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The differences between chiefs of police and police 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 $52,638 average annual salary of a police officer.
The top three skills for a chief of police include patrol, public safety and criminal justice. The most important skills for a police officer are patrol, public safety, and law enforcement agencies.
| Chief Of Police | Police Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $77,582 | $52,638 |
| Hourly rate | $37.30 | $25.31 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 69,344 | 116,287 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
Police officers are responsible for keeping peace and security in a community. They uphold and enforce the law. They ensure that people in their assigned community follow the law. They also ensure that proper sanctions are given out to anyone who does not follow. Some police officers are assigned in the field, meaning they work outside of police stations. Those assigned to police stations are responsible for maintaining administrative matters as well, aside from maintaining peace and order. Police officers are expected to be trustworthy, to work with honor, and to keep their integrity intact.
Chiefs of police and police officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Of Police | Police Officer | |
| Average salary | $77,582 | $52,638 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $120,000 | Between $38,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Maine | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Ohlone College | Icma-rc |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a chief of police and a police officer in terms of educational background:
| Chief Of Police | Police Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between chiefs of police' and police officers' demographics:
| Chief Of Police | Police Officer | |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| 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, 12.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |