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The differences between chiefs of police and captains can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chief of police has an average salary of $77,582, which is higher than the $52,161 average annual salary of a captain.
The top three skills for a chief of police include patrol, public safety and criminal justice. The most important skills for a captain are customer service, safety standards, and food preparation.
| Chief Of Police | Captain | |
| Yearly salary | $77,582 | $52,161 |
| Hourly rate | $37.30 | $25.08 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 69,344 | 4,430 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
A Chief Of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department. They plan, coordinate, supervise, and evaluate police department operations.
Captains oversee the entire operations of a sea vessel, usually ships. Their main responsibility is to ensure that the vessel safely travels from point A to point B. They are expert navigators who manage the course of the vessel. Captains should also be familiar with the different equipment aboard the ship and should be able to use them effectively. They should know how to properly maintain the equipment on board and should also know how to do repairs. Captains also manage their ship's crew and oversee the crews' overall performance. They also manage the finances and other operations-related activities during the course of their travel. Captains should have good communication skills, quick decision-making skills, and expert navigation skills.
Chiefs of police and captains have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Of Police | Captain | |
| Average salary | $77,582 | $52,161 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $120,000 | Between $31,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | California |
| Best paying company | Ohlone College | |
| Best paying industry | Government | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a chief of police and a captain in terms of educational background:
| Chief Of Police | Captain | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Business |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between chiefs of police' and captains' demographics:
| Chief Of Police | Captain | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% | Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |