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Chief of police vs commanding officer

The differences between chiefs of police and commanding officers 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 $40,452 average annual salary of a commanding officer.

The top three skills for a chief of police include patrol, public safety and criminal justice. The most important skills for a commanding officer are logistical support, emergency situations, and combat.

Chief of police vs commanding officer overview

Chief Of PoliceCommanding Officer
Yearly salary$77,582$40,452
Hourly rate$37.30$19.45
Growth rate3%-
Number of jobs69,34455,602
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age4646
Years of experience--

Chief of police vs commanding officer salary

Chiefs of police and commanding officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Chief Of PoliceCommanding Officer
Average salary$77,582$40,452
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $120,000Between $33,000 And $48,000
Highest paying CityBerkeley, CA-
Highest paying stateMaine-
Best paying companyOhlone College-
Best paying industryGovernment-

Differences between chief of police and commanding officer education

There are a few differences between a chief of police and a commanding officer in terms of educational background:

Chief Of PoliceCommanding Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeBusiness
Most common collegePennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State University

Chief of police vs commanding officer demographics

Here are the differences between chiefs of police' and commanding officers' demographics:

Chief Of PoliceCommanding Officer
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 91.7% Female, 8.3%Male, 86.6% Female, 13.4%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between chief of police and commanding officer duties and responsibilities

Chief of police example responsibilities.

  • Lead, train and mentore a team of 11 senior logistics and business consultants.
  • Plan, manage, develop, implement and revise the training FTO program, as needed.
  • Enable senior leadership to accomplish combat objectives.
  • Provide first aid and CPR to victims as necessary.
  • Investigate burglary and theft crimes with extensive attention to details.
  • Investigate state and federal narcotics violations on a DEA lead strike-force team.
  • Show more

Commanding officer example responsibilities.

  • Lead precinct to the largest percentage decrease in crime of all 76 NYC precincts.
  • Facilitate strategic planning efforts and public-private partnerships to maximize results in accomplishing DHS and USCG missions.
  • Coordinate and manage logistical combat support services, engineering support, and security escorts to bases/units locate within the region.
  • Orchestrate the day to day demands, managing deficiencies/opportunities and prioritization of unit operations throughout specific target areas within NYC.
  • CAPTAIN GEORGE``JOE"PAITL, USCG (Ret . )
  • Used CCTV to continuously monitor customer, staff, and parking lot areas.
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Chief of police vs commanding officer skills

Common chief of police skills
  • Patrol, 23%
  • Public Safety, 13%
  • Criminal Justice, 9%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
  • Emergency Management, 4%
  • Police Services, 3%
Common commanding officer skills
  • Logistical Support, 12%
  • Emergency Situations, 9%
  • Combat, 8%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%
  • Direct Oversight, 5%
  • Coast Guard, 5%

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