Georgia·Protective Service Occupations·SOC 33-1012

Best First-Line Supervisors of police officer programs in Georgia, ranked by enrollment

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police.

61 schools in Georgia run programs that feed this job, graduating 3,224 people a year. The job pays a median of $80,120 in Georgia across about 7,910 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledLieutenantPolice CaptainPatrol SergeantPolice SergeantCaptainPort WardenChief DeputyPolice Chief
Graduates / yr
3,224
in Georgia
Median pay · Georgia
$80,120
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
7,910
people employed
Schools
61
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
39%
across those schools
Median net price
$20,980
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Georgia that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

7 programs in Georgia that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Georgia (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Georgia page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 43.0104In Georgia
2,200
68.2%
39$37,408$24,069
2
CIP 43.0103In Georgia
460
14.3%
21$37,408$24,069
3
CIP 43.0404In Georgia
336
10.4%
1$40,889$25,000
4
CIP 43.0100In Georgia
160
5.0%
5$37,408$24,069
5
CIP 43.0301In Georgia
45
1.4%
4$46,281$23,250
6
CIP 43.0302In Georgia
19
0.6%
3$46,281$23,250
7
CIP 43.0407In Georgia
4
0.1%
1$40,889$25,000

Top 25 schools in Georgia

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 27 of the 61 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA Public · 4 feeder programs
559Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy52%69%
2Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
181Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$33,21353%55%
3Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
177Criminal Justice/Safety Studies47%
4Chattahoochee Technical College
Marietta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
134Criminal Justice/Safety Studies38%
5Columbus State University
Columbus, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
129Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$71,15342%99%
6University of North Georgia
Dahlonega, GA Public · 3 feeder programs
128Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$41,59837%68%
7Southern Crescent Technical College
Griffin, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
108Criminal Justice/Safety Studies58%
8South Georgia Technical College
Americus, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
106Criminal Justice/Safety Studies61%
9Georgia Military College
Milledgeville, GA Public · 2 feeder programs
91Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration$26,63638%
10Georgia Northwestern Technical College
Rome, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
88Criminal Justice/Safety Studies43%
11Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
86Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$35,39842%72%
12University of Georgia
Athens, GA Public · 2 feeder programs
79Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration$37,40590%38%
13Albany Technical College
Albany, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
74Criminal Justice/Safety Studies42%
14Lanier Technical College
Gainesville, GA Public · 2 feeder programs
71Criminal Justice/Safety Studies34%
15American InterContinental University - Atlanta
Atlanta, GA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
68Criminal Justice and Corrections, General$35,86221%$17,531
16Clark Atlanta University
Atlanta, GA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
66Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$27,71549%$36,71764%
17Albany State University
Albany, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
64Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$31,86831%
18Strayer University - Georgia
Chamblee, GA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
64Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration$43,40521%$18,224
19Thomas University
Thomasville, GA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
64Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration$52,99128%$18,95938%
20Georgia Gwinnett College
Lawrenceville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
60Criminal Justice/Safety Studies21%95%
21Middle Georgia State University
Macon, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
50Criminal Justice and Corrections, General$35,93025%100%
22Columbus Technical College
Columbus, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
46Criminal Justice/Safety Studies27%
23Southern Regional Technical College
Thomasville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
43Criminal Justice/Safety Studies31%
24Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
Valdosta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
38Criminal Justice/Safety Studies50%
25Ogeechee Technical College
Statesboro, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
35Criminal Justice/Safety Studies43%

All 61 schools in Georgia

Every school in Georgia with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Georgia that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Kennesaw State UniversityKennesawPublic5594
Georgia State UniversityAtlantaPublic1811
Central Georgia Technical CollegeWarner RobinsPublic1771
Chattahoochee Technical CollegeMariettaPublic1341
Columbus State UniversityColumbusPublic1291
University of North GeorgiaDahlonegaPublic1283
Southern Crescent Technical CollegeGriffinPublic1081
South Georgia Technical CollegeAmericusPublic1061
Georgia Military CollegeMilledgevillePublic912
Georgia Northwestern Technical CollegeRomePublic881
Valdosta State UniversityValdostaPublic861
University of GeorgiaAthensPublic792
Albany Technical CollegeAlbanyPublic741
Lanier Technical CollegeGainesvillePublic712
American InterContinental University - AtlantaAtlantaPrivate for-profit681

What first-line supervisors of police and detectives earn in Georgia

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Georgia
$80,120
Mean annual
$84,690
Jobs in state
7,910
What the range looks like
10th pct$58,020Median$80,12090th pct$118,970
Versus the national median
-24.4%

U.S. median $106,040. Georgia pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
1.63×

Concentrated here: Georgia employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Georgia

Savannah, GA
$81,340median
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$81,860median
4,460 jobs
Gainesville, GA
$79,350median
90 jobs
Warner Robins, GA
$81,120median
130 jobs
Athens-Clarke County, GA
$81,530median
70 jobs
Hinesville, GA
$81,050median
60 jobs
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
$74,580median
350 jobs
Macon-Bibb County, GA
$75,720median
220 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+2.9%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
10,900
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
4,600
160,800 → 165,400
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Plus moderate-term on-the-job training

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives page.

How to become a First-Line Supervisors of police officer

Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience needed
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Top skills

MonitoringActive ListeningCritical ThinkingSpeakingReading ComprehensionActive Learning

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Georgia

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 19 majors mapped to First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives16 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 03.0208Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services
  • 29.0203Signal/Geospatial Intelligence
  • 43.0100Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
  • 43.0102Corrections
  • 43.0103Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
  • 43.0104Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
  • 43.0115Law Enforcement Record-Keeping and Evidence Management(no graduates reported)
  • 43.0119Critical Incident Response/Special Police Operations
  • 43.0120Protective Services Operations
  • 43.0122Maritime Law Enforcement(no graduates reported)
  • 43.0123Cultural/Archaelogical Resources Protection(no graduates reported)
  • 43.0301Homeland Security
  • 43.0302Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management
  • 43.0303Critical Infrastructure Protection
  • 43.0304Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations
  • 43.0401Security Science and Technology, General
  • 43.0404Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy
  • 43.0407Geospatial Intelligence
  • 43.0499Security Science and Technology, Other

Common questions

Answers for people weighing first-line supervisors of police and detectives programs in Georgia.

What degree do you need to become a First-Line Supervisors of police officer?+

High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Criminal Justice/Safety Studies, which awarded 2,200 degrees in Georgia in 2024-25, 68.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a First-Line Supervisors of police officer?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Criminal Justice and Corrections, Security Science and Technology, Homeland Security. Together they graduate about 3,224 people a year in Georgia.

How much do first-line supervisors of police and detectives earn in Georgia?+

The median is $80,120 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 24.4% below the U.S. median of $106,040. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for first-line supervisors of police and detectives growing?+

BLS projects a +2.9% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 10,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Georgia?+

61 institutions in Georgia reported graduates from at least one of the 7 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do first-line supervisors of police and detectives work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Lieutenant, Police Captain, Patrol Sergeant, Police Sergeant among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 33-1012.

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives in other statesCaliforniaTexasFloridaArizonaNew YorkVirginiaNorth CarolinaPennsylvania

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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