With five children, a house in Queens, a car of his very own and a job working for the New York Police Department, Detective Elliot Stabler of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” lives an often-stressful life. He is a senior detective who spends his days investigating sex crimes, as well as crimes against the young and the elderly. It may be a living, but does it pay the bills?
Feeding the Family
Stabler’s five children are definitely a lot to handle, though one has left the house and another is only an infant. His wife, Kathy, does not work, but she has her hands full taking care of the kids.
We learn in the first season that Stabler married his wife because she was pregnant with their first daughter. They wed shortly after he left the military. He landed a job on the force because he needed a way to support his already growing family.
Today, Stabler and his family live in a nice two-story home in Queens, which is probably worth between $400,000 and $500,000, according to Trulia.com. On a cop’s salary, that probably means a hefty mortgage each month. Additionally, his wife recently gave birth to child number five, which means medical bills and plenty of diapers to buy. Stabler is fully covered under the NYPD benefits plan, but he certainly has a number of financial responsibilities.
Stabler has gotten himself into trouble numerous times, usually because of his quick temper and his desire to put sex offenders behind bars. Suspensions and several periods of forced time off for psychological evaluation have meant interrupted income, putting him and his family further behind the eight ball.
Stable Stabler
When a stressful financial situation arises, it’s rarely about debt. Stabler is likely to benefit from rewards credit cards that feature discounts for everyday purchases. Charge cards, such as American Express cards, also include rewards for purchases made a grocery stores and gas stations.
Stabler’s Credit Situation
With a mortgage, car payment and lots of bills related to family life, Stabler has probably used credit from time to time, if not on a frequent basis. Although he often defies authority and likes to live life on his own terms, he is also devoted to his family and loathe to cause them pain.
The average salary for a New York City detective is around $48,000, according to Indeed.com, though his experience in the military and his loyalty to the NYPD might increase his salary somewhat. Living in New York, where the cost of living is quite high, Stabler would have difficulty meeting his financial obligations without relying on credit of some kind.
