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The differences between border patrol agents and officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an officer has an average salary of $52,506, which is higher than the $46,060 average annual salary of a border patrol agent.
The top three skills for a border patrol agent include patrol, CBP and DHS. The most important skills for an officer are patrol, customer service, and public safety.
| Border Patrol Agent | Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $46,060 | $52,506 |
| Hourly rate | $22.14 | $25.24 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 43,748 | 114,267 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A border patrol agent is a government employee who provides the security of international land borders and coastal waters between ports of entry. Border patrol agents are required to apprehend illegal border crossers, criminals, and terrorists from crossing a country to stop them from carrying out illegal activities and attacks. They work closely with other local and federal agencies to ensure legal immigrants, enterprises, and commerce remain unimpeded. Border patrol agents must also use electronic surveillance equipment and respond to electronic sensor alarms in remote areas.
An officer is responsible for managing the daily operations of the assigned area, ensuring its peace and security by monitoring and reporting unusual and suspicious activities. Officers are the ones enforcing strict safety protocols and procedures to maintain the order within the premises. They also coordinate with law enforcement agencies in conducting appropriate investigations for any violating cases. An officer must be highly-knowledgeable of the law policies, as well as possessing excellent leadership skills to manage the members under the officer's patrol.
Border patrol agents and officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Border Patrol Agent | Officer | |
| Average salary | $46,060 | $52,506 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $68,000 | Between $26,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Department of Homeland Security | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a border patrol agent and an officer in terms of educational background:
| Border Patrol Agent | Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | - |
Here are the differences between border patrol agents' and officers' demographics:
| Border Patrol Agent | Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.0% Female, 14.0% | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% Asian, 2.9% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 15.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |