2nd lieutenant vs platoon sergeant

The differences between 2nd lieutenants and platoon sergeants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a platoon sergeant has an average salary of $95,863, which is higher than the $40,732 average annual salary of a 2nd lieutenant.

The top three skills for a 2nd lieutenant include platoon, logistics and combat. The most important skills for a platoon sergeant are safety procedures, combat, and professional development.

2nd lieutenant vs platoon sergeant overview

	2nd Lieutenant	Platoon Sergeant
Yearly salary	$40,732	$95,863
Hourly rate	$19.58	$46.09
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	1,974	357
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

2nd lieutenant vs platoon sergeant salary

2nd lieutenants and platoon sergeants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	2nd Lieutenant	Platoon Sergeant
Average salary	$40,732	$95,863
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $53,000	Between $68,000 And $134,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between 2nd lieutenant and platoon sergeant education

There are a few differences between a 2nd lieutenant and a platoon sergeant in terms of educational background:

	2nd Lieutenant	Platoon Sergeant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Pennsylvania State University

2nd lieutenant vs platoon sergeant demographics

Here are the differences between 2nd lieutenants' and platoon sergeants' demographics:

	2nd Lieutenant	Platoon Sergeant
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 82.2% Female, 17.8%	Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between 2nd lieutenant and platoon sergeant duties and responsibilities

2nd lieutenant example responsibilities.

Manage minutiae of daily activities as logistics officer
Receive various operation orders from company leadership, generate courses of action to accomplish assignments, and complete exercises.
Develop and implement improvement plans for unit physical fitness and combat readiness.
Brief senior military commanders and DoD civilians.
Implement new standard operating procedure for wear of equipment to enhance the effectiveness of the platoon in a tactical environment.
Redesign the unit's failing internal controls procedures and then receive a successful evaluation by an external DoD audit team.

Platoon sergeant example responsibilities.

Orchestrate squadron recognition programs, manage enlisted promotion recommendations and alleviate all airmen quality force issues.
Mentore and maintain accountability of soldiers within the platoon, providing positive guidance for their personal and professional development.
Train ROTC students during drills.
Award combat action badge for duty in OIF.
Assist in training and mentoring college ROTC cadets.
Evaluate training processes as they pertain to a broad range of equipment, organizations, and doctrine.

2nd lieutenant vs platoon sergeant skills

Common 2nd lieutenant skills

Platoon, 23%
Logistics, 15%
Combat, 11%
Emergency Situations, 8%
Weapon Systems, 4%
ROTC, 4%

Common platoon sergeant skills

Safety Procedures, 20%
Combat, 15%
Professional Development, 8%
Weapons Systems, 8%
NCO, 6%
Logistical Support, 6%

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2nd Lieutenant
2nd Lieutenant vs Platoon Sergeant

Updated January 8, 2025

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