Is Police Officer a good career in 2026?
D
42/100 · Below Average
Moderate risk from automation. Consider adjacent skills to broaden earning power.
$75K
Median pay
+22%
vs US average
4%/yr
Demand growth
90/100
Future-proof
Reasons it's worth it
- ✓Pays 22% above the US average wage ($75K vs $62K).
- ✓Relatively automation-resilient (90/100 future-proof).
- ✓In-demand skills: Law Enforcement, Community Policing, Report Writing, Crisis Response.
Things to weigh
- !Modest demand growth (~4%/yr).
Dig into the numbers
Common questions
Is Police Officer a good career in 2026?
On our data, Police Officer scores 42/100 (Below Average). Moderate risk from automation. Consider adjacent skills to broaden earning power. Median pay is $75K (22% above the US average), demand is ~4%/yr, and automation risk is 10/100.
Does Police Officer pay well?
The median Police Officer earns about $75K, which is 22% above the US average wage of $62K.
Will Police Officer be automated by AI?
Automation risk is 10/100 (90/100 future-proof). Most of the role is hard to fully automate near-term.
Career score blends demand growth and automation risk; pay from BLS-anchored medians. A guide, not a guarantee.