Becoming a Law Enforcement Professional via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Ashford University, one of the highest ranking online schools, is a US school (accredited) offering law and criminal justice courses to train individuals to become top-notch law and criminal justice professionals, corrections officers, jailers, court reporters, crime scene investigators, investigators, personal investigators, forensics specialists, crime scene forensics specialists, etc. Correctional officers and jailers make on average $42,610 per year and there are about 455,350 of them employed today. Colleges and universities like Ashford University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Law Enforcement Professional Salary Information

Category: Correctional officers and jailers

Total # Employed in the US 455,350
Average Hourly Wage: $20.49/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$12.48 $15.0 $18.78 $25.12 $31.18
Average Yearly Salary $42,610
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$25,960 $31,210 $39,050 $52,240 $64,850
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
1.9% 36.3% 37.1% 12.3% 10.9% 1.2% 0.3%
Correctional officers and jailers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Colorado $32.08/hr $66,720
North Dakota $29.98/hr $62,350
New York $27.21/hr $56,600
Oklahoma $25.77/hr $53,600
Kansas $24.78/hr $51,530
Virginia $24.09/hr $50,110
Montana $23.83/hr $49,560
Alaska $23.71/hr $49,310
Tennessee $22.89/hr $47,610
Indiana $22.68/hr $47,170
Connecticut $22.19/hr $46,160
Mississippi $21.95/hr $45,650
Utah $21.34/hr $44,390
Nebraska $21.04/hr $43,760
Louisiana $20.24/hr $42,090
Florida $19.45/hr $40,450
Guam $19.21/hr $39,960
South Carolina $18.79/hr $39,080
Hawaii $18.78/hr $39,060
Arkansas $18.72/hr $38,930
North Carolina $18.5/hr $38,480
Ohio $17.7/hr $36,810
Michigan $16.24/hr $33,780
Iowa $16.1/hr $33,490
Massachusetts $16.08/hr $33,440
Alabama $16.06/hr $33,400
West Virginia $16.02/hr $33,330
Wyoming $15.99/hr $33,250
Pennsylvania $15.53/hr $32,310
Maine $15.41/hr $32,060
Kentucky $15.36/hr $31,940
Wisconsin $15.3/hr $31,820
Washington $15.28/hr $31,770
New Jersey $15.14/hr $31,490
Oregon $15.09/hr $31,390
New Mexico $14.88/hr $30,950
California $14.83/hr $30,850
Idaho $14.5/hr $30,160
Maryland $14.01/hr $29,130
New Hampshire $13.97/hr $29,060
South Dakota $13.39/hr $27,850
Nevada $12.34/hr $25,670


Category: Detectives and criminal investigators

Total # Employed in the US 110,380
Average Hourly Wage: $31.66/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$18.25 $22.63 $29.86 $40.22 $48.07
Average Yearly Salary $65,860
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$37,960 $47,070 $62,110 $83,650 $99,980
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.5% 10.0% 25.9% 12.1% 40.2% 9.6% 1.8%
Detectives and criminal investigators — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Florida $45.49/hr $94,620
North Dakota $41.31/hr $85,930
Colorado $38.53/hr $80,140
District of Columbia $37.48/hr $77,960
Mississippi $37.46/hr $77,910
Indiana $36.84/hr $76,640
Kansas $36.71/hr $76,360
Alaska $35.91/hr $74,690
Delaware $34.98/hr $72,750
Connecticut $34.93/hr $72,650
New York $33.8/hr $70,310
Montana $33.64/hr $69,970
Missouri $33.64/hr $69,980
Utah $33.12/hr $68,890
Oklahoma $32.95/hr $68,530
Tennessee $32.88/hr $68,400
Virginia $32.69/hr $68,000
Nebraska $31.47/hr $65,450
South Carolina $30.87/hr $64,220
North Carolina $30.76/hr $63,980
Hawaii $30.75/hr $63,960
Louisiana $30.23/hr $62,890
Guam $30.01/hr $62,410
Puerto Rico $29.87/hr $62,130
New Jersey $29.54/hr $61,430
Pennsylvania $28.44/hr $59,160
New Mexico $28.36/hr $58,980
Wyoming $28.23/hr $58,720
West Virginia $27.54/hr $57,280
Iowa $27.53/hr $57,260
Arkansas $27.51/hr $57,230
Maryland $27.24/hr $56,660
Michigan $26.46/hr $55,040
Maine $26.34/hr $54,780
Ohio $26.27/hr $54,650
Alabama $26.13/hr $54,340
New Hampshire $26.06/hr $54,210
Wisconsin $26.05/hr $54,180
Idaho $25.73/hr $53,530
Kentucky $25.65/hr $53,350
South Dakota $24.95/hr $51,890
Massachusetts $24.95/hr $51,890
Washington $24.71/hr $51,400
California $24.71/hr $51,400
Oregon $23.2/hr $48,250
Nevada $22.63/hr $47,080


Category: Police and sheriff's patrol officers

Total # Employed in the US 641,590
Average Hourly Wage: $26.53/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$15.09 $19.45 $25.58 $32.69 $40.17
Average Yearly Salary $55,180
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$31,400 $40,450 $53,210 $67,990 $83,550
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.9% 16.0% 33.8% 17.3% 27.1% 4.3% 0.6%
Police and sheriff's patrol officers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Colorado $37.83/hr $78,690
North Dakota $37.34/hr $77,660
Florida $32.61/hr $67,830
Kansas $31.76/hr $66,050
New York $30.99/hr $64,460
Alaska $29.66/hr $61,700
Oklahoma $28.93/hr $60,180
Delaware $28.78/hr $59,860
Connecticut $28.75/hr $59,790
Arkansas $28.1/hr $58,450
Tennessee $27.4/hr $56,990
District of Columbia $27.26/hr $56,710
Mississippi $27.16/hr $56,500
Missouri $26.72/hr $55,580
Nebraska $26.19/hr $54,470
Indiana $26.01/hr $54,110
Hawaii $25.95/hr $53,970
Utah $25.55/hr $53,140
Virginia $25.12/hr $52,240
South Carolina $25.11/hr $52,240
Montana $24.65/hr $51,270
Wyoming $23.86/hr $49,620
North Carolina $22.78/hr $47,380
Kentucky $22.25/hr $46,270
Louisiana $22.12/hr $46,020
Guam $21.93/hr $45,610
Iowa $21.85/hr $45,440
New Mexico $21.36/hr $44,430
Ohio $20.88/hr $43,430
New Hampshire $20.64/hr $42,940
New Jersey $20.54/hr $42,720
Pennsylvania $20.51/hr $42,660
Maine $20.34/hr $42,310
Puerto Rico $20.31/hr $42,250
Wisconsin $19.65/hr $40,870
Michigan $19.51/hr $40,570
Oregon $19.43/hr $40,420
West Virginia $19.26/hr $40,060
Alabama $19.22/hr $39,970
Idaho $18.93/hr $39,370
Maryland $18.38/hr $38,230
Washington $18.11/hr $37,660
Massachusetts $18.06/hr $37,560
South Dakota $17.58/hr $36,560
California $17.33/hr $36,050
Nevada $14.99/hr $31,170


Category: Transit and railroad police

Total # Employed in the US 3,930
Average Hourly Wage: $25.17/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$16.51 $19.52 $24.49 $30.67 $36.15
Average Yearly Salary $52,350
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$34,330 $40,600 $50,940 $63,800 $75,180
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.9% 16.0% 33.8% 17.3% 27.1% 4.3% 0.6%
Transit and railroad police — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Utah $30.07/hr $62,550
Kentucky $28.74/hr $59,780
Kansas $27.01/hr $56,170
Massachusetts $24.97/hr $51,950
Wyoming $24.17/hr $50,280
Missouri $24.03/hr $49,980
Colorado $23.29/hr $48,430
New Hampshire $22.98/hr $47,810
Hawaii $21.68/hr $45,090
Wisconsin $21.53/hr $44,780
Mississippi $19.79/hr $41,170


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