My son is halfway through his college career but has always loved the police force and fire departments. He’s a volunteer firefighter in our town when home and has an itch to be a professional firefighter. He’s finishing college, but I’m not sure if he will follow his college major as a career. I’d be very proud of him if FD or PD, but I’d feel more peace if he remained a volunteer (and still proud at that!).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Depends on your values.

Which job makes a bigger contribution to society?

+1. And which is less likely to be eliminated in 5 years due to AI?

A bad cop does more damage to society

Anonymous wrote:DC police start at $66k. Thru top out at $110k. They probably make more with overtime and working holidays. But, not $240 as a norm.

https://joinmpd.dc.gov/metropolitan-police/police-officer

At $66k with 20 hours of overtime a week you’d earn over $100k. It’s easy to accumulate 20 extra hours as an officer. At $110k that works out to $190k+.

Anonymous wrote:Half of these cops don't belong on the street.

Why would you say something like this?

Anonymous wrote:Being a SCOTUS police officer seems like a great deal. It’s not like they’re out on the road making traffic stops. With a $50k hiring bonus and an $83k starting salary it may be something for rising college seniors to think about.

https://www.joinscuspd.us/

Interesting; thank you. Good pay.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't think I have ever heard of a kid on here who wants or is a cop or firefighter.

Found out recently that brother in law, a FDNY member of 20 years, brings in 240k a year.

Back then, less went to college but now the academies for both FDNY and NYPD require some college credits.

Why aren't more parents encouraging these careers as well, along with the usual talk on trades given the rise of AI for white collar job risks. Understand it could be a dangerous job but guaranteed employment, excellent benefits and pension, location mobility, and high salary in areas like NYC.

Well their parents probably don't need to be on the college thread. They're researching police academies.

Why would you assume the newer generations of law enforcement don’t have college degrees?

Most do not.

Frankly, it should be a requirement. Half of these cops don't belong on the street.

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.

Nah, not after 9/11. Firefighters are revered. As they should be.
But good on you chasing dollars

DC police start at $66k. Thru top out at $110k. They probably make more with overtime and working holidays. But, not $240 as a norm.

https://joinmpd.dc.gov/metropolitan-police/police-officer

Fire and police are almost always immune to layoffs.

“Denver’s worst layoffs in 16 years won’t touch police or fire”

https://denverite.com/2025/08/20/denver-city-layoffs-police-fire/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My neighbors college educated son became a cop. A friends son became a firefighter and didn't go to college. Many of these jobs pay more than your average college required employer.

And safe from AI.

But not safe from robots.

Robots won’t replace firefighters and law enforcement this century.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Depends on your values.

Which job makes a bigger contribution to society?

+1. And which is less likely to be eliminated in 5 years due to AI?

A friend’s husband is a firefighter up in the northeast. It is a volunteer force though I think he gets some sort of retirement benefit. He runs a handyman business on the side. He makes less than his nurse wife and it is a huge point of contention for them because he is always working for not much payoff.

The other firefighters I know from where I grew up in the Midwest mostly ended up there after trying out college and being lost for awhile. It’s a great option for people who are a bit directionless. But even then, the process usually took years. The decent paying jobs are not ones you can just walk into.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't think I have ever heard of a kid on here who wants or is a cop or firefighter.

Probably because their parents aren't posting here on the college forum. They know what they want to do and are already taking steps to get there.

They are both important careers; both are physically demanding. Police work requires a high degree of "emotional intelligence" that many do not have. One needs to be the right type of person to do either sort of work, unlike office-drone work, which pretty much anyone can do with the right training and experience.

Including most current police officers.

+1. They should fire most of the current ones and then raise the pay to get better ones.

Anonymous wrote:My neighbors college educated son became a cop. A friends son became a firefighter and didn't go to college. Many of these jobs pay more than your average college required employer.

My nieces husband has a four year degree. He became an EMT and then firefighter. He does very well and loves his job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My neighbors college educated son became a cop. A friends son became a firefighter and didn't go to college. Many of these jobs pay more than your average college required employer.

And safe from AI.

But not safe from robots.