Also called: Law Enforcement Chaplain, Department Chaplain
A clergy member who supports officers after traumatic calls and helps deliver death notifications to families.
Chaplains ride along on patrol, show up at shootings and fatal crashes, and sit with officers afterward. They go with officers to tell families a loved one has died, and lead services at police funerals. Most serve many faiths and none, and much of their work is quiet listening.
Many are volunteers or part-time; big departments pay full-time chaplains more. Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 7 years after high school. Ordination or religious endorsement, often a Master of Divinity, plus chaplaincy training.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Theology, Divinity, Counseling, Psychology.
Growing about average. More departments are adding officer wellness and chaplain programs (approx.).
Low risk for 10 years. Comforting officers and grieving families in person stays entirely human.
Classes: Psychology, Speech.
Official data: O*NET occupation 21-2011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.