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The differences between correction officers and police cadets can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a correction officer has an average salary of $39,369, which is higher than the $33,243 average annual salary of a police cadet.
The top three skills for a correction officer include public safety, correctional facility and emergency situations. The most important skills for a police cadet are patrol, traffic control, and public safety.
| Correction Officer | Police Cadet | |
| Yearly salary | $39,369 | $33,243 |
| Hourly rate | $18.93 | $15.98 |
| Growth rate | -10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 103,383 | 94,220 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A correction officer is responsible for monitoring the daily activities of individuals serving time in prison, enforcing the standard rules and regulatory procedures to maintain safety and security within the premises. Correction officers' duties include searching for restricted items, inspecting the facilities' condition, observing unusual and suspicious behaviors, generating incident reports, and providing assistance during counseling and trial schedules. Correction officers must be highly knowledgeable of legal regulations. They must also cooperate with court procedures for any investigations within their place of work.
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.
Correction officers and police cadets have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Correction Officer | Police Cadet | |
| Average salary | $39,369 | $33,243 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $54,000 | Between $23,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Minneapolis, MN |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company | Meridian Township |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a correction officer and a police cadet in terms of educational background:
| Correction Officer | Police Cadet | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between correction officers' and police cadets' demographics:
| Correction Officer | Police Cadet | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 63.4% Female, 36.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 16.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 57.3% 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 | 6% | 7% |