Code enforcement officer vs police cadet

The differences between code enforcement officers and police cadets can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a code enforcement officer has an average salary of $40,706, which is higher than the $33,243 average annual salary of a police cadet.

The top three skills for a code enforcement officer include patrol, public safety and community development. The most important skills for a police cadet are patrol, traffic control, and public safety.

Code enforcement officer vs police cadet overview

	Code Enforcement Officer	Police Cadet
Yearly salary	$40,706	$33,243
Hourly rate	$19.57	$15.98
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	104,295	94,220
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

What does a code enforcement officer do?

Code enforcement officers are professionals who work for the government to ensure that properties within their jurisdiction are following the zoning laws and building ordinances of a city, town, or county. These officers are required to inspect properties and record violations as part of their regular assessment or in response to complaints. They must explain to property owners about building codes and zoning laws so that they can avoid confusion and increase awareness of all violations. Code enforcement officers must also keep records of case violations and complaints while submitting the summary reports to their supervisors.

What does a police cadet do?

Police cadets require multiple police department-relevant skills in traffic control, police reports, public safety, and special events. Those who choose this career will be responsible for participating in training programs that will introduce them to the fundamentals of law enforcement and prepare them for becoming police officers, supporting police operations like traffic control, working on criminal investigation, and performing administrative duties at the station.

Code enforcement officer vs police cadet salary

Code enforcement officers and police cadets have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Code Enforcement Officer	Police Cadet
Average salary	$40,706	$33,243
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $56,000	Between $23,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	San Rafael, CA	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	King County	Meridian Township
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between code enforcement officer and police cadet education

There are a few differences between a code enforcement officer and a police cadet in terms of educational background:

	Code Enforcement Officer	Police Cadet
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Code enforcement officer vs police cadet demographics

Here are the differences between code enforcement officers' and police cadets' demographics:

	Code Enforcement Officer	Police Cadet
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7%	Male, 63.4% Female, 36.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 3.2% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between code enforcement officer and police cadet duties and responsibilities

Code enforcement officer example responsibilities.

Develop and manage firearms training programs, including weapons selection and qualification standards.
Review variance, special use and any land use applications.
Review plans and specifications for zoning, parking and setback requirements.
Enforce city and state ordinances, patrol city for violations against the city building code and animal laws.
Patrol assign areas within the city limits while operating a city vehicle to enforce nuisance and property maintenance codes.
Create simulations for force-on-force firearms training/defensive tactics for customers and train the trainers at Police/Sheriff departments.

Police cadet example responsibilities.

Process requests for background record checks for a variety of agencies using RMS.
Prepare teletype requests to run serialize firearms; input data from all seize firearms into CLETS.
Perform clerical tasks, filing, data entry, payroll and information research/investigation with NCIC 2000 and SCIC.
Automate tow notification process within RMS system.
Perform preventative maintenance inspections, routinely servicing minor repairs on equipment and patrol vehicles.
General law enforcement responsibilities including dispatch, jail, patrol, investigations, undercover vice/narcotics and supervision.

Code enforcement officer vs police cadet skills

Common code enforcement officer skills

Patrol, 12%
Public Safety, 7%
Community Development, 5%
Municipal Codes, 4%
Code Compliance, 4%
Plumbing, 4%

Common police cadet skills

Patrol, 18%
Traffic Control, 10%
Public Safety, 8%
Police Academy, 7%
Parking Enforcement, 5%
Criminal Justice, 4%

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Code Enforcement Officer
Code Enforcement Officer vs Police Cadet

Updated January 8, 2025

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