If I lived in America, would becoming a cop be anywhere near the top 50 of my desired jobs?
...
All for the princely sum of not much money.
Depends where you are a cop.
Big cities can be tough.
But in my middle class NJ suburb, the average policeman makes $110K.
The danger is limited. Plus there are ops for OT and/or to do off-duty armed security work that pays quite well, to top up your income.
My first job when I was 16 was cashier at a Shop-Rite grocery store. It was open 24 hours with just one cashier overnight, while the trucks unloaded goods and shelves were restocked. An off-duty policeman was there every night in full police uniform. Besides working the 3rd shift, it was easy and as trouble-free as could be imagined. Those off-duty gigs in my hometown pull in between $30 - $70 per hour. $40/hr average.
I believe police in my hometown can retire with full pension after 25 years. And I think that's at full salary. So if you became a cop at 25, you can retire at full salary at age 50, and start another career. They also get good benefits. Pretty lucrative for a low skill, low education job. Our next door neighbor was a cop, and he made sure his son got into the family business, which is not uncommon.