As a police officers you work long odd hours to serve and protect your community. Many of you don't work the typical 9-5 schedule. Instead, you may work a night shift, four 12 hour shifts a week, or other irregular hours. Most of the time, these schedules allow for the opportunity to work a side job to earn extra money while doing something you are passionate about. And let's face it, most first responders are not paid enough for what they are worth. So having an extra source of income never hurts. Here is our list of the 11 best side jobs for police officers:
Dispatcher
Your knowledge as a police officers can be very useful as an emergency operator, call taker, or dispatcher. Qualifications can vary depending upon your location and type of job, but most prefer or require you have an EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatcher) certificate.
Teacher
As a law enforcement officer, you can work a part-time as an instructor in several different classroom settings. Schools prefer to have instructors that have real world experience when teaching their students, so they are better prepared for their future in law enforcement. Types of classed could include criminal justice, forensics, and other public safety courses. These classes are often offered at community colleges and other educational institutions.
Ride Share Driver
To become a ride share driver at Uber or Lyft, all you need is a reliable vehicle, a drivers license, and spare time. The hours you can work are very flexible. In most cases, you can sign into the app anytime you want and do as many rides as you want. So on your way home from a shift, or while you are out running errands you could do a few rides. Pay rates vary by time of day and location. The busiest and best paying times are often during rush hour and on the weekends.
Private Security
One of the most natural transitions for police officers is private security work. Security jobs offer flexible hours, decent pay, leverages your law enforcement training, and are often arranged through department-approved off-duty programs. Opportunities include executive protection, event security, body guard services, and retail security.
Fitness or Personal Defense Instructor
As a law enforcement officer, you are expected to maintain high fitness standards, and you also know self defense technics. Job options include personal fitness trainer, martial arts, or self defense technics for the general public.
Food Delivery
Similar to being a ride share driver, all you need is a reliable vehicle, a drivers license, and some spare time to work for Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Grubhub. The hours you can work are very flexible. In most cases, you can sign into the app anytime you want and do as many deliveries as you want. So on your way home from a shift, or while you are out running errands you could do a few deliveries. Pay rates vary by location and time of day. The busiest and best paying times are during lunch, dinner, and on the weekends.
Focus Groups
When a company creates a new product or makes changes to an existing product, sometimes they test these new ideas out on a group of people, called a focus group, before introducing the product to the market. These companies will hire a a 3rd party marketing company to do the focus groups. Types of focus groups can range from in person taste tests to online surveys. Pay rates vary per study, but it's reported that you can earn over $50 per hour. Three websites you can find local and online focus groups are: FocusGroups.org, WatchLab.com, and UserInterviews.com.
Process Server
A process server is a professional who formally delivers legal documents—such as summons, complaints, and subpoenas—to defendants or involved parties to initiate legal proceedings. They ensure constitutional due process is met by providing official notice of legal action, often using in-person, substituted, or certified mail methods
Real Estate Agent
Law enforcement professionals already know their communities inside and out—making real estate a smart fit. Most of the time it is a commission based business meaning the hours are flexible. Many officers work real estate on days off, gradually building a client base that can turn into a full retirement career. A real estate license can be obtained in a matter of months.
Start a Blog or Website
Starting your own website is not as difficult or expensive as you might think. These days there are plenty of companies to choose from that will host your site and have an easy to use website builder. A good rule of thumb is to write about or sell something that you are knowledgeable about or passionate about. For example, if you are a detective, write about your experiences at being a detective. Or if you are knowledge about lawn care, you could start a blog about law care tips. For more information including how to start a website and make money on it, visit our article : How to Start a Website as a Side Job for First Responders.
Skilled Trade or Handyman
If there is a skill or trade that you are good at, you might want to consider using this as a side job. Many first responders own their own plumbing, HVAC, electrical, or carpentry company and make good money just through word of mouth or advertising on sites like Helpful Heroes. The general public and your co-workers often prefer to have work done on their homes by someone they see as trustworthy and hardworking, like first responders.
