Commissioned security officer vs public safety officer

The differences between commissioned security officers and public safety officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a public safety officer has an average salary of $36,596, which is higher than the $32,152 average annual salary of a commissioned security officer.

The top three skills for a commissioned security officer include patrol, safety hazards and property damage. The most important skills for a public safety officer are patrol, patients, and public safety.

Commissioned security officer vs public safety officer overview

	Commissioned Security Officer	Public Safety Officer
Yearly salary	$32,152	$36,596
Hourly rate	$15.46	$17.59
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	109,975	122,048
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	43	40
Years of experience	-	-

Commissioned security officer vs public safety officer salary

Commissioned security officers and public safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Commissioned Security Officer	Public Safety Officer
Average salary	$32,152	$36,596
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $42,000	Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	New Britain, CT
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between commissioned security officer and public safety officer education

There are a few differences between a commissioned security officer and a public safety officer in terms of educational background:

	Commissioned Security Officer	Public Safety Officer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	California State University - Bakersfield

Commissioned security officer vs public safety officer demographics

Here are the differences between commissioned security officers' and public safety officers' demographics:

	Commissioned Security Officer	Public Safety Officer
Average age	43	40
Gender ratio	Male, 74.0% Female, 26.0%	Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 18.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 26.6% Asian, 5.1% White, 42.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 3.4% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	7%

Differences between commissioned security officer and public safety officer duties and responsibilities

Commissioned security officer example responsibilities.

Arm foot patrol residential sites providing personal security to residents and property.
Provide first responder first aid & CPR.
Utilize and monitor security equipment: CCTV, radios, intercom systems, alarm systems, computers, and fire panels.
Monitor CCTV surveillance system at designate facilities.
Conduct security, mobile patrol, and supervisory services for various accounts/clients/company.
Maintain a standard of punctuality and dependability of attendance and retain myself cleanliness, tidiness, neatness and appropriately attire.

Public safety officer example responsibilities.

Manage litigation and bankruptcy matters.
Apply hand cuffs, restraints and calm combative irate people, handling emergency situations, report writing, CPR, a.
Patrol campus, answer calls: fire, police, ems.
Engage in assistance for medical staff in dangerous situations, patient restraints, heavy lifting, and area access.
Monitor campus radio and cameras, dispatch emergency calls, issue summonses and utilize the NYSPIN computer communication network.
Involve in patient restraints and aggressive patient/visitor confrontations.

Commissioned security officer vs public safety officer skills

Common commissioned security officer skills

Patrol, 24%
Safety Hazards, 12%
Property Damage, 8%
Emergency Situations, 7%
Fire Hazards, 6%
Vehicle Patrols, 4%

Common public safety officer skills

Patrol, 18%
Patients, 17%
Public Safety, 12%
Customer Service, 7%
CPR, 5%
Emergency Situations, 5%

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Commissioned Security Officer
Commissioned Security Officer vs Public Safety Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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