Decent starting salaries
 

I recently added to a thread that the starting salary for a Sumter County sheriff deputy was about $42,900 plus benefits. A couple of other posters thought this seemed low for a starting salary.

What do you think would be a fair starting salary for such a job in this part of Florida?

with a degree needed and experience...and someone gets to shoot at you...a teaching degree gets you more money...i think its low

I'd say if a qualified applicant can be found and is willing to take the job then that is a fair salary. if they keep hiring and firing one incompetent person after another they probably need to think about a salary increase.

People who do police work do it for many reason. Some simply love it and it's what they want to do. Government jobs usually provide great security and benefits. Some want the experience on their resume for future ambitions. I don't think most people get into law enforcement solely for the money.

Keep in mind that this is a starting salary. I would imagine that there are colas and other types of increases that may come over the years.

And as to the statement that "someone gets to shoot at you". When was the last time that you heard of an officer getting shot at? Granted, it happens but not as often as most people think. You're probably more likely to be shot if you're a convenience store clerk.

Just a few days ago a deputy was shot three times and survived. Last year Brevard county was mourning the death of a female officer who was shot and killed during a traffic stop. I remember one year there were about 5 officers killed in separate incidences in central Florida. My own brother-in-law was a police officer killed in the line of duty.There are many more who were shot, it happens more than you think!

sorry just from experience...one family member and two close friends shot and killed in the line of duty.. three too many in my life...

Let's not make up facts, starting teacher salary in Sumter is over 10,000 less.

Teachers have the summer off - to my knowledge deputies don't. Do the math.....

Maybe you should do the math. 10 weeks of summer wouldn't get them 12,000 more. Plus the fact that the amount of time teachers spend working on top of their regular workday (nights, weekends, summer, etc) without pay.

I'm sorry to hear about your brother in law, Pam. My father was a police officer for twenty-five years in the city where I grew up. He was never shot at.
In the past fifty years in that city, there was one officer that was shot and killed and it was primarily because of his own stupidity. He was in plain clothes and was going by a bar where something looked suspicious. He looked inside and saw a robbery in progress. Instead of calling for backup and waiting for more help to arrive, he burst into the room with his gun out and yelled "police". One of the armed robbers shot him.

It seems that the rate of officers shot and killed in central Florida is pretty high.
I still maintain that it is a pretty rare event. But you could be right.

i thought teachers were salaried whereas police were hourly. teachers only have to work 180 days per year, police maybe 250? at what grade level do you think teachers start working night/weekends? and what teacher works during the summer who is not paid for it?

Teachers work 196 days (180 days are with students). During those 180 days, a teacher only gets 40 minutes a day for planning lessons, grading papers, etc. Elementary teachers have to plan for 6 subjects each day. And with differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all the students, the teacher may need 3 lesson plans for each of these subjects. Tough to do in 40 minutes, wouldn't you say? I won't even get into how many hours are spent on designing assessments with open ended higher order questions the students have to respond to.
I know very few teachers at any grade level that begin and end their school day with the bell. Some teachers attend trainings and have to attend classes for professional development with no pay over the summer.
If your child has a good teacher, you can be assured, he/she is working every bit of 250 days in the 196 days they are paid.

Math sucks!!!! :boom:

This comparison between teacher in cop will go nowhere. Back in the 1980's it was referred to as comparable worth. I spent a good time of my life writing job positions setting salary for every level in a company, etc. bottom line is the market dictates.

but let's focus in on local police. In lady Lake a few years back they advertised for police and stated the school requirements to be High School but a GED Equivalent would suffice. In other locations college is required.
Now focus on the community is it Chicago or the Friendliest Hometown in Florida. You get the picture. Also consider that duties may different for each locale

another aspect are the benefits. In some, jobs seekers, seek jobs because the benefits are generous and long term employment guarantees that the retiree and spouse will be set for life.

This is not a complete or exhaustive list of things I could cover here such as the job requirement working hours working conditions....there simply is not enough room but to be sure comparing one job from another take more than saying salary plus benefits

Now I am exhausted:pepper2:

By the I forgot to mention this issue of the risk cops take. If that is a consideration then the guys in the armed forces are certainly well underpaid because they get shot at all the time

Anyone who wants to put their face out there to possibly get shot at or killed deserve a good wage but that accounts for both teachers and police now days.Teachers or rather good teachers have been under paid for years especially elementary teachers. They pay for there own education. But then why would you want to walk around with a sign saying shoot me(police)then again why would you want to be looked down on sometimes for being an educator. I guess what I am saying we are all under paid for what we do. And for what we put up with .

I did some research online and found out that the starting salary of $42,900 for a Sumter County deputy does not look too shabby when compared to others.

For example, New York City police (after 6 months in the academy) eary $46,288; Washington DC earns $48,715; Miami gets $46,583; and Chicago police begin at $43,104.

Given the crime rates (probability of more danger) of Sumter County vs any of those listed above as well as other things such as cost of living and taxes - I would say the Sumter County police starting salary is very good when compared to the above cities.

oh please, people. let's not get into teachers vs LEOS. Both are heroes and deserve more than they get. good grief. or as Gracie would say Boy Howdy.

There is no comparison at all. It is a discussion of decent starting salaries. Both under paid. The comment was made a teaching degree gets you more money. Just setting the record straight how poorly teachers are paid for the amount of work they do and the responsibility they have.

Sisters husbands partn shot dead in central Fl. Bet the numbs are a lot higher than you know. Seeing already just a few of us have had the experience and I'm not from here

57 killed in the line of duty in the U.S. In 2012. 53 males, 4 females. Average age 42

guess it's a good thing my niece chose to teach phys ed/health and supervise study hall - not much lesson planning/testing there. and she is paid an additional stipend to serve as track coach.

and my friend who teaches special ed in middle school operates with curriculum/lessson plans/assessments provided under state guidelines - not much oppty to improvise there.

Forget fairness, life isn't fair. The starting salary, from what I understand, is usually based on comparisons with other nearby communities. I guess you could call it "free-market economics". (Or at least it should be.) If some job doesn't pay enough, you're free to try your luck elsewhere. I'm not trying to be mean about it, just truthful.

Times are different. This is 2013 and Florida. The highest salary for a teacher with a doctorate and 30 years experience in Sumter isn't even 66K. No incentives offered for class size either. Schools get fined if they go over class size. Many districts haven't given raises in the last 4-5 years.

I know you have to set it straight. Tchrs are pathetically compensated in FL.
I'm just bugged by anybody in either profession being put on the grill.

For those who are not aware, education is in a paradigm shift throughout the nation. There is more to the above examples. Exceptional Education teachers are angels in this field. They have way more laws and regulations to deal with for each and every student. I would venture to say if the above examples were true, then these teachers are not going to be on easy street for long. 46 states are under this transition. Yes, there are some jobs that are less work than others. Exceptional Education is not one of them! You can be sure if you are teaching core courses, teachers are using provided lesson plans and text books as a resource, the state standards at the students level is the curriculum. Teachers may make it look easy, but trust me, understanding the level of rigor needed for each standard and at the level needed to progress each student takes time, dedication, and training.
Education is not the same as it was when I got into it. Accountability is keeping educators working hard and on their toes- sometimes feeling like we have to achieve the impossible! We keep stretching ourselves and plugging along to take the students to a level they never expected to achieve. We are teaching dual set of standards this school year. One set to be measured by FCAT, the other set to be measured by PARRC in 2014-2015 school year - HA! We are working our tails off! And that's all I have to say about that!
Go police officers and educators!!!! I know this thread started with the salary conversation, but I am very passionate about the work of my profession, have to defend it!:rant-rave:

[QUOTE]Go police officers and educators!!!! I know this thread started with the salary conversation, but I am very passionate about the work of my profession, have to defend it! [QUOTE]

Some of us wouldn't take any amount to do what you do. From my experience with GED teachers, none of them did it for the money.

She has every opportunity and to meet the individual needs of Special Ed students she is required to.

I was a teacher in SE Michigan in the time frame you mentioned and a few years afterwards. With a Masters I think I eventually made 64K. I paid for my own tuition for my second degree. We purchased supplies out of our own pocket. There were 2 or 3 hours of additional work each day. You get what you put into it. There was evening Open House when the year started and 4 nights of parent teacher conferences- 2 each semester. There were 2 days of afternoon conferences a year. Yes there was a 1/2 day comp time after teaching and working consecutive evening. I usually had 95-100% of parents attending. 2 days of training at the start of the year was required. My class size varied. Many years I had 32-35 students. One year I had 22 students. The union and administration worked well for the best interest of the students. It was a rewarding job with high student achievement. All districts are not the same. I guess I was fortunate.

Of course the students had the half day off during daytime conferences. I do recall when there was a large class size they had a sub for a hour or 2. Of course I had to write the lesson plans. Yes there were districts where there was not a healthy working relationship between teachers, administration, and the school board. In those situations the students and community loose.

Not the point at all! These are the people that run towards the sound of gunfire when the rest of us are taking cover. They may never be placed in that situation, but when they are, it has been my experience that they perform with valor. I guess random violence can find anyone of us, but I know my wife wasn't worried about my safety when I went to work. Cops wives (or husbands) live with that constant fear.

So far this year 57 Florida officers have died in the line of duty. 19 have perished by gunfire.

pammyj - you don't hafta preach to me - my niece in s.c. is fought every day by a school system that tells her they do not have to accept the diagnosis, confirmation and confirmation of that confirmation of her son's autism! it would be nice to find aomeone, anyone who would work for the good of that child - wouldn't it?

doug - it's n.j. - one does not veer from the guidelines - one adheres to them or one suffers consequences - most frustrating for her!

I think both teachers and cops are in the profession they are because they love what they do. The salary is a secondary consideration and people that pay that salary are aware of this and that is why the starting salaries are relatively low.

We are all fortunate to have these types of dedicated people around.

Thank you swat team in Hialeah today!

nj,
i have no knowledge of how things work in NJ or SC. Thought we were discussing salaries in Central Florida.
Also, I have nothing but praise for those heroic officers in South Florida today. You couldn't pay me enough to do what they did today.

When my son was diagnosed with mild to moderate autism 22 years ago. This was around the start of the surge of children being diagnosed. He was considered a behavior problem, paddled and suspended numerous times. I fought with the system as well throughout his school years. I chose to keep him in special education classes to shield him from those who did not understand this disability. He earned a "special diploma." on his own after he graduated he went to evening classes and earned his GED. It is much better now than it ever has been. There are so many children with this diagnosis, that it has to be proven that his disability is affecting his learning. In my experience, educators are sensitive to this. However, I can imagine there are places that may not be. As you can imagine, any school I work in, I can spot them immediately. While these students are in my care, I do what I can. Public school is not for everyone. There are special charters in some areas that may cater to special needs children. Choices are plentiful in some areas. Best of luck to your family. Autism is a lifelong struggle for those who have it. I feel very blessed to have my son and to have the opportunity to help others on the spectrum.

I think that there is a lot of truth to what you are saying. If the salaries are not high enough, no one will take the job. If the salaries in a particular profession are low, people will not get degrees in enter into those fields. As much as teachers or cops or anyone else for that matter complain that they are underpaid, they are the ones who decided to go into that field and they are the ones who accepted those positions. The person being hired is the one who ultimately decides what they are willing to work for.

It looks like they did an excellent job and handled a very difficult situation as well as it could have been handled. Congratulations and thanks to all of them and all who decide to go into that line of work.

And every one of those is a great loss. I don't mean to minimize their deaths but there are over one million law enforcement officers in this country. So, 57 seven out of 1 million. Since the original poster brought up being shot at, that's 19 out of 1 million.

I mourn for every one of those deaths, As I said my father was a police officer.

But the numbers say that the odds are in their favor.

The other issue as far as money goes, (and we are discussing how much they make) is that many LEOs have the ability to work details. My father did this for years and often doubled his annual salary. They earned 1-1/2 to double their normal hourly wage for details. AT $42,000 an officer can make an additional $30,000 by working an additional 20 hours a week.

I worked 60 hours a week for most of my life and never made $72,000

Doug, right on the money! Marion County teachers start about $36,000. You don't hit $40,000 until your 10 year unless you have your Masters. Not to mention, I've been the district for 7 years and have received one raise since starting. Not a complaint, just a fact. Those that say we work 196 days with summer off, HAHAHAHAHAHA! That's comical. Myself and many of my hardworking colleagues are still at school past 6 pm at night and taking work home with us then. You don't just write up a lesson plan, present it, and then you are done. You analyze and evaluate the results to check for understanding. But......to get back to the original idea about pay in Central Florida, teachers and cops are significantly underpaid. Florida is a Right to Work state that still has unions. Unfortunately, in my case, the union is costing me thousands of dollars a year. But I absolutely love what I do, so money is no object.