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How to Become a Police Officer: Degree, Steps & Salary (2026)
Key takeaway: Becoming a police officer is a hiring-and-certification process, not a degree program: most agencies set a high school diploma or GED as the academic floor, then require you to pass a background investigation, complete a state-certified police academy, earn POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) certification, and finish months of supervised field training before you patrol alone. Police and sheriff's patrol officers earn a national median annual wage of $76,210 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median).
The most common misunderstanding about this career is that a criminal justice degree makes you a police officer. It does not. Policing authority comes from a state licensing or certification body, usually called a POST commission, and from the agency that hires and sponsors you. Education is one screening factor among many, and in a large majority of municipal and county agencies the stated minimum is a high school diploma or GED.
What a degree does affect is which doors open and how fast you move through them. Federal agencies, many state police organizations, and a growing number of large metropolitan departments either require college credits or a bachelor’s degree, or substitute education for years of experience. Degrees also weigh heavily in promotional scoring for sergeant and above. The sections below separate what is legally required from what is competitively useful, in the order you will actually encounter each step.
Step-by-step: how to become a police officer
Meet the baseline eligibility requirements. Nearly every agency requires U.S. citizenship (a small number accept lawful permanent residents), a valid driver’s license, and a minimum age — most often 21 at appointment, though some departments hire cadets or trainees at 18 to 20. Disqualifiers commonly include felony convictions, certain misdemeanor convictions (particularly domestic violence), and recent drug use windows that vary by agency.
Meet the education requirement. The stated minimum at most municipal and county agencies is a high school diploma or GED. Above that floor, requirements diverge sharply: some agencies require 30 or 60 college credits, some require an associate degree, and most federal law enforcement positions require a bachelor’s degree. Check the specific agency’s posting, because there is no national standard.
Pass the written and physical testing. Applicants sit a written exam covering reading comprehension, writing, and situational judgment, and complete a physical ability test with timed running, obstacle, and strength components. Standards and cut scores are set agency by agency.
Clear the background investigation. This is where most applicants are eliminated. A background investigator reviews employment history, finances, driving record, drug history, social media, and personal references, and interviews people who know you. Many agencies add a polygraph examination or a computer voice stress analysis, a psychological evaluation by a licensed psychologist, and a medical exam including drug screening. Expect this phase to take several months.
Complete a state-certified police academy. Once you receive a conditional offer, you attend a basic law enforcement academy certified by your state’s POST commission (the name varies — POST, POSTC, Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, and others). Academy length varies widely by state, commonly from about three months to more than six months of full-time instruction in criminal law, constitutional law, patrol procedure, defensive tactics, firearms, emergency vehicle operations, and de-escalation. Some states allow you to attend an open-enrollment academy at your own expense before you are hired; others require agency sponsorship.
Earn POST certification. Passing the academy’s state certification examination and skills tests makes you a certified peace officer in that state. This is the actual credential that authorizes you to make arrests and carry a firearm as a sworn officer. Certification is state-specific and does not automatically transfer: moving to another state usually means a reciprocity review, a challenge exam, or an abbreviated academy, and some states require the full academy again.
Finish field training and probation. New officers ride with a field training officer for roughly three to six months under a structured evaluation program, then serve a probationary period that is commonly one year from appointment. Only after field training do you work a solo assignment.
What degree do you need to be a police officer?
Legally, in most agencies, none beyond a high school diploma or GED. Practically, education is a competitive advantage and, in some agencies, a hard filter.
- An associate degree in criminal justice satisfies the college-credit requirement that many mid-size and large departments impose and is often enough to clear an agency’s education screen.
- An online bachelor’s in criminal justice is the standard credential for federal law enforcement applicants and is the level most departments reward in promotional point systems. It is also the entry credential for investigative and analytical roles if you later move away from patrol.
- An online master’s in criminal justice is aimed at officers already in the field who are targeting command staff, policy, training, or teaching roles rather than at entry-level applicants.
Because you can complete an accredited program online while working, many officers earn the degree after they are hired rather than before. See Is a Criminal Justice Degree Worth It? for how to weigh the timing.
How much do police officers make?
Police and sheriff’s patrol officers earn a national median annual wage of $76,210 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median). Half of officers in the occupation earn more than that figure and half earn less; actual pay depends heavily on the agency, its jurisdiction, and its collective bargaining agreement, since law enforcement compensation is set locally rather than nationally.
View the data behind this chart
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,510 |
| 25th percentile | $59,290 |
| Median | $76,210 |
| 75th percentile | $97,600 |
| 90th percentile | $115,120 |
View the data behind this chart
| State | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| California | $118,880 |
| Washington | $102,080 |
| Illinois | $100,520 |
| Alaska | $99,130 |
| Colorado | $97,350 |
| Delaware | $92,970 |
| New York | $92,790 |
| New Jersey | $92,610 |
Two adjacent figures give useful context. Detectives and criminal investigators earn a national median annual wage of $93,790, and first-line supervisors of police and detectives — the sergeant and lieutenant ranks — earn $106,040 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians). Both are promotional destinations reached from a patrol assignment, which is why the education that feeds promotional scoring matters over a full career.
How long does it take to become a police officer?
Plan on roughly one to two years from application to solo patrol if you already meet the education minimum, and four to six years if you are earning a bachelor’s degree first.
| Phase | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Testing and background investigation | 3 to 9 months |
| Police academy | 3 to 6+ months, varies by state |
| Field training | 3 to 6 months |
| Probationary period | About 1 year from appointment |
| Optional: bachelor’s degree | About 4 years, or fewer with transfer credit |
These are ranges, not promises. Hiring cycles at a single agency can stall for months between testing phases, and academy class start dates are scheduled rather than continuous.
Frequently asked questions
What degree do you need to be a police officer?
In most municipal and county agencies, no college degree is required — a high school diploma or GED is the stated minimum. Requirements above that floor are set agency by agency: some require 30 or 60 college credits, some require an associate degree, and most federal law enforcement roles require a bachelor’s degree. Verify the exact standard in the job posting of the agency you are applying to.
How long does it take to become a police officer?
If you already meet the education minimum, roughly one to two years from application to solo patrol — several months of testing and background investigation, three to six or more months of academy, and three to six months of field training, followed by a probationary year. Adding a bachelor’s degree first extends the front end by about four years.
Do you need a degree to be a police officer?
Not in most agencies. Policing authority comes from POST certification earned at a state-certified academy, not from a college degree. That said, a degree is required by many federal agencies and some state and metropolitan departments, and it commonly adds points in promotional processes, so “not required” and “not valuable” are different answers.
How much do police officers make?
Police and sheriff’s patrol officers earn a national median annual wage of $76,210 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national median). Pay varies substantially by agency and jurisdiction because law enforcement salaries are set locally.
Does POST certification transfer between states?
Not automatically. Certification is issued by the state POST commission that certified your academy. Moving to another state typically requires a reciprocity or waiver review, and depending on the state you may need to pass a challenge examination, complete an abbreviated transition academy, or repeat basic training in full. Confirm the rules with the destination state’s commission before you relocate.
Can I attend a police academy before I am hired?
In some states, yes. Open-enrollment or self-sponsored academies let you complete basic training at your own expense and apply to agencies already certified. Other states require an agency to sponsor and employ you for the duration of the academy. Which model applies is determined by your state’s POST commission.
Related guides
- Online Criminal Justice Degrees Guide — the full hub covering every degree level and concentration
- Online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice — the degree level most often rewarded in hiring and promotion
- Criminal Justice Careers and Jobs — role-by-role breakdown across law enforcement, courts, and corrections
- How to Become a Detective — the most common promotional path out of patrol
- How to Become a Firefighter — a parallel public-safety path with its own academy and certification structure
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025 national medians). Hiring standards, academy length, and POST certification rules are set by individual states and agencies; confirm requirements with your state’s POST commission and the agency you intend to apply to.
Data verified: August 12, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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