since you can only use the car for to/from work (i.e. two kids in different activities). Maybe the take home car is optional though.