Police officers perform a variety of duties including patrolling jurisdictions, responding to emergency calls, investigating crimes, and enforcing laws. The job requires both physical and mental stamina as officers spend much of their time outdoors in a police car or indoors working in a jail. To become an officer requires a high school diploma, some college coursework, physical fitness testing, and graduation from a police academy. While the work can be stressful with long hours, the median salary of over $50,000 fits within the goals of owning a home and vehicles. A related occupation of detective has similar duties but focuses more on investigating criminal cases and gathering evidence.