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Comment by mbrameld | Hacker News Reader

> The job doesn’t pay well.

I think this is an outdated belief. Many officers earn 6 figure salaries in the US.

A quick google, the top three results said average was 50k-60k. One result said the top 10% make low 6 figures. I doubt the majority of officers in those lines are top 10%, almost by simple math.

Departments pay differently, but it is not uncommon that protests pay overtime and that picking up extra shifts in 'normal' work also pays overtime. Such things that pay overtime may be providing security at a parade, may be going into a school for education, may be going to a confrence, etc. Typically, any time you see an officer in uniform, they are getting compensated for that. This is VERY dependent on department, but it is typically not difficult to make much more than 60k.

Well. Then it would be over time? So they are paid more for the time worked during a protest, but that doesn’t make them “well paid” overall. I guess, I’m not seeing any more data in your comment. But. Even if I grant that they make 80k or 90k (up to 50% increase in base pay of 60k, and I’m gonna suppose the cost of living for those officers is commensurately higher), argument sake, I don’t see that really making a substantive difference in the argument

Do you not consider an average 50-60k "high"?

That is more than basically anyone I know personally outside of software, and I'm not in a low COL area.

Median household income is 56k.

For a job that I may get shot and die on any given day, no. I do not.

Police dont even rate in the top ten most dangerous jobs in the us.

They rank 15th. Electrical Engineers, loggers, fishermen, etc all have more dangerous jobs.

http://time.com/4326676/dangerous-jobs-america/

There are detectives in my city that make $150k+ It's not unusual for police to double their base salary though overtime

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