In order to be an Ohio police officer, one must perform various steps which include filling out an application, taking the civil service exam and passing, taking the physical agility tests and passing, an oral interview and completion of all other testing (such as psychological, medical, and a personality test). After each step, if it is passed and the applicant is chosen to continue with the next step, the applicant will move towards being offered a potential position. If one is eventually hired in Ohio, a basic training program must be completed as well. Upon graduating and then completing field training an individual may achieve the goal of working as an Ohio police officer.
How to Work as an Ohio Police Officer
Minimum state requirements for applicants who wish to become Ohio police officers align with other US states. Applicants must be 21, hold a valid driver’s license in the US and be an American citizen. There are also requirements regarding legal history. Applicants may not have a conviction record, including certain misdemeanors, and no record of domestic abuse or violence. If a candidate meets all these criteria they can then apply for an Ohio police officer position.
Ohio Police Officer Salary
The mean wage of patrol officers in Ohio is about 56,000 a year. Individuals who work in large cities tend to earn more on average than officers who work in rural parts of Ohio. Years of experience and amount of education also influence an officer’s amount of pay. For higher ranking police officer jobs in Ohio, the average salary is around 65,000 a year. Police Supervisors may earn 74,000 each year or potentially even more in Ohio.
Ohio Law Enforcement School Programs
Although Ohio only requires a high school diploma to apply for a police officer job, it is usually advisable for candidates to gain higher education or a degree before applying to the force. A degree in criminal justice, forensic science, cyber security, or any other law enforcement related subject could give an applicant an edge over applicants without a law enforcement degree. Having a degree can also raise an individual’s starting salary compared to those without degrees.
- Ashland University
401 College Avenue, Ashland, OH 44805
419-289-4142
- Baldwin-Wallace College
275 Eastland Road, Berea, OH 44017
440-826-2900
- Belmont College
68094 Hammond Road, St. Clairsville, OH 43950
740-695-9500
- Bluffton University
1 University Drive, Bluffton, OH 45817
419-358-3000
- Buckeye Joint Vocational School
545 University Drive NE, New Philadelphia, OH 44663
330-308-5720
- Butler Tech
3603 Hamilton Middletown Road, Hamilton, OH 45011
513-868-6300
- Cedarville University
251 N Main Street, Cedarville, OH 45314
937-766-7700
- Central Ohio Technical College
1179 University Drive, Newark, OH 43055
740-366-9494
- Cleveland State University
2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
216-687-2000
- Cuyahoga Community College
700 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
800-954-8742
- Defiance College
701 N Clinton Street, Defiance, OH 43512
419-784-4010
- Kaplan College
Columbus, OH / Dayton, OH- 937-294-6155
- Kent State University
800 E Summit Street, Kent, OH 44240
330-672-3000
- Lake Erie College
391 W Washington Street, Painesville, OH 44077
440-296-1856
- Lakeland Community College
7700 Clocktower Drive, Kirtland, OH 44094
440-525-7000
- Lorain County Community College
1005 North Abbe Road, Elyria, OH 44035
440-366-5222
- Marion Technical College
1467 Mount Vernon Ave, Marion, OH 43302
740-389-4636
- North Central State College
2441 Kenwood Circle, Mansfield, OH 44906
419-755-4800
- Northwest State Community College
22600 State Route 34, Archbold, OH 43502
419-267-5511
- Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus
101 University Drive, Chillicothe, OH 45601
740-774-7200
- Ohio University-Lancaster Campus
1570 Granville Pike, Lancaster, OH 43130
740-654-6711
- Owens Community College
30335 Oregon Road, Perrysburg, OH 43551
567-661-7000
- Rhodes State College
4240 Campus Drive, Lima, OH 45804
419-995-8320
- Sinclair Community College
444 West Third Street, Dayton, OH 45402
800-315-3000
- Southern State Community College
100 Hobart Drive, Hillsboro, OH 45133
937-393-3431
- Terra State Community College
2830 Napoleon Road, Fremont, OH 43420
419-334-8400
- University of Akron Wayne College
1901 Smucker Road, Orrville, OH 44667
330-683-2010
- University of Cincinnati
2600 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45221
513-556-6000
- University of Dayton
300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469
937-229-1000
- Washington State Community College
710 Colegate Drive, Marietta, OH 45750
740-374-8716
- Zane State College
1555 Newark Road, Zanesville, OH 43701
740-454-2501