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Boston Career Explorer

Protective Service

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.

Also called: Captain, Deputy Sheriff, Detective Sergeant, Lieutenant, Patrol Sergeant, Police Captain

Median pay in Greater Boston
$108,190
$52.01/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
3,720
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+5.1%
390 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training; Less than 5 years of related work experience

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$83,220$97,280$108,190$129,050$161,150

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Supervise and coordinate the investigation of criminal cases, offering guidance and expertise to investigators, and ensuring that procedures are conducted in accordance with laws and regulations.
  • Prepare work schedules and assign duties to subordinates.
  • Direct collection, preparation, and handling of evidence and personal property of prisoners.
  • Investigate and resolve personnel problems within organization and charges of misconduct against staff.
  • Explain police operations to subordinates to assist them in performing their job duties.
  • Maintain logs, prepare reports, and direct the preparation, handling, and maintenance of departmental records.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Moderate exposure46 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 41
  • Language-model AIOE 40
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 57

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure is moderate, and observed AI use is little or none so far. AI tools could help with work schedules, evidence paperwork, and case records. Guiding investigations, handling misconduct cases, and leading officers rely on human judgment and trust.

Likely to change

  • Drafting work schedules and duty rosters
  • Evidence and case paperwork

Still relies on people

  • Guiding investigators and leading officers
  • Resolving personnel problems and misconduct charges

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

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    Safety procedures and leading a work team carry over. Pay is similar ($111,490), with 13.3% expected growth and long-term on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$3,300 median
    AI exposure
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    MA growth
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    High school diploma or equivalent

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    Pay difference
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    MA growth
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    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

30 programs near Boston (plus 12 graduate)

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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