Occupations · Protective Service
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 33-1012.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 70% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $137,520 | 13,930 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $124,770 | 4,960 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $169,590 | 4,800 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $119,290 | 4,280 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $80,960 | 4,240 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $136,440 | 4,190 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $107,100 | 3,570 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $120,960 | 3,050 |
| San Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PR | $49,900 | 2,720 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $108,040 | 2,580 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $130,010 | 2,570 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $173,900 | 1,720 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Supervise and coordinate the investigation of criminal cases, offering guidance and expertise to investigators, and ensuring that procedures are conducted in accordance with laws and regulations.
- Prepare work schedules and assign duties to subordinates.
- Direct collection, preparation, and handling of evidence and personal property of prisoners.
- Investigate and resolve personnel problems within organization and charges of misconduct against staff.
- Explain police operations to subordinates to assist them in performing their job duties.
- Maintain logs, prepare reports, and direct the preparation, handling, and maintenance of departmental records.
- Inform personnel of changes in regulations and policies, implications of new or amended laws, and new techniques of police work.
- Train staff in proper police work procedures.
- Discipline staff for violation of department rules and regulations.
- Monitor and evaluate the job performance of subordinates, and authorize promotions and transfers.
- Review contents of written orders to ensure adherence to legal requirements.
- Conduct raids and order detention of witnesses and suspects for questioning.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2024-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2024-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Read and review subordinates' reports to ensure legal standards are met and there are no mistakes.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 6
No longer listed 3
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| police commissioner | 1112.5 | exact |
| police inspector | 3355.3 | close |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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