North Carolina had over 93,000 protective service professionals in the state in 2010, of which over 19,000 were police officers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In North Carolina, training and standards for all law enforcement professionals are administered by the Department of Justice. The state also has a nationally accredited training agency called the North Carolina Justice Academy. The academy trains almost all professionals related to law enforcement and criminal justice including police officers, sheriff deputies, correctional and juvenile officers throughout the state. Among the many police officers in North Carolina, they work for a variety of protective service and law enforcement agencies.
The average salary for police officers in North Carolina, was about $40,400 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2010. Average hourly wages were about $19.45. Generally, the job requires overtime and police officers are compensated for working over their scheduled work shift. Police officers starting their career earned from $28,000 to $33,000 per year. Highway state troopers in North Carolina earn a higher starting salary of $34,000 per year. The salary in the state varies based on the type of law enforcement agency police officers work for and the jurisdiction’s financial budget for their law enforcement department. Larger jurisdictions require more protection and often pay higher wages. Police officers in North Carolina often receive merit increases each year. Tenured police officers earned an average salary ranging from $47,000 to $57,000 per year in North Carolina. Occupations such as detectives, criminal investigators and law enforcement supervisors require several years of experience as a police officer. In North Carolina, detectives and criminal investigators earn an average salary of $51,000 per year. Law enforcement supervisors earn an average salary of $59,000 per year.