First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

What First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives Do

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

Less than 5 years

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

Not available

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Public Safety and Securityimportance 4.7/5
• Law and Governmentimportance 4.5/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.4/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 4.0/5
• English Languageimportance 3.8/5
• Psychologyimportance 3.8/5
• Sociology and Anthropologyimportance 3.3/5
• Therapy and Counselingimportance 3.2/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Telephone Conversations5.0/5
• E-Mail5.0/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0/5
• Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.8/5
• Contact With Others4.7/5
• Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.6/5

Related Careers

• Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
• Detectives and Criminal Investigators
• First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
• First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
• Transit and Railroad Police
• First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
• Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
• Correctional Officers and Jailers

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers98% skill match
• General and Operations Managers97% skill match
• Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling97% skill match
• Residential Advisors97% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers96% skill match
• Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners96% skill match
• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers96% skill match
• Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Social Perceptivenessimportance 4.0/5
• Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 4.0/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.9/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.9/5
• Instructingimportance 3.9/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.8/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.8/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.5/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Leadership Orientation
• Dependability
• Integrity
• Stress Tolerance
• Self-Control
• Cautiousness
• Attention to Detail

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• ConventionalHigh
• SocialMedium
• RealisticMedium
• InvestigativeLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where first-line supervisors of police and detectives make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Lawton, OK3.95× national avg
2. 2San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR3.83× national avg
3. 3Jefferson City, MO3.47× national avg
4. 4Shreveport-Bossier City, LA3.00× national avg
5. 5Jackson, TN2.89× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• First-Line Supervisors of Security WorkersLateral Move
• First-Line Supervisors of Correctional OfficersLateral Move
• Gambling ManagersCareer Change
• Postmasters and Mail SuperintendentsCareer Change

See the full career path from First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.