A policeman on duty

The Perks of Working for NYC Police

Having a civil service job is an honor every citizen should feel pride in. It’s one of the most rewarding jobs out there. A civil servant knows how important they are to the society, and it’s their work that keeps the society working without any problems.

For a city like New York that’s always buzzing, the NYC firefighter department is always there looking out for the people in case of any unforeseen fire incidents. The NYC sanitation department works tirelessly to keep the city spick and span. The NYC police department keeps crime at bay.

It can certainly be said that there’s immense satisfaction in doing such jobs. However, this is not the end of it. There area lot more benefits that these jobs entail.

For the policemen working in the New York police department, there are various perks that they enjoy. Let’s take a look at what those benefits are and why thousands of people register for the police officer exam every time.

Morally Rewarding Job

As a police officer, you must serve the people and protect them. Being a guardian for someone is a tremendous responsibility that gives immense satisfaction and does not feel like a typical office job.

Knowing that your work is significant is more than enough for you to be giving it your all and not feeling burned out.

Police capAround 14,502 people signed up for the NYPD exam in June, while the last time the exam was held—back in November 2019—approximately 15,422 people registered for the entrance exam. This shows that this role attracts many people due to the nature of the job and how beneficial it is for local communities.

Financially Rewarding

Police officers make a decent amount of money as well. Many corporate jobs might be paying well, but the requirements attached to the jobs put many people off from applying. However, being eligible to apply to the NYPD is fairly simple. All you need are 60 college credits with at least a 2.0 GPA. You also need to be at least 21 years old to apply.

With simple pre-requisites like these, the pay scale starts from around $42,500 during Academy training and the first year. So, it can certainly be said that it’s a job that pays very well without any significant investments needed to qualify to apply for it.

As your career progresses, you may end up earning up to $85,000 after you cross the 5-year mark. To put things into perspective, the median salary in the US is $53,490 per year as per the latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is well over the average, and you’ll be enjoying tons of benefits apart from the pay, so this is a massive benefit.

Retirement & Insurance Plans

Retirement Plans

New York police officers are also offered plenty of retirement benefits. For example, the deferred compensation plan holds a certain amount of the officer’s salary and is given that amount usually at the end of their serving period when they retire. There are multiple benefits of this plan that an officer can benefit from.

Another example is IRAs. There can be various types of IRAs, but the main point of all of them is to benefit employees when they retire. The biggest advantage is that these plans give the account holder tax benefits under certain conditions. Employers can set up these, so police officers can and should take full advantage of this.

401(k) plans are another great example where employees can benefit and create a financially stable condition upon their retirement.

Insurance Plans

This is another benefit that’s offered to police officers in New York. Insurance plans span over multiple areas that include:

  • Health insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • Optical insurance

Given the current conditions of health insurance plans in the US, where many people are still uninsured, having such a facility offered by an employer leads to massive financial relief.

A policeman wearing an American maskTo get an idea of how things stand, currently, the average monthly health insurance premium is $599 in New York, whereas the country-wide average is $452. This tells us that people—especially in New York—have it tough. So, this is a huge benefit being provided to police officers, which certainly can’t be ignored when looking at the perks of this job.

Beneficial for Educational Requirements

For those police officers who need to continue their studies towards completing their college credentials, the police academy training can contribute up to 29 college credits. This can help the individual use these towards their degree.

Furthermore, various educational institutions offer partial and 100% scholarships to NYPD officers.

High Chances of Growth

Since there are various levels of authority within the police department, there are high chances of promotions. A normal field officer can go up the ranks and eventually reach Sergeants, Lieutenants, and Captains levels.

And as these positions are reached, the pay scale and other benefits automatically improve by huge margins, so it’s a very attractive option to work towards.

Paid Leaves

Police officers are also allowed several days off from work while not having their pay deducted. As their experience increases and they cross certain benchmarks, the paid leaves allowed in a year increase and go up to 25 to 30 days a year.

A team of police officers on dutySick leaves are also allowed, while personal leaves are also acceptable without a pay cut.

There are many reasons that should encourage you to apply for the NYPD, so what’s stopping you? Gear up for the next entrance exam for the police force with the help of Civil Service Success!

We’re one of the oldest prep schools for civil service exams in the region. Our classes are intensive and help prepare candidates in the best way possible. Our highly qualified instructors are always there to guide you along the way.

Get in touch with us and register right away, as classes are filling up fast!

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