Ohio·Protective Service Occupations·SOC 33-1012

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

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police.

61 schools in Ohio run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,610 people a year. The job pays a median of $98,380 in Ohio across about 5,170 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledLieutenantPolice CaptainPatrol SergeantPolice SergeantCaptainPort WardenChief DeputyPolice Chief
Graduates / yr
1,610
in Ohio
Median pay · Ohio
$98,380
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
5,170
people employed
Schools
61
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
41%
across those schools
Median net price
$21,785
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Ohio that lead to this job

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

9 programs in Ohio that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Ohio (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 Ohio 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 Ohio
1,119
69.5%
35$37,408$24,069
2
CIP 43.0103In Ohio
284
17.6%
16$37,408$24,069
3
CIP 43.0102In Ohio
88
5.5%
7$37,408$24,069
4
CIP 43.0404In Ohio
50
3.1%
7$40,889$25,000
5
CIP 03.0208In Ohio
25
1.6%
1$37,946$24,125
6
CIP 43.0100In Ohio
13
0.8%
3$37,408$24,069
7
CIP 43.0119In Ohio
13
0.8%
1$37,408$24,069
8
CIP 43.0302In Ohio
11
0.7%
3$46,281$23,250
9
CIP 43.0301In Ohio
7
0.4%
3$46,281$23,250

Top 25 schools in Ohio

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 35 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
1University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
302Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$40,55775%85%
2Kent State University at Kent
Kent, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
156Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$33,98064%86%
3Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
122Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$37,32550%84%
4Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Bowling Green, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
110Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$36,46864%81%
5Franklin University
Columbus, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
101Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration$38,10311%$22,280
6Central State University
Wilberforce, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
86Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$32,63123%99%
7Ohio University - Main Campus
Athens, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
60Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy65%85%
8University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH Public · 3 feeder programs
55Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$38,54752%60%
9University of Toledo
Toledo, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
51Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$37,54857%92%
10University of Dayton
Dayton, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
45Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$25,15080%$28,56065%
11Tiffin University
Tiffin, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
38Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration$44,82340%$24,12680%
12Sinclair Community College
Dayton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
34Corrections$29,88841%
13Miami University - Hamilton
Hamilton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
29Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration$36,61225%
14Ashland University
Ashland, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
28Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration$42,17261%$21,78576%
15Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
26Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$41,01369%$31,11986%
16Hocking College
Nelsonville, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
25Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services$27,81737%
17Washington State College of Ohio
Marietta, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
24Corrections32%
18Baldwin Wallace University
Berea, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
21Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$42,40767%$25,10476%
19Stark State College
North Canton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
21Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration$35,01423%
20University of Cincinnati - Blue Ash College
Blue Ash, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
21Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$38,39916%
21Owens Community College
Perrysburg, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
19Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration$63,96635%
22Columbiana County Career and Technical Center
Lisbon, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
13Corrections75%
23Ohio Northern University
Ada, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
13Criminal Justice/Safety Studies$38,91875%$23,91274%
24Portage Lakes Career Center
Uniontown, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
13Critical Incident Response/Special Police Operations69%
25Franciscan University of Steubenville
Steubenville, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
12Criminal Justice/Safety Studies75%$21,12258%

All 61 schools in Ohio

Every school in Ohio 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 Ohio that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnatiPublic3022
Kent State University at KentKentPublic1561
Youngstown State UniversityYoungstownPublic1222
Bowling Green State University - Main CampusBowling GreenPublic1101
Franklin UniversityColumbusPrivate not-for-profit1011
Central State UniversityWilberforcePublic861
Ohio University - Main CampusAthensPublic602
University of Akron Main CampusAkronPublic553
University of ToledoToledoPublic511
University of DaytonDaytonPrivate not-for-profit451
Tiffin UniversityTiffinPrivate not-for-profit382
Sinclair Community CollegeDaytonPublic341
Miami University - HamiltonHamiltonPublic291
Ashland UniversityAshlandPrivate not-for-profit282
Xavier UniversityCincinnatiPrivate not-for-profit261

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

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

Median annual in Ohio
$98,380
Mean annual
$99,370
Jobs in state
5,170
What the range looks like
10th pct$64,540Median$98,38090th pct$131,250
Versus the national median
-7.2%

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

Job concentration
0.94×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Ohio

Columbus, OH
$121,750median
960 jobs
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$102,870median
790 jobs
Cleveland, OH
$101,190median
1,220 jobs
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH
$98,230median
390 jobs
Akron, OH
$99,840median
290 jobs
Toledo, OH
$96,920median
350 jobs
Springfield, OH
$98,920median
50 jobs
Sandusky, OH
$82,270median
70 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 Ohio

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 Ohio.

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 1,119 degrees in Ohio in 2024-25, 69.5% 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 9 programs to this occupation. The largest are Criminal Justice and Corrections, Security Science and Technology, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Homeland Security. Together they graduate about 1,610 people a year in Ohio.

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

The median is $98,380 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 7.2% 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 Ohio?+

61 institutions in Ohio reported graduates from at least one of the 9 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 YorkVirginiaGeorgiaNorth Carolina

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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