Alabama had 10,780 police and sheriff's patrol officers working in the state in 2013, with an average annual salary of $41,910,
according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By contrast, police supervisors and detectives earned an annual mean wage of $59,460.
Nationwide, there were an estimated more than 12,000 police departments with a total of 477,000 sworn officers with general arrest powers working in all 50 states in 2013,
according to the BLS.
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Most, typically, are required to attend and graduate from a police academy and many earn criminal justice degrees. Background checks, driving record checks as well as credit reports are often mandatory. Other requirements include physical fitness as well as work flexibility as the job often requires long and round-the-clock hours,
according to PayScale.
Law enforcement salaries vary widely depending on such factors as the location and size of the department and the education level of the
officers, LawEnforcementEDU.net said, pointing out that average salaries in 2010 for police and sheriff’s patrol officers ranged from $32,150 in nonmetropolitan areas of Alabama to $45,640 in the Birmingham metro area. New recruits in Birmingham earned starting salaries ranging from $35,610 to $39,270, depending on education.
The Huntsville Police Department is offering a starting salary of $38,563 and is seeking 40 recruits for its March 2016
police academy, Alabama Media Group reported. New hires also receive benefits, including insurance, retirement benefits and paid holiday and sick leave.
Corrections officers are among the lowest-paid law enforcement officers in the state, with starting
salaries of about $28,517 a year, the Montgomery Advertiser reported. Most work mandatory overtime.
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