How to Become a New Jersey Police Officer

If you would like a career which involves helping others and working in your community, perhaps you are thinking about working as a New Jersey police officer. To pursue your dream career as a law enforcement officer, you must begin by signing up for the New Jersey Law Enforcement Examination. Those who pass are placed on an eligibility roster. This roster places people in order of their score and their service to the country. A higher rank on the roster may mean a better chance of getting called for an interview but doesn’t guarantee anything. If one gets called for an interview they will then follow a very similar process to that which is presented on this site’s homepage.

How to Become a New Jersey Police Officer

New Jersey does not have many requirements for people who want to work as officers in their state. The main requirements are that an applicant is at least 18, earned a high school diploma/GED,  holds a driver’s license and resides as a legal citizen in America.

Salary- New Jersey Police Officer

The average officer salary is quite a bit higher in New Jersey compared with the rest of the country. For New Jersey, officers make an average of 83,000 a year. Part of this is directly related to the proximity of New Jersey to New York, and the fact that New Jersey is densely populated so the job of police officer is highly needed and valued in New Jersey. Higher ranking police employees such as those with a detectives rank or a criminal investigators title, can make 95,800 a year. Supervisors can make well over 100,000 a year.

New Jersey Law Enforcement School Programs

New Jersey does not have any higher education requirements; however, for those individuals who are looking to make a lifetime career out of law enforcement, it may be a great move to attend college and obtain a criminal justice degree or another applicable program that will equip you for the career you are embarking on. Not only will this prepare you things to come, it can also help you be a stand-out candidate and it can earn you higher pay. The following list gives some ideas of possible schools and programs in New Jersey.

  • Atlantic Cape Community College

5100 Black Horse Pike, Hamilton, NJ 08330

609-625-1111

  • Bergen Community College

400 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ 07652

201-447-7100

  • Brookdale Community College

765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738

732-224-2345

  • Caldwell University

120 Bloomfield Ave, Caldwell, NJ 07006

973-618-3000

  • Centenary College

400 Jefferson Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840

800-236-8679

  • Cumberland County College

3322 College Drive, Vineland, NJ 08362

856-691-8600

  • Essex County College

303 University Ave, Newark, NJ 07102

973-877-3000

  • Felician University

262 South Main Street, Lodi, NJ 07644

201-559-6000

  • Georgian Court University

900 Lakewood Ave, Lakewood, NJ 08701

800-458-8422

  • Gloucester County College

1400 Tanyard Road, Sewell, NJ 08080

856-468-5000

  • Hudson County Community College

70 Sip Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306

201-714-7100

  • Katharine Gibbs School

180 Centennial Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854

732-562-9400

  • Kean University

1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083

908-737-5326

  • Middlesex County College

2600 Woodbridge Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837

732-548-6000

  • Montclair State University

1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043

973-655-4000

  • New Jersey City University

2039 John F Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City, NJ 07305

201-200-2000

  • Passaic County Community College

1 College Blvd., Paterson, NJ 07505

973-684-6868

  • Rowan University

201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ 08028

856-256-4000

  • Rutgers Camden

303 Cooper Street, Camden, NJ 08102

856-225-1766

  • Rutgers University

11 Bishop Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

732-214-9187

  • Saint Peter’s University

2641 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07306

201-761-6000

  • Seton Hall University

400 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079

973-761-9000

  • The College of New Jersey

Green Hall, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing Township, NJ 08628

609-771-1855

  • The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, NJ 08205

609-652-4688

  • Union County College

1033 Springfield Avenue, Cranford, NJ 07016

908-709-7000

  • Warren County Community College

475 Route 57 W, Washington, NJ 07882

908-835-9222