Working as a police officer can be a very exciting and rewarding career, but it may also be very demanding and intense. If you are a resident of Tennessee and want to work as an officer there, you should be aware of the things which Tennessee police departments expect to see in job applicants (which are outlined below). If you meet the base expectations, you can then proceed by completing an application for your police department of choice. The department will review all the applications and choose who is going to move forward. If chosen, you must then proceed through a lengthy hiring process. Step one after applying is completing a written exam and a test of your physical abilities. After passing this portion with a competitive score, you may move on in the process to the next steps which include a background check and preliminary interview. If these are passed you may have a final interview prior to being offered a position and admitted to a Tennessee police academy.
Requirements for Working in Tennessee as a Police Officer
The requirements for police officers in Tennessee are very similar to many other US states. Tennessee police officer must be:
- At least 21
- In possession of a valid U.S. driver’s license
- A legal American citizen
- A High School graduate or have a GED
Memphis requires candidates to have at least 54 college credit hours, but may wave this if a person has a certain number years of military service. Some areas of Tennessee have specific hearing and sight requirements while others don’t. Check with your local police department or the one you want to apply to, then find out exact requirements.
Salary for Tennessee Police Officer Jobs
The average salary of a Tennessee patrol officer is about 40,000 a year. Remember, however, that officers in large cities make much more than officers in rural areas. The above average is a state average, so depending on where one works they could be making more than the average or less than the average. The range is roughly between 32,000 a year and 47,000. Level of education can also make a difference in salary. Those with a law related degree may earn more. Those who work as detectives and also those who are criminal investigators may make up to 48,000 a year.
Law Enforcement Programs in Tennessee
Although it is not required in all of Tennessee, having a degree makes an individual applying for a police department much more valuable in most cases. Having a degree in specific area (such as forensic science) may make a person a more desirable candidate. Therefore, it might be adventitious to pursue a college degree after high school, prior to applying to a department. Below is a list of some schools in Tennessee which offer law enforcement programs.
- Bethel University
325 Cherry Avenue, McKenzie, TN 38201
731-352-4000
- Cleveland State Community College
3535 Adkisson Drive, Cleveland, TN 37320
423-472-7141
- Columbia State Community College
1665 Hampshire Pike, Columbia, TN 38401
931-540-2722
- Cumberland University
1 Cumberland Square, Lebanon, TN 37087
615-444-2562
- Daymar Institute
Locations in Clarksville, TN / Murfreesboro, TN / Nashville, TN
- Dyersburg State Community College
1510 Lake Road, Dyersburg, TN 38024
731-286-3200
- East Tennessee State University
1276 Gilbreath Drive, Johnson City, TN 37614
423-439-1000
- Freed-Hardeman University
158 E Main Street, Henderson, TN 38340
800-348-3481
- ITT Technical Institute
Locations in Chattanooga, TN / Cordova, TN / Knoxville, TN / Nashville, TN
- King University
1350 King College Road, Bristol, TN 37620
423-652-4861
- Lane College
545 Lane Avenue, Jackson, TN 38301
731-426-7500
- LeMoyne-Owen College
807 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN 38126
901-435-1000
- Martin Methodist College
433 West Madison Street, Pulaski, TN 38478
931-363-9800
- Middle Tennessee State University
1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132
615-898-2300
- Nashville State Community College
120 White Bridge Road, Nashville, TN 37209
615-353-3333
- Remington College
2710 Nonconnah Blvd., Memphis, TN 38132
901-389-5302
- South College
3904 Lonas Drive, Knoxville, TN 37909
865-251-1800
- Southwest Tennessee Community College
5983 Macon Cove, Memphis, TN 38134
901-333-5000
- Tennessee State University
3500 John A Merritt Blvd., Nashville, TN 37209
615-963-5000
- The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37403
423-425-4111
- The University of Tennessee-Martin
554 University Street, Martin, TN 38238
731-881-7000
- University of Memphis
3720 Alumni Avenue, Memphis, TN 38152
901-678-2000
- Volunteer State Community College
1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN 37066
615-452-8600
- Walters State Community College
500 South Davy Crockett Parkway, Morristown, TN 37813
423-585-2600